movie review the invitation 2022

The Invitation

During these last, lazy days of summer, there isn’t a whole lot to do. Still, you’re probably going to want to RSVP “no” to “The Invitation.”

It had such potential, too. Director Jessica M. Thompson establishes an unsettling mood that suggests we’re about to enter a dark and twisted world. But then eventually, her film is just dark—as in, it’s hard to see what’s happening, with herky-jerky visual effects that are especially off-putting. And when the twist comes as to what’s actually going on, it’s like: Really? That’s it? The trailer pretty much gives it away (as most trailers do), but we’re all about having the best possible moviegoing experience around here—even if it is a mediocre movie—so we’ll do our best to avoid spoilers.

Nathalie Emmanuel has an appealing presence, though, as Evelyn—or Evie, as she prefers to be called. The “Game of Thrones” actress is a stunner, of course, but there’s also a no-nonsense naturalism to her delivery that makes her feel accessible. So when things go sideways on her too-good-to-be-true getaway to the English countryside, we remain on her side throughout.

Evie is a struggling New York artist who works as a catering waitress to pay the bills. At an event for a new DNA testing company, she snags a swag bag and takes the test inside; after the recent death of her mother, she feels alone and adrift and seeks a sense of identity. Turns out, she’s got a bunch of cousins, and they’re all British, and very white. But the script from Thompson and Blair Butler merely skims the surface of exploring the racial implications of this connection. When an overly enthusiastic second cousin ( Hugh Skinner ) invites Evie to join him for a posh family wedding at a decadent English estate—and she arrives and realizes uneasily she’s the only person of color besides the maids—there’s hope that “The Invitation” might have something more relevant and substantial on its mind along the lines of Jordan Peele ’s “ Get Out .” No such luck.

Her best friend back home, Grace (an amusing Courtney Taylor ), is appropriately skeptical, but Evie gets swept up in the sense of belonging. Sure, the maids are all wearing uniforms with numbers on them. That’s a little weird. And the butler ( Sean Pertwee ) is a condescending prig. And there’s a hidden key that unlocks the library that’s off-limits. But still! The young lord of the manor, Walter (a seductive Thomas Doherty ), is super hunky with his piercing blue eyes and his square jaw and his shirt unbuttoned one button too many. And he isn’t one of Evie’s relatives, which is always a plus.

As the three-day festivities unfurl, Thompson relies way too heavily on cheap jump scares to put us on edge, which is a shame, because there’s enough atmosphere within the film’s initial mystery. A spa day for Evie and the imposingly glamorous maids of honor ( Stephanie Corneliussen and Alana Boden ) is staged and paced particularly well. And she could have taken more time in building suspense to the big reveal, which occurs at an ominous, masked dinner party that’s like something out of “ Eyes Wide Shut .”

But then everything changes really suddenly, really quickly, and “The Invitation” becomes a different movie—a sillier one. The shift into campier territory is jarring and even a little disappointing. It felt like Thompson was onto something here. Instead, she revisits some extremely familiar material in uninspired fashion.

The costume design is fabulous, though—the work of Danielle Knox . So even when Emmanuel is forced to do a tough juggling act between horror and comedy, at least she looks great in the process.

Now playing in theaters.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

Nathalie Emmanuel as Evie
Thomas Doherty as Walter
Stephanie Corneliussen as Viktoria
Alana Boden as Lucy
Hugh Skinner as Oliver
Kata Sarbó as Manicurist
Scott Alexander Young as Uncle Julius
Virág Bárány as Emmaline

Cinematographer

Autumn Eakin
Blair Butler
Jessica M. Thompson
Dara Taylor

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‘The Invitation’ Review: Bringing Down the Haunted House

Nathalie Emmanuel stars as the unwitting belle of an English manor in this middling gothic horror movie that leaves her blind to the blood-red flags waving at every turn.

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By Natalia Winkelman

“The Invitation,” a brittle, droning excursion into gothic horror, primarily takes place at a manor in the English countryside. The setting is admissible, if unimaginative: the exterior of the estate appears constructed of Playmobil; coated in cobwebs, its dingy indoors most closely resemble a dungeon.

Outside of the cinema, an invitation to such an abode would ring a cacophony of alarm bells and leave a guest clambering for the door. Not so for Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), a jaded ceramist in New York who unwittingly becomes the belle of the dwelling after a long-lost cousin, Oliver (Hugh Skinner), invites her to a wedding on its grounds. An only child who recently lost her mother, Evie is tickled by the prospect of extended family, even if the stuffy brood are uniformly white and ominously keen for her company.

But soon, Oliver and his vast array of blond brothers and uncles hardly figure into the equation. Once Evie arrives on the property, she takes a shine to the lord of the residence, Walter (Thomas Doherty), a smirking bachelor dripping in wealth and vampiric good looks.

What follows is an escalating sequence of creaky-freaky jump scares interspersed with beats from a budding romance between Walter and Evie. Dressed to the nines, the pair drink champagne and smooch under a flurry of fireworks. At the same time, the estate’s maids are sucked into a menacing string of set pieces that invariably end in shrieks over a black screen.

The juxtaposition of these events might be exciting — or even mischievously funny — if each scene wasn’t so tedious. For a fright-fest as broad as this one, there’s an awful lot of banal dialogue, and the scare patterns are repetitive enough that even the easiest startlers (I count myself among them) grow immune early on.

Directed by Jessica M. Thompson, “The Invitation” makes feeble gestures at issues of class and race, but its efforts are as diffuse as the whooshing specters haunting Walter’s estate. Emmanuel, for her part, admirably endeavors to imbue Evie with smarts and sass, but confined within a story that leaves her blind to the blood-red flags waving at every turn, her scrappy heroine is hard to cheer on. Had the movie emerged as a friskier game of eat the rich, it might have had a fighting chance of survival. Instead, it’s middling, morbid pap.

The Invitation Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes. In theaters.

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‘The Invitation’ Review: Numbingly Predictable Horror Thriller Packs a Few Last-Minute Twists

Director Jessica M. Thompson’s lackluster suspenser comes off as a half-baked mix of updated Charlotte Brontë and ’60s Hammer Films.

By Joe Leydon

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Despite some ambitious efforts by director Jessica M. Thompson and screenwriter Blair Butler to revitalize hoary horror movie tropes with allegorical commentary on race, class and male privilege, “ The Invitation ” is too wearyingly hackneyed for too much of its running time, and too often laugh-out-loud funny as its plot relies on the age-old convention of a smart yet naive heroine who makes one bad decision after another. It would not be at all surprising if, at some screenings, exasperated members of the audience shout rude things at the screen each time the endangered protagonist fails to act in her own self-interest.

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Yes, you guessed it: Despite blunt-spoken warnings from Grace (Courtney Taylor), her best buddy and sister wait staffer, that she would be ill-advised to hang with a host of probably snooty white folks, Evie makes Mistake No. 2.

There are vague references to the recent death of a family member, lame excuses for barred windows in the guest bedroom, things that go bump in the night upstairs and downstairs, maids who have a nasty habit of disappearing, a bitchy Amazonian snob (Stephanie Corneliussen) who does everything but sprout horns to announce her wickedness, manifestations of monsters that are dismissed a bad dreams — and a drop-dead handsome lord of the manor, Walter ( Thomas Doherty ), whose campaign of seduction is as meticulously plotted as the Allied strategy for D-Day.

But even when Evie discovers that Walter relied on much more than a DNA test to vet her before extending his hospitality, all it takes is a few smooth-talk excuses from the dreamboat, along with side orders of poor-little-rich-guy posing, for her to overcome her anger, extend her stay and, more important, strip for action.

And then really bad things start to happen.

It takes Evie a very long time to discover she is stuck in the middle of a multi-family vampire coven. To be fair, though, the bloodsuckers here are able to walk around in broad daylight and do other things that make it easy to escape detection. (“There are so many misconceptions about our kind,” one vamp haughtily explains.) In fact, Evie seems less upset about being bitten than she is angry when someone condescendingly suggests: “For someone of your background, surely this is more than a leg up.” And she’s even more peeved when her rejection of immortality triggers this response: “You modern women are so ungrateful.”

