For me, this was like watching a dark comedy version of an unholy hybrid between The Bourne Legacy and First Blood (and maybe a little influence from Witness), with the music from Halloween 3.
PS I loved it.
For Grave Encounters... I'm Lance Preston.
This makes me think a lot of John Carpenter, but there were a few scenes that also reminded me of "A History of Violence."
shareTerminator (scenes with the gun) and Drive (music, style, colors).
shareDavid's character reminded me of John Ryder from The Hitcher more than anything else. Both characters are largely blanks and drifting psychopaths. The setting of the film was similar to where The Hitcher was set. Small towny/diners/dusty stretches of road.
It made me think of Drive because of the retro soundtrack, Halloween because of the end, and pretty much any 80's action flick that featured extensive shootouts.
Utah! Get me two.
At the end it reminded me of a bit of The Terminator. I mean, how the heck does he get up and walk away from a knife planted dead center in his chest? Is he fully human? Is he a hybrid, part human/part android? Who knows.
I guess we may find out in the sequel.
There were quite a number of scenes included as intentional homages to '70s/'80s slasher movies. A few I recognized were "The Farmer" where the guy was shot in the foot (from under the car), fell and had his head blown off. The knife in the kitchen was a scene from the original "The Stepfather", and the ending shot was from Halloween (John Carpenter, as another poster said). I did like this movie, a real *wink at the audience* suspenser without being condescending or so corny that the irony or humor is lost.
shareFirst movie that sprang to mind was "Stepfather". I still think that's the story blueprint for The Guest. In the final 30 minutes I got. strong Terminator vibe.
And mostly it remebered me about "Hotline Miami", a 2012 pc game (later also consoles). The similiraties in audiovisual atmosphere and display of action scenes is astounding.