Why So Blu?

Superhost (Blu-ray Review)

In SUPERHOST, Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called “SUPERHOST” where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn’t right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn’t just want a great review, she wants something far worse. Superhost is now available on Blu-ray!

 

 

Film  

Superhost is the latest film to tackle on the world of social media and “influencers.” This time out, the story involves a couple, Teddy (Osric Chau) and Claire (Sara Canning), who are vloggers. They travel around and stay at various vacation rental’s locations. They review their stay on their channel and give favorable or unfavorable reviews to generate more views and income via their online channel. Their online channel is their sole source of income, so every video they make must go viral to make a lot of money.

The couple finally settles on a destination to stay in and review. Enter the very chipper host: Rebecca (Gracie Gillam). Rebecca has a perky demeanor that borders on parody but remains fascinating, because you already know she isn’t all there. Things start off rough with the security system acting wonky, locks don’t work, etc. To the couple, it’s one of those stays at a vacation home that reeks of a bad review – a bad review that writes itself. The only issue for Teddy and Claire is that a bad review may not be enough.

As the couple settle in, Rebecca continues to be a pest and shows up uninvited to pester the couple. She either shows up unexpectedly or something unexpectedly happens to a light fixture or there’s a plumbing issue. It’s as if the house has a mind of its own all of sudden. I think a mixture of these variables makes Superhost stand out. You have the clearly unstable host and the guests who are rather annoying going for the top price of most unlikable characters. Granted, I’ll give Teddy points for being a nice guy, but he’s still a doormat. Claire is unbearable at times.

I was intrigued by Superhost, because there have been some good films tackling the subject of online businesses and social media presence. One of my favorite films that tackled a similar subject was the thriller Spree, which was one of my favorite films of that year. I don’t think Superhost is on Spree’s level, but it is a lot of fun.

 

 

Video  

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Clarity/Detail: The level of depth and clarity is outstanding. I did not detect any instances of sharpness or contrast manipulation in post-production.

Depth: Superhost may be a lower budget production but this transfer nails all the right notes. When it comes to films like this, with a stellar Blu-ray presentation, I tend to wonder what the film would look like in 4K.

Black Levels: Black levels are terrific. I did not detect any instances of crush. there are several scenes taking place at night that looked great, without losing quality.

Color Reproduction: The color palette is rich and vibrant. I did not detect any issues with banding or pixilation.

Flesh Tones: Flesh tones are nice and natural looking until someone gets killed or is injured. During those scenes the color tends to drain out and folks take on a pasty look, which the Blu-ray faithfully reproduces.

Noise/Artifacts: Clean.

 

Audio 

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 5.1

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Dynamics: The DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless track really grabs you and does not let go. It envelops you every chance it gets.

Low Frequency Extension: The LFE subwoofer channel is one for the ages. It’s used to great effect during closed off scenes in the house and in the basement areas.

Surround Sound Presentation: The surround sound channels are used to great effect in the scenes taking outside on the property and in scenes taking place in certain outdoor areas. I was just waiting for a mountain lion to pounce on me in some of those outdoor scenes.

Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue levels are clean and balanced.

 

Extras 

Superhost comes to the Blu-ray format fully loaded with a feature length director’s commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and more. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a horror film come my way that had adequate special features. It’s about time!

• Director Commentary 
• Behind-the-Scenes of Superhost
• Shooting in a Pandemic
• Bloopers
• Superhost Visual FX
• Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery
• “Scaredycats” Episodes 1 & 2 

Summary 

Superhost is a light romp of a thriller that I had fun with. The Blu-ray has great video and audio specs and is fully loaded on the special features. There’s an entertaining audio commentary track for those who want to know more. Superhost is recommended!

 

 

 

Superhost is available on Blu-ray!

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