The predictability of events during the film’s first hour of gothic-thriller setup is all the more annoying because of the plodding pace. Evie finally stands up for herself during some modestly clever third-act turnabouts, but, really, that’s not quite enough to regenerate a rooting interest in the character. There are some sly wink-wink references to “Dracula” here and there (ladies and gentlemen, meet Jonathan and Mina Harker!), and Nathalie Emmanuel does her best to keep Evie from coming off as entirely clueless. But the main attraction here is Thomas Doherty — or, more specifically, his distracting resemblance in several shots to a “Dr. No”-era Sean Connery. Who knows? If they really are looking for a younger actor to assume the 007 mantle in the next James Bond movie…

Reviewed at Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace, Houston, Aug. 25, 2022. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 105 MIN.

Production: A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Screen Gems presentation of a Latchkey production. Producer: Emile Gladstone. Executive producers: Michael P. Flannigan, Jessica M. Thompson.
Crew: Director: Jessica M. Thompson. Screenplay: Blair Butler. Camera: Autumn Eakin. Editor: Tom Elkins. Music: Dara Taylor.
With: Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen, Alana Boden, Courtney Taylor, Hugh Skinner, Sean Pertwee.

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‘The Invitation’ Review: Nathalie Emmanuel Gets Sucked Into a Languishing Legacy

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It’s not hard to tell something is off about New Carfax Manor, where the maids’ aprons are numbered and supposedly carnivorous birds roam the skies. Sitting somewhere in England’s creepiest countryside, the mansion’s implausibly cream-colored Barbie Dreamhouse exterior belies its shadowy Gothic insides; all dark corners and drafty bedrooms with bars on the windows (to keep the birds out, so they say). The grounds provide an eerie enough setting for “ The Invitation ,” a Gothic horror thriller in the style of “Dracula” with a half-baked attempt at “Get Out”-style social critique thrown in. Part inert bodice-ripper, part vampire Cinderella story, its mixed themes could have benefitted from a purer bloodline.

Arriving like a lamb lost in the woods (or led to the slaughter) is Evie ( Nathalie Emmanuel ), an aspiring ceramicist who makes her living as a cater waiter in New York. When her friend swipes a swag bag from an upscale gig, she discovers a free trial for a DNA site called Find Yourself, like 23andMe for the elite. Recently orphaned, she can’t help but feel curious when her search turns up a match in an overly enthusiastic Brit named Oliver (Hugh Skinner). Her long lost cousin happens to be loaded, delighted to make her acquaintance, and invites her on an all expenses paid trip to England to attend a posh family wedding.

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Undeterred by the oily glee with which Oliver delivers the phrase, “Great Uncle Alfred is dying to meet you,” Evie pulls up to Carfax in total awe. Though she’s introduced as a woman of the people, kindly helping pick up the glassware she caused the maids to drop, she loses all spine once she encounters the Lord of the house. Pompous and devilishly handsome with a jaw so sharp it could draw blood, Walter DeVille (Thomas Doherty) takes an immediate liking to Evie. It’s hard to understand why she returns his affections after hearing the way he speaks to his staff, but some handy exposition via phone calls to her friend Grace (Courtney Taylor) back home rewrites the scene to appear chivalrous.

The creepiness continues when Evie is introduced to her long lost family members, all of whom are old white men. “So many boys, we thought we were done for,” announces shriveled Uncle Alfred from behind his eye patch, and the room erupts in an cacophany of evil harumphs. On the phone with Grace again, she inexplicably calls Uncle Alfred sweet and admits she almost shed a tear during his chilling speech.

Unbeknownst to Evie, the Butler is lining up the maids and calling them off by numbers, where they’re being locked in the library and served as dinner to a mysterious creature with claw-like fingernails. In her nightmares, Evie sees visions of the woman who hung herself in the house, and is startled by a bird smacking dead into the window. As her romance with Walt heats up, so do the house’s quirks, and she finds herself visited in the night by the clawed creature.

Written by Blair Butler and directed by Jessica M. Thompson , “The Invitation” has a distinct air of white feminism wafting through it. Initially titled “The Bride,” Thompson recently told IndieWire they renamed the movie when the original didn’t track well with male audiences. That sad anecdote offers a small sense of what even white women directors are up against in Hollywood, but “The Invitation” does little to slip subversive themes into its milquetoast social commentary.

When Evie is finally offered her deal with the devil, she is promised “wealth, power, a life of privilege, a sense of belonging.” Talk of bloodlines, elitism, privilege, and power drones through the movie, but Evie’s final resistance lacks any of the bite that would drive home her refutation of such ideals. She spends the entire movie romanticizing wealth and power, only turning her back on them when it’s revealed she’ll have to kill to keep them. The pace picks up when the slashing finally begins in the third act, but it’s too little, too late to get the blood going.

A Sony release, “The Invitation” is now in theaters.

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The Invitation is a waste of perfectly good evil vampires

It’s a boring riff on Ready or Not meets Get Out, with none of the fun of either

by Austen Goslin

Nathalie Emmanuel from The Invitation stands in front of a window

Vampires are cinema’s most malleable monsters . They can sparkle , skateboard , yell “bat” , or do gymnastics , all while fulfilling their bloodsucking duties. In the horror movie The Invitation , vampires take on their more familiar role as society’s rich and powerful, as an unlucky human guest joins them for the weekend. The Invitation comes from director Jessica M. Thompson ( The Light of the Moon ), and while it pulls inspiration from several recent and successful out-of-place houseguest horror movies like Get Out and Ready or Not , The Invitation never manages to be scary, and it hides its vampires behind a lifeless love story.

The Invitation follows Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), an unhappy and over-it gig-caterer in New York who’s fed up with her dead-end job, desperate to follow her passion for ceramics, and still reeling from her mother’s recent death. One day, Evie snags a gift bag from a swanky event she’s catering and tries out the included DNA testing kit. The test connects her to a previously unknown branch of her family that lives among the upper crust of English society. Before Evie knows it, she’s been invited to a mysterious wedding at an English estate, where she meets and quickly falls for the enigmatic Walter (Thomas Doherty), the lord of the manor.

This series of events takes almost all of the movie’s 105-minute run time to play out. That may surprise viewers who’ve seen any of the promotional material for this movie, which is far more focused on the story’s vampiric presence. The bait-and-switch of subbing a dubious romance in for vampire violence wouldn’t be much of a problem if the movie were willing to invest in the Gothic style and foreboding atmosphere that helps make vampire love stories timelessly creepy. Instead, Thompson is content with awkward flirting that’s shot as blandly as a one-season-only Netflix teen series.

Nathalie Emmanuel and Thomas Doherty dance together in The Invitation

Even though the story rests almost solely on viewers believing Walter is subtly seducing the worldly and cautious Evie, Emmanuel and Doherty never muster much chemistry beyond both being attractive people. The stiff, exposition-heavy dialogue never manages to make either character interesting, and it barely leaves room for the actors to add any spark or genuine emotion to the confounding romance.

Even stranger, the movie’s script, from Hell Fest co-writer Blair Butler, goes to great lengths to convince viewers that Evie is too smart to fall prey to the lures of old money. As a Black woman who has lived her whole life in the United States and knows what it’s like to be the disrespected server at a rich person’s party (even though she has a killer New York City apartment), Evie constantly sympathizes with the wedding’s ill-fated servants, and swears to her best friend that she’d never fall prey to the trappings of wealth and the luxuries colonialism paid for. Then she does. Right away. With no convincing, and no charm from Walter whatsoever. While her sudden susceptibility might suggest something supernatural is at play — something that might have helped sell the romance, and given her a meaningful internal struggle — The Invitation never makes any hints that that’s the case.

In fact, Evie’s only reason for thinking Walter is anything other than a rich playboy with a big house is that he apologizes to her for his butler being rude. (Yes, it’s the help’s fault when something goes wrong for Evie. No, the filmmakers do not acknowledge the irony.) The Invitation is desperate to try to replicate the awkward fish-out-of-water terror of Jordan Peele’s Get Out , without realizing that part of what made that movie so eerie is the implication of a loving, meaningful relationship between the protagonist and one of the villains, which started well before the movie begins.

