Shudder Original Thriller film, Superhost is gory without a doubt. The plot centers a vlogger couple who run a Youtube Channel, “Superhost.” For their video episodes, they visit various vacation homes to review them for their audience. As a result, they leave no stone unturned to please their audience and are ready to go to any lengths to get more likes and subscribers. But on a journey to impress, they get trapped on an expedition that threatens their lives. Is it even worth it? Let’s find out.
‘Superhost’ Plot Summary
Teddy (Osric Chau) and Claire (Sara Canning) are Youtube Vloggers who host a video channel, “Superhost.” For their latest vlog, the couple visits a gorgeous house in the mountains called “The Sugar House of the Mountains” to review it for their viewers. At the location, they meet the rental house host, “Rebecca,” who seems eerie and eccentric from her “first impression.” Teddy is suspicious why Rebecca has her own user-id on the rental platform, titled “BettyLou52,” when her actual name is Rebecca. Rebecca avoids the question, and the couple forgets it as well, for the time being.
While vacationing in the house, Claire worries about her dropping viewers and subscribers and pushes really hard to impress the audience. On the other hand, Teddy is quite chill about it and plans a secret marriage proposal for Claire. And to add drama to the story, Rebecca eavesdrops on the couple through an unusual network of CCTV cameras fixed throughout the house. Why?
Who were the real owners of the house?
In an interview with Teddy, Rebecca lied that the house belonged to her father, who left it to her after his death. “The Sugar House of the Mountains” actually belonged to an old couple, Betty and Lou, who lived in the house with their cat. To earn an extra income, the old couple used to rent the house for vacation. Everything was perfect until Rebecca arrived.
A psychopath Rebecca confessed to Teddy that she had become obsessed with Betty and Lou and their house. She yearned and begged to stay in the house, but the old couple kicked Rebecca out. In response, Rebecca butchered the couple and their cat. She cleaned up the mess and was about to leave when Teddy and Claire arrived at the house.
Rebecca didn’t expect Teddy and Claire until the next week, and she explained the same when she first encountered them. Maybe, she mixed up the date, and it led to a mess. As Teddy explored the house, he noticed a malfunctioning flush. Later, at night, he found a set of dentures clogging the toilet that probably belonged to the couple. In rush to clean up everything, Rebecca would have flushed the dentures as well.
In the end, Teddy found the dead bodies of Lou and the cat in the forest.
Who was Vera? The Truth of a Viral Clickbait Video
Teddy and Claire relied on their Youtube earnings to pay their bills and rent. Their massive success came from a “clickbait” video they made about a haunted house owned by a woman named Vera. However, after the video was released, Vera’s house, Draper, was labeled as haunted, and thus no one wanted to visit it. She ran out of business, all thanks to Teddy and Claire.
In the middle of the narrative, Vera visited the vlogger couple and threatened them until Rebecca intervened. Later, it was revealed that Rebecca and Vera played a prank on Teddy and Claire to make them realize their mistake. When Rebecca had taught the vloggers a “needed” lesson, she let them go. But out of curiosity, Teddy asked the fatal question from Rebecca concerning the death of Betty and Lou. His curiosity triggered Rebecca’s psychopathic tendencies, who unleashed her blade and stabbed Vera. Later, she hunted Teddy and Claire like a bloodthirsty monster.
‘Superhost’ Ending Explained
In the beginning, Rebecca told Teddy and Claire she stays in a smaller place away from the vacation house. And from there, she managed to keep an eye on the house. Well, Rebecca didn’t lie exactly, but she manipulated some words. Rebecca lived in the storeroom from where she monitored and managed all the CCTV cameras in the house. Rebecca had a master-controller through which she operated the lock panels and used a microphone to communicate with Teddy and Claire. Well, she was a perfect horrifying creature in the most perfect sense.
Claire infiltrated the storeroom and discovered the truth about Rebecca’s hideout. Through the CCTV footage, Claire finally understood Rebecca’s scheme. To expose her psychopath identity, Claire quickly logged in to her Youtube Channel and recorded an “SOS” video to seek help from her viewers. But before the video could be uploaded, Rebecca slit Claire’s throat.
Teddy tried to save Claire, but Rebecca, in her killing spree, stabbed Teddy. To save his life, Teddy ran into the forest, and Rebecca followed her. Finally, Teddy bled to death, and Rebecca stabbed him to confirm the murder.
In the end, Rebecca brought Teddy’s body back to the house and cleaned up the mess. She wore Teddy’s proposal ring on her necklace as an trophy of her victory. Rebecca returned to the storeroom and noticed the video Claire had uploaded to her channel. However, as she checked the video, most of her viewers considered it another “clickbait” video from the Superhosts and thus disregarded it completely. Rebecca smiled at the irony and dragged Claire’s body out of the frame.
Superhost ending hints at one of the famous parable, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” The moral being, if you keep lying to your subscribers, they will eventually stop believing your information. ” So, keep your Conscience Alive.
Superhost is a 2021 Mystery Thriller film written and directed by Brandon Christensen.
