The Guest

Simon Barrett, who had made two films with Adam Wingard, wrote the script. He says he likes setting up a settled family and introducing something disruptive, and loves pictures in which a stranger comes to town, citing High Plains Drifter. Dan Stevens was the only serious contender; Wingard describes fast casting in which no real alternative was weighed. Shooting ran in New Mexico in summer 2013, around Moriarty, Edgewood and Estancia. Wingard settled the music before filming, with electronic and goth bands of the 1980s as his reference. Steve Moore wrote it, and the selection includes Clan of Xymox and Survive. The rough cut ran about 20 minutes longer than the release print. A test audience disliked it, so it was shortened; at a second screening Major Carver’s sudden arrival baffled viewers, so scenes of him at headquarters were added. The same pass removed footage explaining what David is and the programme behind him, which Wingard and Barrett were glad to lose. Wingard cut the film himself and was nominated at the 30th Independent Spirit Awards, where Tom Cross won for Whiplash. A good fit if you read a deliberately incomplete explanation as an edit room decision rather than a gap. Not for viewers who want the source of the threat spelled out; those scenes went after the test screenings.