The tedious flirtation in The Invitation is occasionally punctuated by scenes that bring the movie a little closer to the horror and moodiness that its vampiric premise promises. There are a few scenes of mysterious creatures lurking in shadows, or locked rooms that guard unseemly creatures of the night. These brief horror scenes are shot in an overly dark manner, with tacky blue lighting that obscures almost all of the action. But they at least manage tension for a few seconds at a time, and they provide a bit of the foreboding atmosphere that the rest of the movie is sorely lacking.

Finally, in its last 25 minutes, The Invitation turns into the vampire-slaying action movie Sony wanted audiences to believe it is for the whole run time. During a suitably creepy dinner — the movie’s most effective scene, thanks to the dozen or so masked vampire cultists — Walter finally explains his full vampiric machinations to Evie. The movie seems intent on revealing this information as a twist, but considering it not only makes up most of the trailer but is also hinted at in the movie’s prologue, Evie’s shock at the reveal ends up feeling like the most surprising part of the scene, especially given the broad hints at something weird and nefarious happening.

Thomas Doherty stands boringly in The Invitation

Once the cat’s out of the bag, The Invitation finally transforms into its best self, a vaguely angry movie about a woman who’s fed up with all these vampires and would very much like to kill them. The action itself is mostly lackluster and bloodless, and it never reaches the giddy violence or entertaining heights of Ready or Not , the movie The Invitation feels most indebted to. At least it’s more exciting than Evie and Walter’s baffling courtship.

One part Get Out , one part Ready or Not , and too few parts Dracula , The Invitation is a pastiche of infinitely better horror stories that it never measures up to. You can make vampires do almost anything in movies, but The Invitation commits the one unforgivable sin: making vampires boring.

The Invitation opens in theaters on Aug. 26.

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It may be difficult to name a work of horror fiction that has so undeniably sunk its teeth into centuries of pop culture than Bram Stoker 's Dracula . The epistolary novel first published in 1897 was initially regarded as a Gothic work, but laid the foundation for many a vampire tale that would follow thereafter. If the titular Transylvanian count had never been created, it's difficult to say whether these fanged creatures of the night would have been as popular as they are today — but the world of Dracula is one that, all these years later, continues to be ripe for drawing stories from. Most adaptations or reimaginings tend to focus on the vampire himself, but more and more are beginning to veer away from that focus in favor of prioritizing other characters at their center. In the conceit of the original novel, Dracula's mysterious and seductive vampire brides only appear briefly, but their impact has continued to live on.

This year's The Invitation , directed by Jessica M. Thompson and written by Blair Butler , draws inspiration from that element of the classic story in following an unsuspecting American woman named Evie ( Nathalie Emmanuel ) who travels to the English countryside after receiving an invite to a wedding from an extended family she's only just discovered she has. Over the course of her stay in the impressive mansion, Evie finds herself trapped between the promise of romance and horror, wrestling over whether to give into the possibility of a relationship with the manor's handsome lord Walter ( Thomas Doherty ) as barely-glimpsed threats lurk around her room each night.

The Invitation roots itself in embracing many of the best and most timeless Gothic tropes — with a modern flair, of course, but bringing a story like this to the present day wouldn't be nearly as successful if it wasn't for the actress grounding the supernatural in more realism. Emmanuel, who fans may already be familiar with for her roles in Game of Thrones and several Fast & Furious movies, plays an endearing heroine in Evie, a part-time caterer and struggling artist still grieving the loss of her mother, which leads her to search for any hint of remaining family she might be able to discover courtesy of a mail-in DNA test. The surprising results, in turn, put her in touch with a long-lost cousin, Oliver ( Hugh Skinner ), who endearingly fumbles his way through inviting her to an upcoming wedding across the pond — and once she accepts, Evie finds herself in a realm she's completely unprepared to navigate.

the-invitation-nathalie-emmanuel-review-social-feature

RELATED: ‘The Invitation’ Trailer Shows Not All Family Can Be Trusted

Emmanuel's character is our entry point into the story, but also the fresh-eyed perspective that comes to the manor house with a clear preference of prioritizing sincerity over propriety. From being too helpful with the maids to insisting on cleaning up after herself, Evie's rejection of the way things are simply just done immediately puts her at odds with the butler, Mr. Fields (a scene-gnawing Sean Pertwee of Gotham fame), and their clashing continues even into the film's most climactic moments. Contrast to that tension, however, is the reassuring presence of Mrs. Swift ( Carol Ann Crawford ), the head housekeeper, whose complicated emotions about the manor's newest guest don't prevent her from becoming a valued ally to Evie when she needs it the most.

While the staff is significantly more conflicted about Evie's presence, there is one person who openly welcomes her with charm practically oozing out of his pores — Walter. With his piercing blue eyes and a jaw well-defined enough to possibly cut through glass itself, Doherty has been perfectly cast as the English gentleman more than capable of wooing Evie from top to bottom, and his chemistry with Emmanuel immediately sells the belief that these characters would develop a connection in the midst of whatever horrors the manor house is hiding. Later on, he proves just as compelling a presence on-screen when the Alexander family's intentions for their newly-discovered relative are ultimately revealed — and in the most horrifying fashion possible. Doherty feels equally at home playing either the romantic lead or the manipulator driven by his own secret motives, and as the latter gradually and unnervingly emerges, it's heartbreaking enough to throw all of Walter's previous actions into question but equally thrilling to get to watch Doherty embrace all the darkest edges of the character's potential.

Rounding out the cast are the so-called maids of honor, the women who have been tapped to serve the unseen bride at her impending nuptials and couldn't be more different from one another in presence but offer Evie a myriad of personalities to bounce off of. The tall, intimidating Viktoria (played by Mr. Robot 's Stephanie Corneliussen ) is at odds with her from the start, pairing thinly-veiled insults with equally disconcerting microaggressions against Evie's background, but by contrast, Lucy ( Uncharted 's Alana Boden ) is a kind, welcoming presence, making consistent attempts to rope Evie in on fun pre-wedding activities. Granted, even something as innocent as a spa day adopts a particularly ominous tone; one of the most tension-filled scenes in the entire movie happens over the course of the three getting manicures in a room deep within the manor, one that comes closest to resembling a tomb in and of itself. The film's primary location, Nádasdy Castle in Budapest, only contributes to the overall sense of history and legacy; none of the movie's scenes would be nearly as effective without the bones of such a place serving as their backdrop.

It's also in this environment where the horror truly begins — slow and foreboding rather than too reliant on jumpscares, offering a creeping sense that something isn't quite right each time the sun sets and everyone has turned in for the night — and while Evie is tormented in her own room, terrified by specters that only disappear once she turns on the light, even darker threats persist elsewhere, with unsuspecting staff finding themselves the victims of a dark and looming figure that pulls them into the shadows and cuts off their resulting screams. Thompson and director of photography Autumn Eakin prove themselves an expert pair when it comes to ratcheting up the suspense, with clever cuts and lighting that do more to make the monsters frightening sight unseen in a majority of the film; even when the reveal happens, the camerawork that results contributes to that sickening feeling of realization, as artifice is stripped away and the real purpose of the wedding is laid bare. The third act, however, is where The Invitation notably struggles, as if attempting to plant itself squarely in the divide between suspense and action movie when it really thrived most as the former. When the film leans into its indisputable strengths, the result is bitingly good horror; any attempts to swerve outside that vein result in a more toothless execution. Ultimately, though, The Invitation offers an inventive reimagining of a literary classic while asserting itself as a fun addition to the modern Gothic canon.

The Invitation will premiere exclusively in theaters nationwide on August 26.

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Movie Review – The Invitation (2022)

February 1, 2023 by Robert Kojder

The Invitation , 2022.

Directed by Jessica M. Thompson. Starring Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen, Alana Boden, Hugh Skinner, Kata Sarbó, Scott Alexander Young, Virág Bárány, Sean Pertwee, Elizabeth Counsell, Courtney Taylor, Jeremy Wheeler, and Carol Ann Crawford.

After her mother’s death, Evie is approached by an unknown cousin who invites her to a lavish wedding in the English countryside. Soon, she realizes a gothic conspiracy is afoot and must fight for survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history.

