The Invitation is one strange movie. Part of me wants to say that you should stop reading now and go watch it if you think you want to see it. I went in with no knowledge, whatsoever, of the plot, and I think that added to the general sense of unease that dogged me throughout the running time. But if you aren’t a purest, read on.
The Invitation begins with Will and Kira, our presumptive heroes, on their way to a party. They don’t exactly seem happy about it, and the mood is appropriately subdued. You get the feeling what kind of movie this is going to be when they hit a coyote. It doesn’t die, so, as an act of mercy, Will beats it to death with a tire iron…
Yeah…
Anywho, on to the party, where Will and Kira join a number of old friends they haven’t seen in a while. When they get there, we learn that the host, Eden, is the ex-wife of Will. We also eventually learn that Eden and Will had a child, who died tragically at this very property. We also learn that it’s been two years since anyone has seen Eden or her new man, David. And there are a couple randoms who no one seems to know, both of which act weird. Really weird. Add to that the cinematography that makes me think of what it must be like to go through life high, and the whole set-up is extremely unsettling.
It’s that feeling of unease that carries this movie. Frankly, almost nothing happens for the first hour. But everything is so weird, so strange, so fantastic that you are drawn inexorably into the movie. Which makes the reveal somewhat disappointing. I’m not going to say it’s bad, it’s just a little predictable for a movie that has kept you guessing all along. But maybe that’s just a side-effect of such an extremely powerful setup.
You should watch this movie, particularly this month. It is the perfect film for a chilly October night.
4 Stars
Beware The Shadows 