I’m unsure how to approach a review to Jessica M. Thompson’s recently-released horror/thriller “The Invitation,” now in theaters. For starters, a word of warning: don’t watch the trailer. Please. If you do, the whole plot — and most of the scariest parts of the movie — will be spoiled for you. I caught the trailer for the film at a recent screening of “Fall,” and suffered the fate I’ve just warned you of. It’s not that “The Invitation” has nothing to offer beyond this (it does in fact have good atmosphere, acting, and production value), but its twist is what makes the story interesting. I knew the twist going in — which may in fact color my perception of the film.
For the sake of a spoiler-free review, I will leave it at this: the plot involves a young woman living in New York City, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), who decides to do an ancestry-type test and discovers she has a number of cousins living in England. The events that lead up to Evie wanting to discover this is 1) her working a rather dead end job, and dealing with a certain feeling of loneliness and 2) having lost both her parents, her mother most recently. She meets a supposed “cousin,” Oliver (Hugh Skinner), who invites her to Yorkshire to a family wedding. It’s here she meets the charming Lord of the Manor, Walt (Thomas Doherty), and events — some ghastly — proceed from there.
Inspired by Horror/Mystery Thrillers and Classic Literature
The film’s writer, Blair Butler, was clearly inspired by recent films penning “The Invitation,” and it shows. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We see notes of “Get Out” and “Knives Out” in the film’s structure of a Black female protagonist of service industry class invited to an all-White, palatial estate in England. But mind you, “The Invitation” is not a social allegory, nor does it intend to be. It wants to be a horror/thriller with an unraveling mystery, and at this succeeds only modestly.
Butler and Thompson paint Evie’s ‘otherness’ from the affluent families attending the wedding in varying ways. We see Evie siding with some maids at the residence as the Chief Butler (Sean Pertwee) scolds them over a minor mistake, and even continues her unhappiness of the situation when she meets Lord of the Manor Walt. The many attendees at the three-day wedding look at Evie oddly, much like the outsider she is. The film casts a creepiness over their reactions and their speech, which is slow to peel away. It’s here that “The Invitation” excels.
The film’s cinematography is well-done, even if the sets are a little dark, and adds eeriness to the proceedings. A few scenes — as the Estate’s maids venture into darkened libraries or pitch-dark wine cellars — add ominousness to the film as well. Additionally, one scene as Evie wanders around the Estate at night and spies the Chief Butler as he talks to the staff, running into a long-time maid (Carol Ann Crawford), sets the right tone. It’s very clear that while Evie was told the grounds are “at her disposal,” something is off about this place she should’t find out.
Emmanuel is Very Likable; Thomas Doherty Adds Necessary Creep Factor
Regrettably, “The Invitation” throws away some of the eeriness of these scenes with the reveal of its horrors and its jump scares, which include some obvious horrors taking place in shadowed areas. The film wants to be a slow-to-reveal thriller, but in parts makes it very obvious that something bad awaits Evie, which takes away a lot of the suspense. The score is too bold in places; loud clangs outline unseen shadows in an often jarring manner. Evie also ignores some glaring evidence that should send her to run, likely for no reason other than the plot demands it.
However Emmanuel is good here, and plays an ample scream queen and likable heroine. She’s vulnerable, yet confident; bold, yet cautious. Some comic relief is offered in the form of a friend back home she Face Times (Courtney Taylor), and as the events of the film intensify, Emmanuel fights agains them in a very believable way. Opposite her (and I’m trying to be very restrained here), Thomas Doherty, who has done mostly TV parts until this point, is very good as the creepy Walt who just doesn’t add up. Of course there’s plenty of foreshadowing (a scene with a missing mirror which ‘broke’ and an old couple Evie meets in town named Mina and Jonathan Harker the only hints you’ll get from me), and the film can be adequately creepy at times.
A Film in a Rush to Get to Where it’s Going
The basic problem with “The Invitation” is it’s in a rush to get where it’s going, and then once it gets there it runs out of steam. The film clocks in at 1 hour and 45 minutes, but it feels too fast and it’s mostly all set-up. Once Thompson drops the hammer and lets it all go, the film’s mostly over, ending in kind of a dull thud. 15 more minutes might have made a difference, or perhaps moving the climax up. It was a shame, because the film really does try to be its own thing. It’s not obsessed with social commentary, and it’s not, thank heavens, a torture film, and has some creepy elements.
At any rate, “The Invitation” does have some things to offer. It’s adequately creepy, has good acting performances, and the palatial estate that serves as its setting is nice to look at and full of creep factor. The film loses it in its final act, and if you’ve had the misfortune of watching the trailer, only about 15 minutes of additional material awaits from what you’ve already seen. But the film tries. If you’ve managed to avoid the trailer, it’s a modestly scary film to watch as creepy season approaches. Just don’t expect horror on par with the various films and literature it tries its best to emulate.
Currently, “The Invitation” is only available to watch in theaters.
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