Movie: The Invitation
My Rating: 3 stars
The Netflix recommendation algorithm had been trying to push this movie on me for quite a while before I decided to sit down and watch it. It’s probably because this movie is a combination of two different genres that I like and watch a lot of—horror and psychological thriller. Normally I resent people (or machines) trying to tell me what to do. I’m a little stubborn that way. But, I decided to take a chance on this one, and I ended up liking this movie quite a bit.
This is another closed-room thriller. (I guess I didn’t get enough of it watching Sleuth). All the action takes place in the living room and dining room in the home of a very strange L.A. couple—Eden and David. They’re hosting a dinner party for a group of friends that they’d cut themselves off from for years following a family tragedy. So, while everyone is eager to get back in touch with their estranged friends, tensions are running pretty high. Especially since David and Eden seem emotionally unstable and pilled out of their minds. And, extra especially since one of the guests is Eden’s ex-husband, Will.
This dinner party is very awkward. No one can seem to find the right thing to say. It’s exactly the kind of obligation dinner that everyone dreads. But, things quickly start to feel a little more sinister. The force with which the hosts keep pushing more booze on the guests starts to feel a little aggressive. This is the kind of movie that amps up the anxiety and keeps the audience guessing about everyone’s motives and sanity as the story unfolds. It’s the kind of film that’ll make you feel like you’re holding your breath the whole time. It does a very good job of making the audience feel very unsafe, even though on the surface, this appears to be a delightful, lavish dinner party.
I do recommend this movie. The narrative isn’t going to throw any wild curveballs at you. But, it does an amazing job at creating a very unsettling mood. I think it definitely deserves to be called both horror and psychological thriller. And, it’s definitely worth watching this one if you’re in the mood for something a little ominous or creepy. So, maybe it is worth trusting the robots every now and then.