The Invitation is the latest misguided Get Out pale limitation with no rudimentary understanding of why that socially charged narrative was tense, provocative, and poignant. Directed by Jessica M. Thompson, the film centers on working-class woman Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), who, while still grieving her father and the recent loss of her mother, decides to take a DNA test searching for more ancestors.

The test results bring up a distant cousin eager to meet up. Dismissing the justifiable concerns from her good friend Grace (Courtney Taylor in the designated comic relief Black friend communicating via technology role, which seems to be obligatory for these modern-day vacation getaways-from-hell horror stories), Evie is treated to a fancy dinner and invited to a high-status wedding over at his rich friends’ colossal, Gothic English countryside estate.

Given the creepy statues and paintings (not to mention the pitch-black photography), it’s evident that something is off here. To be fair, a prologue of a woman committing suicide trying to escape has already confirmed that. Nevertheless, Evie falls head over heels for the mansion owner, Walter (Thomas Doherty, who is at least trying to make the most of this material that has him wearing multiple personality masks). Unlike the cruel butler, Walter treats the staff with human dignity and respect, is self-deprecating, aware of his privilege, and not above offering an apology when he makes a mistake. He is also hot, which has Evie further surrendering to his charms (with influence from Grace).

It’s not that The Invitation spends far too much time on this romantic angle that drains it of any life force, but rather how boring and suspense-free it’s executed. A twist on the horizon is all well and good, but if it’s going to be this obvious and come so late in the narrative, there needs to be some sharp social commentary alongside funhouse thrills. The Invitation unequivocally fails to find anything engaging in the falling for one another honeymoon phase. The horror aspect is certainly more entertaining but also unbelievably cheesy for a story that desperately wants to make a memorable class warfare statement.

It should also be said that the below-the-line team has done solid work, crafting exquisitely colorful dresses, an eerie setting, and the occasional appealing visual. The rest of this invitation should be discarded in the trash. Bafflingly, these filmmakers have tried to set up a sequel for The Invitation , and while this movie is nowhere near the disaster some films not screened for critics typically turn out to be, I would rather donate blood than attend a successor. Rescind the invitation.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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The invitation.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 4 Reviews
Kids Say 9 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Thriller about vampires has lots of blood but doesn't suck.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Intense peril and distress. Vampires. Creepy images, startling movements, feelin

Sex indicated by removal of clothes and close-ups of passionate kissing, followe

Strong language includes "ass," "a--hole," "bulls--t," "s--t," "tatas," and one

Sparkling wine at big social events. Supporting character pours herself straight

Any Positive Content?

This is a female-forward story with a female writer, director, and cinematograph

Trust your instincts: If it's too good to be true, it probably is. You're strong

Women support each other, even putting themselves at risk to help one another. M

Violence & Scariness

Intense peril and distress. Vampires. Creepy images, startling movements, feeling of impending doom. Bloody bites, cuts, slices, including one explicitly gory scene. Impaling. Burning alive. Characters held captive. Death by suicide that's depicted as positive. Reference to sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex indicated by removal of clothes and close-ups of passionate kissing, followed by a couple seen lying in bed together after. Woman's bare backside seen from a distance. Negative female character wears a cleavage-revealing dress. Romance full of stereotypical sweeping gestures.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "ass," "a--hole," "bulls--t," "s--t," "tatas," and one somewhat comical use of "f--k." "Jesus!" used as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Sparkling wine at big social events. Supporting character pours herself straight alcohol. Joking, negative reference to drugs. Main character wisely chooses not to drink a beverage prepared by someone she doesn't know.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Diverse Representations

This is a female-forward story with a female writer, director, and cinematographer. Main character is a mixed-race woman who's nervous about meeting the White side of her family for the first time. Through her conversations with her best friend, a Black woman, she shares common feelings and experiences of being Black and female. Supporting character is a woman of color.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Messages

Trust your instincts: If it's too good to be true, it probably is. You're stronger than you know. Women often feel like prey, unsure who among them may be a predator.

Positive Role Models

Women support each other, even putting themselves at risk to help one another. Main character treats those in service as peers, chatting with them, getting to know their names, not expecting them to clean up after her.

Parents need to know that The Invitation is a female-centric vampire film from writer-director Jessica M. Thompson . Through the eyes of Evie ( Nathalie Emmanuel ), viewers are able to see how women often feel like prey, unsure who among them may be a predator. There are moments of intense violence, including bloody wounds, a person on fire, and one explicit slice that's intended to spur a strong reaction. A death by suicide is positioned as a heroic choice. Sex is implied through close-ups of kissing, and a woman's bare backside is shown from afar. Expect some language ("ass," "s--t," and one use of "f--k") and drinking, too. While peril is high for the characters, so is courage. And when Evie's clichéd romantic fantasies seem to be coming true, she -- along with many viewers -- actively questions them: Can we allow ourselves to give in and enjoy the moment? Or should we know that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is? To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (4)
Kids say (9)

Based on 4 parent reviews

'The Invitation,' now this, is a good one!!

What's the story.

After she takes a DNA test, Evie ( Nathalie Emmanuel ) is contacted by her long-lost cousin Oliver ( Hugh Skinner ). He offers to fly her to England to meet the rest of the family, who will be gathered for a lavish wedding. Accepting THE INVITATION, Evie become charmed by a family friend who's hosting the event, a British aristocrat named Walter ( Thomas Doherty ). But things aren't what they seem, and the family reunion quickly turns into a gothic conspiracy.

Is It Any Good?

Thompson's vampire film takes a bite out of the romantic fantasies that have kept fans under their spell for centuries. Smart, strong, and on her toes, Evie is thankfully the direct opposite of Twilight ' s co-dependent Bella. The success of that franchise in the early 2000s reignited entertainment's love affair with vampires, werewolves, and other supernaturally spooky beings (including the Disney Channel's villain-fest Descendants , where Doherty initially found fame). Perhaps in acknowledgment of that trend, Thompson and co-writer Blair Brown crafted a story for The Invitation that revolves around the allure of two romantic figures that today's teens have grown up with: Prince Charming and a sexy vampire.

But the filmmakers seem to be trying to put the final nail in the coffin of these stories that, in a sense, groom fans to be taken advantage of. The Invitation is a horror thriller that pivots on elements of the female experience -- specifically, not knowing who to trust and yet wanting to give in to the kind of princess fantasies that many have been fed their entire lives. While it's wildly fantastic, this is also a cautionary tale: Don't fall for an appealing promise, the offer of exotic, all-expenses-paid travel, or an invite to attend a party where powerful men will be in attendance. Thompson asks: When a magnificent, opulent door is opened, do you walk through? Is Prince Charming going to be like Prince Harry ... or Prince Andrew? The Invitation doesn't have all the answers, but it makes one thing clear: Women thrive and survive when they can "Count" on each other.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about real-life examples of women being lured into danger with the promise of easy money, glamorous situations, or dream opportunities. How can these circumstances be avoided? Why does Evie and Grace's system fail?

Why do you think literature and entertainment often portray vampires as alluring? How does The Invitation compare to other monster movies you've seen?

Talk about how to advocate for yourself on the job or at school. How do authority figures intimidate women throughout this film?

Who demonstrates courage in the film? Why is this an important character strength?

What does "complicit" mean, and how do we see it play out in the film?

Movie Details

In theaters : August 26, 2022
On DVD or streaming : September 16, 2022
Cast : Nathalie Emmanuel , Hugh Skinner , Thomas Doherty
Director : Jessica M. Thompson
Inclusion Information : Female directors, Bisexual directors, Female actors, Black actors, Gay actors, Female writers, Bisexual writers
Studio : Sony Pictures
Genre : Horror
Topics : Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
Character Strengths : Courage
Run time : 104 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : terror, violent content, some strong language, sexual content and partial nudity
Last updated : July 18, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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‘The Invitation’ Film Review: Nathalie Emmanuel Can’t Save Cliched Take on Socially Conscious Horror

Beyond one somewhat gory scene, Jessica M. Thompson delivers little to nothing to genuinely shock or awe

If the mostly by-the-numbers plot of “The Invitation,” and its eventual ridiculous twist, is tolerable at all, it’s due to the effortless effervescence that star Nathalie Emmanuel lends to this modern-day horror with gothic embellishments, as a mix-raced woman barely getting by in NYC who gets to live a British royal fantasy until it turns into a literal bloody mess.

