1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Perfect Host
"Dinner parties are a dying art."
2010 1h 33m EN
😐
6.4
MID
🥫
44%
ROTTEN
😬
48
METACRITIC
⭐
6.7
IMDB
★6.4TMDB · 486🥫44%Rotten Tomatoes●48Metacritic★6.7IMDB · 30,016
ComedyThrillerCrime
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Warwick Wilson 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 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.
“Dinner parties are a dying art.”
Where to watch · US
Cast
David Hyde Pierce
Warwick Wilson
Clayne Crawford
John Taylor
Nathaniel Parker
Detective Morton
Megahn Perry
Simone De Marchi
Helen Reddy
Cathy Knight
Cooper Barnes
Rupert
Indira G. Wilson
Monica
Tyrees Allen
Roman
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Nicholas Tomnay
- Writers
- Nicholas Tomnay
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 91% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 16 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Nicholas Tomnay, shot by John Brawley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by John Swihart. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Nicholas Tomnay shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford and Nathaniel Parker carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Nicholas Tomnay directs. John Brawley behind the camera. John Swihart scores. Nicholas Tomnay cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 2Earned back only 91% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 3Released 16 years ago.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Directed by Nicholas Tomnay, shot by John Brawley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by John Swihart. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Nicholas Tomnay shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8David Hyde Pierce and Clayne Crawford and Nathaniel Parker carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "Dinner parties are a dying art.".
- 10IMDB entry: tt1334553 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 11Classified under 8 themes, including "robbery", "murder", "neighbor", "criminal".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- John Brawley
- Original score
- John Swihart
- Editing
- Nicholas Tomnay
- Makeup / hair
- Melanie Deforrest
- Stunt coordinator
- Cole S. McKay
- Runtime
- 93 min · 1h 33m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $500,000
- Box office
- $453,708
- Return
- 91% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 44% 🥫 Rotten
- Metacritic
- 48/100
- IMDB rating
- 6.7/10 · 30,016 votes
- MPAA
- R
Awards
3 wins total
Also by
Nicholas Tomnay
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Andres Gomez★ 5/10
The staging is much more interesting than the development of the story. A wannabe that fades at the half, although the performances are quite OK.
Production companies
Who made it
Splendid Film
DE
Key crew
- Second Assistant DirectorJulie Johnsen
- Stunt CoordinatorCole S. McKay
- First Assistant DirectorDave Casper
- Script SupervisorJenny Siff
- PublicistHilda Somarriba
- ChoreographerCate Caplin
- EditorNicholas Tomnay
- Makeup Department HeadMelanie Deforrest
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- robbery
- murder
- neighbor
- criminal
- home video
- drugged
- dinner party
- intercom
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2010-07-01R
Also known as
International titles
- El perfecto anfitriónES
- O Anfitrião PerfeitoBR
- パーフェクト・ホスト 悪夢の晩餐会JP
