After all those “Frasier” years of watching David Hyde Pierce be such a nice gentleman, playing Dr. Niles Crane, it’s a hoot to watch him spice shyness with real madness in “The Perfect Host”. Pierce plays Warwick Wilson, a bachelor prepping dinner for friends. When a bank robber (Clayne Crawford) disrupts his plans by claiming to be a friend of a friend, Warwick insists that his unintended guest stays for dinner. At first, everything seems perfectly normal, but as the night develops, Warwick gets sweet revenge that turns… nasty. I’ll say no more, except that Aussie Director Nick Tomnay has an incredible flair for suspense, turning Pierce from such a harmless guy, into a devilish psycho, all in a matter of seconds. The dialogue is both witty and clever, at least it is when Pierce is delivering it. Crawford too is good, but not half as menacing as his rival. It won’t spoil the plot to say that Pierce’s performance will take you places you don’t see coming. “The Perfect Host” is a surprising indie movie that offers more than one would expect from it. I do think that it gets clumsier towards the end, kind of like Wes Craven’s “Red Eye” before it, but this darkly comedic thriller is still well worth seeking out, especially if you’re a fan of Dr. Niles Crane, and would like to see him in something completely different for once.
Rating: 2.5/4
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