Invoking “Twilight” and “Beauty and the Beast” with watered-down hints of “Crimson Peak,” the new feature from director Jessica M. Thompson (“The Light of the Moon”) opens with a suicide scene that insinuates the timelessness of its story. It’s here that its efforts to misdirect the audience about the type of supernatural entity we are dealing with begin.

In a more recognizable present, Evie (Emmanuel), a ceramics artist that stays afloat through catering jobs, takes a DNA test that connects her with a (white) cousin in England, Oliver (a weaselly Hugh Skinner), she had never heard about before. Yearning for any semblance of family, after her mother’s recent passing, she eagerly accepts his generous invitation to attend an upcoming family wedding back in the old country all expenses paid.

From the onset, as Evie serves carpaccio to rude wealthy people, Blair Butler’s screenplay attempts to infuse the nightmarish tale with a notion of class consciousness and generic discussions on race, privilege and colonialism with varying degrees of effectiveness. A few remarks land strongly via Emmanuel, but in general the themes stay just on the surface.

That Evie shows basic human decency to those working service jobs, having been in their shoes, upon her arrival in England at the lavish state where the festivities will take place, seems to pique the attention of Walter (Thomas Doherty), the charming lord of the residence and host. Later, as evil becomes visible, the lives of houseworkers become disposable, which feels like an on-the-nose statement on how the rich perceive them.

For a few days, Evie’s fairytale of old-fashioned dances, Walter’s chivalry, and kisses in front of a firework splattered night’s sky tricks her into overlooking some of the disturbing clues of what’s ahead. Several possibilities as to what she is facing cross one’s mind: ghosts, a cult or even human trafficking. But what we discover is far less gripping.

“The Invitation” joins the ranks of an overdone, currently popular trend in horror films that sees overly trusting characters get lured into grasp of a malevolent group of people, often racist and sexist millionaires, with perverse motives hiding under a veneer of benevolence: “Ready or Not,” “Antebellum,” “Get Out,” and even something as recent as “Fresh.” Often, as is the case here, the protagonist has a friend back home who, via cell phone, becomes a lifeline.

Thompson mines formulaic jump-scares from the inherent spookiness of a densely decorated old manor where shadowy figures in an old library or a bird crashing against a window put Evie on edge. But beyond one somewhat gory scene of a throat being slit (which is in the trailer), there’s little in the form of shocking or rather terrifying sequences. Still, the efforts of cinematographer Autumn Eakin to manifest moody lighting throughout at least make for an elegant setting for Emmanuel to parade her dazzling gowns in.

On a handful of instances Thompson and editor Tom Elkins seem to intently aim for dynamic set pieces that heighten the tension and removes us momentarily from the romantic utopia Evie believes she is in, as if hinting at the monstrosity under it all.

One of those occurs just before the main nuptial event. As Eve tries to enjoy a spa day with the other women attending the wedding, she argues with the insufferable Viktoria (Stephanie Corneliussen), one of the maids of honor. Their combative back and forth is intercut by shots and the loudened sounds of nails being filed and clipped for great effect.

Late in the narrative, a similarly constructed bit unfolds, when a grotesque dinner unfolds as Eve comes to learn why she was summoned to join this clan of mostly white men. Frozen at the realization, everything around her takes on an increasingly sinister form.

But while the overall substance and originality of the film lacks, Emmanuel utilizes the vehicle at hand to demonstrate her range and evident star quality in every line reading and uncomfortable interaction with the strange guests and Doherty’s run-of-the-mill gallantry. Molding what Butler put on the page to her advantage, Emmanuel creates a compelling heroine that entices us to follow her even as she approaches the story’s bland conclusion.

Though “The Invitation” doesn’t land in the “worst of the year” territory given its lead performance and notable flares of style, it’s neither particularly scary, nor sexy enough or as intellectually progressive as it wants to be. But, conversely, it’s also insufficiently campy to awaken one’s interest for the truly bizarre, rendering itself an average genre ordeal.

“The Invitation” opens Friday in U.S. theaters.

Jason's Movie Blog

A movie blog for movie reviews, trailers, and more.

The Invitation (2022) Review

DON’T ACCEPT THIS INVITATION!

Tales of vampires have always been a main staple in the horror genre….and I’m not just talking about movies. Mythical undead creatures of the night that derive from European folklore that subsists by feeding on the vital essence of life (aka blood) and have being classical depicted in traditional forms (i.e. pale skin, fanged teeth, dark hair, sleeps in coffin, hates the daylight, etc.). Perhaps the most famous comes in the shape of Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler), with such description of being has transcended average folklore tales and has manifested in mainstream pop culture. With such fascination of vampires (and or Dracula himself), Hollywood has taken interest in these vampiric creatures in a wide variety of motion pictures, including 1992’s Dracula , 1994’s Interview with a Vampire , 2003’s Underworld , 2004’s Van Helsing , 2008’s Twilight , 2012’s Hotel Transylvania , 2014’s Dracula Untold , and many others. Now, Sony Pictures (along with Screen Gems and TSG Entertainment) and director Jessica M. Thompson present the latest film on the vampire variety with the release of The Invitation , a somewhat called back to the narrative of the Brides of Dracula. Does this sink its teeth into the fresh take on a old classic or is it a frivolous and bloodless endeavor that doesn’t really provide enough vampiric nuances?

Losing her father when she was younger, and mother a few months prior, Evelyn “Evie” Jackson (Nathalie Emanuel) feels lost and alone, struggling to make it as an artist, while dealing with dimensive jobs to make ends meet. Swiping a gift bag home from a posh catering gig, Evie uses a DNA test included in the package to find out her ancestry as well if any distant family member still exists. Soon enough, Evie is contacted by Oliver Alexander (Hugh Skinner), who identifies himself as a distant cousin to the young woman, excited to connect with a new member of the family. Oliver offers a chance to meet the rest of his clan at an upcoming wedding celebration in England, including first-class travel and luxury accommodations. Accepting Oliver’s invitation, Evie is brought into the world of opulence of stately English manor, with the master of the household, Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty), a handsome young man, welcoming the young American woman with kindness and friendly demeanor. While expecting the usual fanfare of traditional English wedding, Evie is confronted by seduction from her host and confusion / crypt meanings with the strange atmosphere of the estate as well as the people who’ve gathered there. In time, mysterious events begin to take place, with Evie soon begin to wonder what she’s agreed to by joining a party where she is talk of everyone’s lips.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

Of course, while I do love movies (in general), I do love all stuff fantasy. Beings of folklore, beasts of legend, and creatures of mythology, I would say that I am a fantasy nerd through and through. Thus, it comes as no surprise, I do find a somewhat interest in vampires. Not as much as some out there, but it’s kind of an interesting notion of these undead creatures that prey upon the lifeforce of blood has become a fascinating topic in folklore and in pop culture. Of course, the classic Dracula moniker and depiction was probably one of my first impression of how vampires are to be seeing. Naturally, this cartoon-ish depiction of such a character was probably something that most of us first drew eyes upon of vampires. Of course, as I got older, I found that vampire themselves became more mature and something more ghoulish and horrific as well as learning of all their superstitious rules (i.e. sleeping in coffins, fearing holy water, dislike of sunlight, silver can kill them, etc.). From there, I can recall a lot of the movies that had vampires creatures such Dracula , Dracula Untold , Underworld , and Interview with a Vampire , with some being iconic in cinematic history, while others are just forgettable pictures (forgot to mention Morbius ). Yet, I still like the Hotel Transylvania movies that play up those cartoon-ish tropes of Dracula (aka “I don’t say…. blah, blah, blah!). Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Twilight (and all of that crazy that went with that novel / film franchise), with the tale of Edward and Bella intermingling the vampiric creatures with more Teen / YA overtones of young love. Although, I never get the whole “sparkling / glittery” skin…. that’s just dumb. In the end, vampire still have a keen interest amongst many and throughout my cultures and Hollywood seems to continue feed that particular interest to moviegoers.

