The Host Reviews
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
Beyond Meyer's trite-and-untrue formula (supernatural love triangle, exotic locale, family values and kisses as daring and transgressive), corpse-stiff dialogue, flat action sequences and a confused allegory make this movie particularly stultifying piffle
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)
You might despise the 'Twilight' series and still find something to appreciate here...at least it's original.
Full Review
| Original Score: B-
TheMovieReport.com
Catnip for the cooing teen female set but far less engaging and rewarding for anyone else.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/4
Film Racket
And you thought Twilight was bad...
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
3AW
This limply directed, solidly boring slice of sci-fi twaddle features humanoid aliens who spend much of their screen time staring blankly into the middle distance with glazed eyes. About 10 minutes into this dross, you'll know what that feels like.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
Birmingham Mail
Just like her Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer's 2008 novel The Host becomes another feature in which people are standing around and brooding ( ... ) Proof that it's not easy to make thoughts seem riveting when little is happening.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/5
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Niccol crafts some arresting imagery, though the slow pacing and droning new age score makes everything feel like an endless Ambien commercial.
Full Review
| Original Score: C+
SFX Magazine
It's a reasonably intriguing premise, but the alien invasion soon takes a back seat to the kind of tiresome teen angst where crucial plot points hinge on a kiss.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1.5/5
Triple J
So badly scripted, performed and directed that it literally destroyed my faith in humanity.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
Austin Chronicle
Three bodies plus four minds is some fertile arithmetic, but The Host can't be bothered with the intellectual or kinky ramifications of its setup.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/5
Times-Picayune
There's much grave talk of souls in this sci-fi romance. Ironic, then, that it ends up being such a soulless and trifling affair.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/5
SSG Syndicate
It's bewildering how sci-fi aficionado Andrew Niccol ("Gattaca," "The Truman Show") could mastermind such a parasitic mess.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/10
Tucson Weekly
Yeah...um...no...don't ever do this again please.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
Flicks.co.nz
Come back Bella and Edward - all is forgiven.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
jackiekcooper.com
Saoirse Ronan is a talented young actress but the silly dialogue and convoluted plot make this movie average in so many ways.
Full Review
| Original Score: 5/10
Flick Filosopher
Stephenie Meyer has found a whole new way for teen girls to be conflicted about sex...
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
This is not the first time that Meyer's muddled prose has dragged an interesting director to his artistic doom.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
Total Film
Compounding the dismal storytelling is Niccol's general disregard for narrative structure and pacing.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1/5
