Novel Adaptation | Alpha Bravo Movies

Actors: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, William Hurt, Jake Abel, Chandler Canterbury & Bokeem Woodbine.
Director: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller | Running Time: 125 mins
Distributor: Open Road Films
Distributor in UAE: Italia Film
Releasing in UAE: 18-Apr-2013

An adaptation of author Stephanie Meyer’s novel of the same name, The Host is a science fiction film that sees the mingling of themes such as love, trust and relationships amidst an extra-terrestrial setting.

The movie takes place in the future, where the human race has been taken over by a parasitic alien race called “Souls” that annex human bodies and use the victims to get information about other surviving humans. There are only a handful of humans still alive, Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) being one of them. In a bid to save her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and boyfriend Jared Howe (Max Irons), Melanie sacrifices herself, is caught by the “Seeker” (Diane Kruger) and is infused with a soul called the “Wanderer.”

Usually, when a soul has taken over a body, the human being perishes once the Soul receives information about the location of the human’s surviving companions, however Melanie survives the procedure and owing to the strength of her memories and intense love for Jamie and Jared, she manages to overpower “Wanderer” and gain control of her body.

As Wanderer aka Wanda further explores Melanie’s memories, she finds out more about Melanie’s life and love and the pair manage to escape to the desert to find the resistance camp created by Melanie’s uncle Jeb Stryder (William Hurt). Once they arrive at the safe haven the surviving humans eye Wanda with suspicion initially and she is kept in isolation. However, once they perceive that she isn’t like the other Souls and that there are shades of Melanie in Wanda, the humans start warming up to her.

Jamie and Jared are thrilled to discover that Melanie is still part of Wanda; however Wanda too begins developing feelings for another human, Ian O’Shea (Jake Abel) who reciprocates, thus causing problems for all of them. In parallel, the seeker is out to get Wanda/Melanie with a vengeance and will not rest until she finds and kills them. Without revealing much, the entire action culminates in a typically Stephanie Meyer style supernaturally happy ending.

The Host is Stephanie Meyer’s other novel that gained popularity and akin to Twilight, this story features of a love triangle too. However, despite having a better star cast (at least according to me) boasting of the likes of Diane Kruger, William Hurt and even Saoirse Ronan, the movie is paced quite slow and could’ve been wrapped up in less time than the actual 125 minute runtime.

A simple story, there are no edge of the seat moments and the plot is fairly predictable. In the Host, Saoirse Ronan, who has garnered praise and favorable reviews from critics for her other performances, merely seems to be another version of Kristen Stewart, portraying the same pale, dull, expressionless heroine her counterpart is known for (in her defense, she is slightly more expressive than Kristen).

Diane Kruger as the antagonist is not given sufficient screen time as the focus is more on the love stories, Soul-human interaction and internal conflict between Wanda and Melanie. When Diane Kruger does appear on screen, it seems like it was an afterthought on the director’s part who suddenly remembers she’s an integral part of the script.

A simple movie that should rather be watched on DVD, I believe only a limited audience will enjoy the Host, perhaps extremely loyal Stephanie Meyer fans and people who are suffering from Twilight withdrawal symptoms.

Review by Tanisha G.

Alpha Bravo Movies

Tag Archives: Novel Adaptation

The Fault in Our Stars – Movie Review

The Host – Movie Review