Naturally, this brings me back to talking about The Invitation, a 2022 romance / horror that’s looking to speak to both genres. To be quite honest, I really don’t remember hearing much about this movie when it first announce. Nothing about the cast, or the director, or even the movie itself. It kind of went “under the radar” for most of the movie sites / film blogs that I do follow online and really didn’t see much about this upcoming movie. I think my first look at this particular film was the feature’s movie poster as well as the movie trailer for it. I think I only saw the movie trailer for The Invitation a few times during the ”coming attractions” preview when I went to the movies, but it really didn’t look quite that interesting. Of course, I immediately recognized actress Natalie Emmanuel as the film’s leading character, so that definitely got me interested, but everything else I wasn’t too keen on. Still, trying to keep an open mind on everything (as well as hoping for a surprise from this movie), I went to see The Invitation a few weeks after its initial release. Sadly, my schedule got busy (and then Hurricane Ian happened in my area), so I got a little bit backed up on getting my current reviews done, including The Invitation . Thankfully, I’ve been pushing myself to get these reviews completed and now…. I finally have time to give my personal thoughts on this particular film. And what did I think of it? Well, sadly…. It definitely wasn’t that good. Despite having a few nuances and a great presentation, The Invitation ends up being a wonky mesh-mash of romance and horror that really doesn’t due to its poor script, bland elements, and underwhelming characters. There’s an attempt to make this movie interesting, but it fades quickly and becomes a drudge to watch.

The Invitation is directed by Jessica M. Thompson, whose previous works include the movie The Light of the Moon as well as TV series such as Unstoppable and The End . Given her background experience on both the big and small screen, Thompson makes the most of her sophomore feature film and makes The Invitation her most ambitious project to date. To that end, I do have to give her some credit in making the jump to such a large production, especially with a wide variety of characters, interweaving storytelling threads, and trying to play both sides of narrative genres of both romance and horror. There is a sense of duality while watching this movie, with Thompson projecting a familiar tone of YA romance, with its cast of characters are always pretty to look at and finding a protagonist, who is trying to find herself. The flip side to that is the horror elements, with the usage of practical effects and other nuances to help build upon the scary horror moments. If both a “double edge” sword that Thompson tries to tackle (more on that below), but I believe it’s an ambitious one and I do commend her for at least trying. The result of it, while not perfect, still manages to have find a few key sequences that work effectively.

Perhaps the saving grace and true positive that the movie has to offer is in the presentation category, with The Invitation having a very good production quality in its setting / background aesthetics. The English landscape and the interior locations of the manor were quite impressive, with those touches gothic architecture and motif aesthetics quite enhances the feature’s setting. The background for the movie is almost a character unto itself and stands out more because the rest of the film is a bit “cold to the touch” (no pun intended). Even the movie’s costume and hair / make-up departments are quite solid throughout the feature and definitely highlight the heightened views of that English gothic feeling with a mixture of flashy modern elegance. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” team, including Felicity Abbott (production designs), Clare Keyte and Zsuzsanna Sipos (set decorations), Danielle Knox (costume designs), and the entire art direction team should be praised for their efforts in making the practical visual look of The Invitation look appealing. Plus, I do have to mention that some of the cinematography work by Autumn Eakin is actually pretty good and helps set the overall mood for the movie’s story, with the usage of smoke, lightning, and camera angles. Lastly, the feature’s score, which was composed by Dara Taylor, was just okay. It wasn’t downright terrible or anything like that, but neither did it have the memorable moments. The overall composition was just alright and meet the industry standard for a film soundtrack…just nothing about it really stick out to me.

Unfortunately, The Invitation is far from a chilling or stellar endeavor as the film itself stumbles through the feature’s narrative in a rather clunky and fumbling attempt in bring this tale to life. How so? Well, for starters, the movie is highly predictable and utterly formulaic to the touch. The direction of how everything goes is quite generic and plainly been done many times over in far better productions. Where does the fault lie? Well, it’s pretty much in all major areas. For starters, the story being told is quite predictable and doesn’t really leave anything in the presentation of being creative or originally done. This means that the film’s script, which was penned by Blair Butler, gives us the somewhat “bare bones” of the plot, with very little ingenuity for substance and makes the whole internal affair of what’s going very vanilla and formulaic. It’s quite obvious as to what was going to happen. A character would be introduced here and there, a minor character would be killed off, suspicion would arise from the main character, obvious bad guy try to make a pass at main character, and so on and so forth. It’s all been done before in other similar (or even better) projects out there and everything how the plot, including the script itself, seems overtly tedious and utterly bland to the touch. Even many of the dialogue lines are a bit muddled with badly written pieces and some cheesy lines. So, it’s quite hard to laugh at these particular moments, especially when the movie is trying to be serious. Furthermore, some of the backstory elements are fully fleshed out enough to warrant their existence, with some attention to detail lacking and coming off as a bit either too convenient or not entirely well-put together for the feature’s context. Because of the film’s narrative is stale and lazily put together, The Invitation ends up being quite boring, especially how everything ultimately plays out. There’s very little surprise or twists that arise and made the whole endeavor very much so on autopilot….and that’s not a good thing.

Perhaps of one of the biggest blunders that the movie’s marketing campaign does for the movie is in how it fully showcases a lot of the major plot in various movie trailers and marketing for the project. With the exception of the film’s final twist that occurs towards the third act, most of the feature’s main narrative points are showcases (in snippets), which is greatly disappointing and somewhat dilutes the effectiveness (aka…. the “shock and awe” factor) of when it actually happens in the movie. Thus, if a viewer has seen the film’s movie trailer, the movie itself will be quite disappointing. If any inkling to see The Invitation …. best to avoid watching any type of trailer and TV spot for it and just see it with very little insight into the feature.

Of course, I would be a little remiss if I didn’t mention that part of the feature’s problem stems from Thompson’s direction for the feature. Yes, I do praise her work in a few areas in the movie, but, at the same time, her lack of focus for the movie comes into question, especially how messy and haphazard the feature’s direction is presented. It’s clear that she wants to tell a story of a young girl that gets thrown into the mix of mysterious individuals with dark horrors and unsettling foreboding at where she is staying. And yet…. a lot of side characters are introduced and don’t really amount to anything beyond cannon fodder (or unnecessary details), a vague plot that has been played before, and just a bland construction of the entire project that does little or entice viewers into the film’s world. Even with its short runtime of being 104 minutes (one hour and forty-four minutes), Thompson struggles to find entertainment within the context of vampires and other horror elements within her presentation. Even so…the movie also struggles with its own identity…… is it a romance flick or a horror one? The marriage of the two could’ve worked (and has worked before), but Thompson’s handling of such tones of blending the two together is clunky at best. Perhaps what’s even worse is that Thompson fails to deliver on some of these scares that the movie has scattered throughout. There all the typical “jump scares” tactics that most viewers will immediately identify with, but none of them are really “scary” to say the least and nothing that will take your breath away. Again, it’s all been done before in other projects (and handled much better in those), with Thompson having a poor understanding of how to fully execute such scares in a modern cinematic landscape. So, from a horror standpoint, the only thing that definitely works in The Invitation is in its heightened presentation to set the mood for a gothic atmospheric surroundings….and that’s it.

Another point of criticism that the movie has is in how the film’s limitations are felt throughout project. What do I mean? Well, there are fleeting moments of where creatures lurk in the darkness and are (presumably) the monstrous beastly forms of the movie’s vampires. Although, these are used sparsely and almost are completely forgotten by the time the picture reaches its climatic in the third act. This, of course, is quite misleading as one would expect some of these monstrous beings would appear in the big finale portion, but they never do, which is quite frustrating and begs the question of why even have presented in the movie at all. Speaking of the film’s climatic third act, the very little action the movie does offer is quite garden variety and somewhat diluted. Of course, I really didn’t expect much from this particular film, yet The Invitation lack of excitement doesn’t help the action pieces that much…. feeling underwhelming in an otherwise underwhelming feature. Even the film’s final moments feel lackluster….. presenting a somewhat “new beginning” for Evie that seems ripped right out of a fan-fiction superhero origin tale. It’s cheesy, a bit pretentious, and not really satisfying.

