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The Perfect Host

The Perfect Host

Comedy · Thriller · Crime · 2010

Warwick Wilson is the consummate host. He carefully prepares for a dinner party, the table impeccably set and the duck perfectly timed for 8:30 p.m. John Taylor is a career criminal. He’s just robbed a bank and needs to get off the streets. He finds himself on Warwick’s doorstep posing as a friend of a friend, new to Los Angeles, who’s been mugged and lost his luggage.

Movie details

The Perfect Host

“Dinner parties are a dying art.”

2010 Comedy · Thriller · Crime 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Warwick Wilson is the consummate host. He carefully prepares for a dinner party, the table impeccably set and the duck perfectly timed for 8:30 p.m. John Taylor is a career criminal. He’s just robbed a bank and needs to get off the streets. He finds himself on Warwick’s doorstep posing as a friend of a friend, new to Los Angeles, who’s been mugged and lost his luggage.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Perfect Host?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Nicholas Tomnay

Written by

Nicholas Tomnay

David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde Pierce

Warwick Wilson

Clayne Crawford

Clayne Crawford

John Taylor

Nathaniel Parker

Nathaniel Parker

Detective Morton

Megahn Perry

Megahn Perry

Simone De Marchi

Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy

Cathy Knight

Cooper Barnes

Cooper Barnes

Rupert

Indira G. Wilson

Indira G. Wilson

Monica

Court is in session

Put The Perfect Host on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.