What's the worst that this redux trailer for THE GUEST can do?

Dan Stevens. If you don’t know who that is, I suggest you find out. While up until a few months ago Stevens was mainly known for playing middle-class heir apparent Matthew Crawley on period drama Downton Abbey, he has promptly blown up – colloquially speaking – since then, with his name popping up on several high profile casting lists and appearing in movies opposite screen veterans like Liam Neeson. Stevens is turning into serious hot property in Hollywood right now. And the reason for this sudden bit of spontaneous combustion? The Guest, an 80’s throwback action flick directed by Adam Wingard, the guy behind the fan favorite horror script-flipper You’re Next, that has has left chins wagging on the festival circuit with just how cool it is.

That 80’s coolness may not have come through as successfully on the film’s two official trailers we’ve seen thus far though. So enter Jason Eisener, the director behind V/H/S 2 and Hobo With a Shotgun, who decided to try his own hand at recutting the trailer into something more befitting of its old-school throwback charm. And the result – to borrow a term from the appropriate era – is totally radical!

David is the perfect guest. Friendly and helpful, this young soldier arrives on the doorstep of the Peterson family, claiming to be a good friend of their beloved son who died in action. The Petersons welcome David into their home and into their lives, but when people start mysteriously dying in town, their teenage daughter Anna starts wondering if David is responsible.

The world would be a much better place if more trailers used electro-synth music.

The Guest also stars Maika Monroe, Leland Orser, Sheila Kelley, Brendan Meyer and Lance Reddick. It is already out on a limited release internationally. No word on a local release date yet.

Last Updated: September 18, 2014