The cast in The Invitation is bit of a hodgepodge “mixed bag” of results, with some of the acting being a tad “over-the-top” and / or poorly written in their character introductions / development. Perhaps the only character that actually that I really did like and has some potential in the feature was in the main protagonist of Evie Jackson, who is played by actress Natalie Emmanuel. Known for her roles in Game of Thrones , Furious 7 , and Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance , Emmanuel has certainly become an upcoming actress, especially after playing her character of Missandei on GoT . Thus, it comes as no surprise that Emmanuel who play such character (in the lead role) as Evie Jackson. For her part, she actually does a pretty good job. She’s likeable and easy to root in the movie. Of course, her character is a straightforward and conventional for this particular genre (as mentioned above), so actually “watching” Evie’s journey is a bit formulaic. That being said, Emmanuel is perhaps the most memorable character in all of The Invitation . It’s not her strongest (or favorable) character she’s played, but it makes watching the film tolerable for just her involvement / screen presence.

Beyond Emanuel’s Evie, the next prominent acting talent in the feature would be actor Thomas Doherty, who plays Walter De Ville, a wealthy yet mysterious man who becomes attracted towards Evie’s stay at his mansion. Known for his roles in Gossip Girl , Legacies , and The Lodge , Doherty is just okay the movie. His acting is a little bit “meh” to me and the dialogue lines that he was given were mediocre at best and even quite goofy in a few spots. Plus, he definitely looks like a bad guy, so his character development as coming off as natural “good guy” persona is a up contrive and almost a bad cliché. Heck, his character’s last name is De Ville (come on…. put “two and two” together). Thus, Doherty’s Walter De Ville in The Invitation is a one-note character that’s quite transparent to see through, even though the script tries to add layers to him.

The rest of the cast are pretty much “thinly sketched” characters and are not beyond their initial setup, given the lazy script handling for their respective constructs as well as a few wooden / laughable dialogue moments. Perhaps the only one who actually gave a good “college try” in the movie was actor Sean Pertwee ( Event Horizon and Gotham ) as the butler to Mr. De Ville’s estate Mr. Field. He seems like the “seasoned” veteran actor on the feature, so one can tell his acting talent is far superior than most of the cast. And yet…. it’s all held back because his character of Mr. Field is just the uptight and grumpy English butler that has become stereotypical in the type casting. Thus, Pertwee never really gets to truly shine in The Invitation, which is a shame. Who actually the worst (personally) is actor Hugh Skinner ( Fleabag and Les Miserable ), who plays Evie’s cousin Oliver Alexander. Why is he the worst? Well, it’s not much his acting (although his acting is a bit hokey at times and too one-dimensional), but because his involvement in the movie is quickly forgotten after the first act. OF course, his main duty is to bring Evie to De Ville’s manor and that’s pretty much, with the character of Oliver just fading more and more in the background of the film as the narrative takes shape. Thus, why introduce such a character if he’s going to be less and less important.

This also brings the importance of two other characters (Viktoria and Lucy), two females (close to Walter and the De Ville clan) that befriend Evie during her stay at the stately manor and who are played by actresses Stephanie Corneliussen ( Mr. Robot and Legion ) and Alana Boden ( Mr. Selfridge and Ride ). While these two characters don’t play a somewhat importance to the main narrative, both Viktoria and Lucy come off as bland caricatures that really don’t do anything beyond being skeptical and elusive to Evie. It just comes off as being shallow, vapid, and just a downright cliché. The remaining characters, including Courtney Taylor ( Insecure and Single & Anxious ) as Evie’s friend Grace, actress Carol Ann Crawford ( High Road and Brookside ) as Mrs. Swift, actor Scott Alexander Young ( Shadow & Bone and Berlin Station ) as Uncle Julius, actor Ian Lindsay ( Doctors and British Men Behaving Badly ) as Great Uncle Alfred, actor Jeremy Wheeler ( The Fear Index and The Crown ) as Jonathan Harker, actress Elizabeth Counsell ( Unfinished Song and Fame is the Spur ) as Mina Harker, make up the minor supporting characters in the movie. While not acted terribly, yet some of these characters are bit “meh” to the plot and really don’t round out the story in a proper way. Heck, some of them could’ve been easily expanded upon or even cut from the feature’s final cut.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Evelyn “Evie” Jackson gets a chance to meet her extended family during a whirlwind destination wedding, but things don’t exactly go according to plan as she confronts dark secrets from the wedding spectators and her host in the movie The Invitation . Director Jessica M. Thompson latest film takes a familiar narrative and spins it on a somewhat new direction by splicing the romances of young love with vampiric nightmares of things that go “bump” in the night. Despite a few flourishes of key elements in the movie as well as strong representation with the feature’s visual aesthetics (production quality, set decorations, costume designs, cinematography) and a likeable performance from Emmanuel, the rest of the picture never rises and just becomes a mundane vampire tale, especially with Thompson’s direction, a predictable and unoriginally script, lackluster scares, unfilled potential in his monsters, and uninteresting “cookie cutter” caricatures. Personally, I really didn’t like this movie. Of course, I liked the idea the whole “Brides of Dracula” angle that the film was trying to go for, but it really felt half-baked and less focused. In combination to its poor writing and mediocre “not-so-scary” scenes, and uninteresting characters, the movie just felt like it was doom from the start. Thus, my recommendation for this movie is a solid “skip it” as there’s really not much to get out of this feature beyond a few snippets here and there. Best just stick to any other iteration of the Brides of Dracula….in either cinematic or novelization. In the end, The Invitation is a pretentious and badly mismanaged movie that wants to be filled with wedded vampire bliss, but ends up with a terrible translation of bloodsucking blandness. Basically…. don’t accept this invitation!

2.0 Out of 5 (Skip It)

Released on: august 26th, 2022, reviewed on: october 28th, 2022.

The Invitation is 104 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for terror, violent content, some strong language, sexual content, and partial nudity

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The Invitation

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Invitation’ on Netflix, A Horror Film Where the Frights Run in the Family

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The Invitation basically came and went with little noise in theaters, topping the box office with one of the lowest weekend grosses in years when it came out in late summer 2022. But it’s opening 2023 by burning up the Netflix charts. Should you be RSVPing for the first big communal fright-fest of the year?

THE INVITATION : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: “It all ends here … with me,” begins The Invitation . The film opens with a prologue involving a woman hanging herself from the balcony of an English manor. Cut to: Evelyn Jackson (Nathalie Emmanuel) – Evie for short – is a contemporary young Black woman who’s doing catering by night and ceramics by twilight. Feeling isolated with both her parents departed and alienated by the New York dating scene, she investigates her family history via DNA test only to uncover some stately heritage from across the pond. At the behest of an accommodating English cousin Hugh Alexander (Hugh Skinner), she accepts an invitation to attend a family wedding at the estate in New Carfax Abbey.

Things immediately get off to a fitful start for Evie after she bumps into the staff and breaks some glass. But before she can get too caught up in embarrassment or shame, Evie catches the eye of the lord of the manor, Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty). This dashing bachelor immediately takes a liking to the surprise guest, arousing anger and ire among the aristocratic elites gathered for the celebration. Evie picks up some strange, if not entirely sinister vibes, from the hosts. But that all begins to change when she begins hallucinating the figure introduced at the beginning of the film, almost as if the house is transferring a kind of sense memory to her. There’s something off with this gathering of the three families, and Evie cannot quite figure out how she plays into the seemingly supernatural shenanigans at play. Money, as she finds out, runs as thick as blood.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: If you’re the kind of person who knows what a “Screen Gems movie” is when you see the logo on this horror flick, you already know just about everything you need to know about The Invitation . But to get a little more specific to the content, the Black protagonist navigating a traditionally white space is Get Out to the core – and it’s even got a wise-cracking BFF checking in from afar to solidify the resemblance. The manor setting also recalls the genre thrills of Ready or Not and even Spencer as an unsuspecting woman enters palatial environs and feels an entire powerful family turn against her.

