There’s been a number of these films fairly fresh to the movie scene in recent times, and really, who can blame the filmmakers, because the potential for home invasion/seemingly innocent vacationers/Airbnbers is MASSIVE. In fact, some of the best films I’ve seen lately have picked up this thread and woven excellent results with it. Even though it’s by no means a new idea, I for one love it, which leads to Holistay.

So, we have Finn (Gavin O’Fearraigh) and Branna (Erin Gavin), a rather earnest young Irish pair who’re seemingly on an innocent vacation, and on the flipside Tony (Steven Martini) and Gia (Gabriela Kulaif) from NYC. Neither of the couples know each other until they’re forced together when a double booking occurs at a vacation house in San Diego. With other lodgings scarce in the area, they all decide to make the best of a bad job and share the house, since their stays will both be short.

At first glance these look like your average couples, though from the outset Gia comes across as a spoiled diva with a pole up her butt and an older, long-suffering husband, whereas the other two are expansive, open, and friendly.  Things seem to be ticking along reasonably well until a mysterious hooded figure carrying a crook begins flitting through the shadows. It turns out that Tony and Gia have a deeper agenda,  but who’s about to pay the price?

I really enjoyed Holistay. I’m one of the ilk who rarely sees things coming in a film, and that’s just how I like it, because life and film often throw unexpected crap at us, and being able to foresee all that must be as boring as hell. So unless it’s glaringly obvious and predictable, I do believe in spooks, the monster under the bed, and the unseen hand in the dark ready to grab you by the wrist as you reach for the lightswitch.

This said, I can’t see anyone finding what’s going on here eye-rollingly predictable. I’d be the first to bitch about it were it true. There’s enough here to keep you guessing, helped along effectively the more we learn about the truth behind Tony and the snooty Gia. All the characters are well-developed enough to either endear or revile. The young Irish pair are warm, refreshingly touristy and ready to be cool with the double booking error, and even Tony, with his beautiful but troublesome companion begins to join in with some communal time with them. Without giving anything away, I will say this movie has the added bonus of karma firmly at play, which the absence of in many films is something I’ll fully admit to finding an unjust annoyance.

But don’t take my word for it, watch Holistay and I think you’ll agree; time well-spent that won’t leave you feeling cheated (or a bit daft once you know the full story).