I have to say, unless I am entirely mistaken, the final “gag” at the end of this just released trailer for The Perfect Host starring David Hyde Pierce and directed by Nick Tomnay gives away a major story reveal. That is unless we’re not supposed to assume Pierce’s character is hosting a dinner party for a group of imaginary friends while holding hostage a bank robber (Clayne Crawford) who’s crashed his “party” in search of a place to hideout.
Perhaps the reveal happens early in the film and giving it away in the trailer isn’t a big deal. Or perhaps studios need to remember that audiences have seen movies before and have generally seen most every twist in the book. Have a watch at the trailer below and see what you think.
Magnolia is set to debut The Perfect Host in theaters on July 1 and On Demand on May 27.
Warwick Wilson (Pierce) 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 (Crawford) 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. As the wine flows and the evening progresses, we become deeply intertwined in the lives of these two men and discover just how deceiving appearances can be. With outstanding performances by David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford, cowriter/director Nick Tomnay takes us on a suspense-filled ride where nothing is as it seems. The Perfect Host is a slippery psychological thriller that exposes true human nature and reveals just how far we’re willing to go to satisfy our needs.