Performance Worth Watching: While it’s Emmanuel who has to carry The Invitation , it’s the suffocating smolder of Thomas Doherty that really steals the show. He’s got a kind of Jude Law affect about him as the cocksure lord of the manor. If Walter De Ville can at times feel like a facsimile of Dickie Greenleaf, Law’s indelible cinematic creation from The Talented Mr. Ripley , that’s likely because the character has studied such figures to obfuscate his real intentions. Doherty delights in traipsing along the thin line separating creepiness from charisma, and he’s one of the few sources of genuine tension the movie has.

Memorable Dialogue: “We’re not related, right?” Evie asks her cousin Hugh about Walter when she’s got a bit of a crush. “Not in the slightest,” he replies, to which the normally assertive Evie fumblingly (and funnily) deflects, “Yeah, okay. I was, you know, just … making sure.”

Sex and Skin: Walter offers to stay with Evie in her room — and bed — when she’s scared upon the first perception of phantasms, but their heart-to-heart never gets body to body. The two do finally get hot and heavy later in the film, but all privates are artfully covered up in their moment of post-coital conversation. The brief bit of skin in the film comes from a spa day where we glimpse the backside of an unclothed female swimmer in the pool.

Our Take: Neither Jessica M. Thompson’s direction nor Blair Butler’s script ever really finds the right wavelength for The Invitation . They’re uncertain how to meld the different tonalities and genres the story requires, so it all just feels rather clunky. The film really doesn’t stick the landing on its big reveal, either, which makes the last act fall flat. It’s a work of incredibly obvious choices – a record player scratching portends a ghostly jump scare; a first kiss comes accompanied by perfectly-timed fireworks. Any element that aims for deeper meaning, like the undercooked upstairs-downstairs drama at the estate, only serves to expose how shallow the pursuit of scariness and sexiness really is.

Our Call: SKIP IT. You can wait out the brief period in which The Invitation soars to the top of Netflix’s charts – it’s unlikely many will remember this limp horror flick in a week’s time. You’d be better off “mistakenly” watching the last film that shared this title ( the 2016 release by Karyn Kusama ) because that film would actually give you the kinds of things you’d hope to receive by pressing play on this brief sensation.

Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based freelance film journalist. In addition to Decider, his work has also appeared on Slashfilm, Slant, Little White Lies and many other outlets. Some day soon, everyone will realize how right he is about Spring Breakers.

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COMMENTS

The Invitation movie review & film summary (2022)
As the three-day festivities unfurl, Thompson relies way too heavily on cheap jump scares to put us on edge, which is a shame, because there's enough atmosphere within the film's initial mystery. A spa day for Evie and the imposingly glamorous maids of honor ( Stephanie Corneliussen and Alana Boden) is staged and paced particularly well.
The Invitation (2022)
Jenny Nulf Austin Chronicle There's no glitz or glamour to set it apart from the pack, and that's ultimately [The Invitation's] demise. Rated: 2/5 Sep 27, 2022 Full Review Christy Lemire ...
'The Invitation' Review: Bringing Down the Haunted House
Not so for Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), a jaded ceramist in New York who unwittingly becomes the belle of the dwelling after a long-lost cousin, Oliver (Hugh Skinner), invites her to a wedding on its ...
The Invitation
Colin B This Movie is A phenomenal Slow Burn horror that is likely to Give you nightmares and chills Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review Audience Member One of the best ...
The Invitation
Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 22, 2022. Rachel West That Shelf. With several tongue-in-cheek moments, countless Easter eggs and nods to vampiric lore (one character is named Harker), The ...
The Invitation (2022)
The Invitation: Directed by Jessica M. Thompson. With Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Sean Pertwee, Hugh Skinner. Evie's long-lost cousin invites her to a swanky English wedding, where she uncovers a dark and twisted family secret that threatens to upend her life.
'The Invitation' Review: A Numbingly Predictable Horror Thriller
thomas doherty. 'The Invitation' Review: Numbingly Predictable Horror Thriller Packs a Few Last-Minute Twists. Reviewed at Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace, Houston, Aug. 25, 2022. MPA ...
'The Invitation' Review: Nathalie Emmanuel's Vampire Movie ...
Arriving like a lamb lost in the woods (or led to the slaughter) is Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), an aspiring ceramicist who makes her living as a cater waiter in New York.When her friend swipes a ...
The Invitation review: A waste of perfectly good evil vampires
Reviews. The Invitation was sold to audiences as a vampire action movie about rich, aristocratic bloodsuckers, but it's more of a dull flirty romance that waits far too long to get to the Ready ...
The Invitation Review: A Gothic for the Modern Age
'The Invitation' will be released in theaters nationwide on August 26. ... Movie Reviews. The Invitation. ... Jul 24, 2022. Fede Álvarez Just Answered Your Biggest 'Alien: Romulus' Question, and ...
The Invitation (2022 film)
The Invitation is a 2022 American horror thriller film directed by Jessica M. Thompson and written by Blair Butler.It stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Thomas Doherty.Inspired by the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, it follows a woman who, after her mother's death, meets long-lost family members and discovers the dark secrets they carry. [1]Originally titled The Bride, it was produced by Emile ...
The Invitation Review
All Reviews Editor's Choice Game Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Tech Reviews. Discover. ... The Invitation Review ... 2022 9:03 am. Posted: Aug 26, 2022 7:00 pm.
The Invitation
The tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green) shows up to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and new husband David (Michiel Huisman). The estranged divorcees' tragic past haunts an equally eerie present; amid Eden's suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda.
The Invitation
The Invitation tells the story of Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel). Evie finds herself in the midst of a perfect fairytale. However, she realizes that there is something sinister, underneath the squeaky clean surface. The Invitation is a great film. Director Jessica M. Thompson has given us a unique movie in the horror genre.
The Invitation
The Invitation is best when it turns the cranks on an already uncomfortable social reunion, but the film doesn't shirk on the horrifying payoff either. Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 18 ...
The Invitation (2022)
The Invitation (2022) is a movie my wife and I saw in theatres last night. The storyline follows a young lady who lost both parents and doesn't know her family beyond them well. One day she takes a DNA test and her second cousin is identified. Her second cousins contacts her, they meet for lunch and he invites her to an upcoming family wedding ...
The Invitation (2022)
The Invitation, 2022. Directed by Jessica M. Thompson. Starring Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen, Alana Boden, Hugh Skinner, Kata Sarbó ...
The Invitation Movie Review
September 1, 2022. age 14+. 'The Invitation,' now this, is a good one!! Finnnnaly . . a movie that is sure to be as iconic in macabre & horror as Phantom of the Opera, Alien, or, Halloween. Nathalie Emmanuel & Thomas Doherty nail it. They both do a superb job of acting, and, luring the audience into the demonic domain.
The Invitation Review: Nathalie Emmanuel Highlights a Cliche
August 26, 2022 @ 11:07 AM. If the mostly by-the-numbers plot of "The Invitation," and its eventual ridiculous twist, is tolerable at all, it's due to the effortless effervescence that star ...
The Invitation (2022) Review
In the end, The Invitation is a pretentious and badly mismanaged movie that wants to be filled with wedded vampire bliss, but ends up with a terrible translation of bloodsucking blandness. Basically…. don't accept this invitation! 2.0 Out of 5 (Skip It) Released On: August 26th, 2022 Reviewed On: October 28th, 2022
The Invitation (2022)
The Invitation 2022 1h 18m Documentary List. Reviews Read More Read Less. Reviews Cast & Crew Photos Media Info. ... Mar 22, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews The Invitation
'The Invitation' (2022) Netflix Review: Stream It or Skip It?
The Invitation basically came and went with little noise in theaters, topping the box office with one of the lowest weekend grosses in years when it came out in late summer 2022.But it's opening ...
The Invitation (2022) Movie Review
After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by ...
Triangle of Sadness Summary and Synopsis
Triangle of Sadness is a film that takes a satirical approach to influencer and wealth culture, a black comedy film by Ruben Östlund. The film is seen primarily through the eyes of Carl and Yaya, two fashion models in a relationship who accept an invitation to partake in a trip on a superyacht filled with incredibly wealthy guests from different nationalities. Unfortunately, chaos ensues when ...

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