The Invitation
Screen Gems & Mid-Atlantic Films’ The Invitation is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 15.
STORY: C-
A young woman is courted and swept off her feet, only to discover a Gothic conspiracy is afoot.
The film uses jump scares pretty well. But those are the only surprises you’ll find. I submit the following examples as evidence: A complete stranger offers to pay for a trip to England? Hey, it just goes to show that good people do exist! Nothing bad could possibly happen! A wealthy-beyond-your-wildest-dreams dude lives by himself in a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere? Why, that’s neither strange nor creepy! I bet he’s lonely and looking for his soulmate and that it’s Evie’s destiny to be that very soulmate! A wedding is happening but the groom and bride are nowhere to be found? Completely normal. Nothing to worry about here!
The story itself isn’t a bad one, but its lack of mystery makes for some occasional rough patches. The film’s trailer does no favors. Few trailers have ever shared more of a movie ‘s story than this one. Director Jessica M. Thompson makes up for that by delivering some of the non-surprises with way more gusto than you could ever see coming. It would have been a much more gripping and memorable movie if we got both the mystery and the gusto.
PEOPLE: C
Nathalie Emmanuel delivers a decent, if uneven performance as Evie. She charms us to no end while falling for the Lord of the Manor and imagining a brand new life for herself. I actually do believe that a wealthy dude who’s able to land any babe in the universe would fall for her. However, her performance lacks teeth when she decides to stand up against the powers to be in order to defend the manor’s maids. Ironically, when she literally does have teeth in the last act of the film, she absolutely and gloriously kicks butt.
Few of the other performances are noteworthy, even though I did greatly enjoy some of the characters. Sean Pertwee plays the “Dude You Really Hope Gets It at the End” role impeccably well.
FILM GEEK STUFF: B-
Much of the movie is too dark. A lot of the dialogue is mumbled and difficult to hear. Understanding what we’re seeing and hearing would have only helped the narrative.
The spa scene’s editing is a highlight of the film. Evie is invited by two “friends” for a swim and a manicure. Three things happen in this scene. One, Viktoria (Mr. Robot’s Stephanie Corneliussen) goes all mean-girl on Evie. Two, Evie talks smack right back, delighting Viktoria. And three, a slew of razor edged instruments attack fingernails - clicking , snipping, snapping , scraping. The camera ping pongs back and forth between those three things as they repeat, bouncing faster and faster as the insults increase and the plucking blades quicken. The rapid fire cuts cause the tension to sizzle and bubble to massive heights, forging an unforgettable scene.
DINNER PARTIES (Elective Class): B+
Very little blood was spilled, but that is not to say my family holiday dinners growing up were violence-free. For whatever reason, my family saw my introversion as a bad thing and wanted to change me. Their innocuous inquiries sliced like daggers. “What did you do at school? … Have you been to the local amusement park yet? … Are you excited to get a job next summer? … Why won’t you just look your Aunt Sally in the eye when you’re talking?” Introverts around the world dread the horrors of family holiday dinners.
Evie endures a meal where people viciously attempt to change who she is, too. My tribulations as an introverted white teenager don’t compare to being pulled into a 1%ers//living dead world domination conspiracy. They also can’t compare to other groups of people in real life who are constantly being asked by society to behave like someone they’re not. How often do we ask people of color to act in ways that reflect the dominant white culture? (answer: A LOT) How often do we ask LGBTQIA+ to deny who they are? (answer: VERY OFTEN) What about people with disabilities or people who practice a religion outside of Christianity? Imagine if we made room for everyone to come to the table (both real and metaphorical tables) as they are and allowed them to be accepted for who they are? Maybe that type of dinner party happens in your house. I hope so. I also hope you go out and create those kinds of spaces at your tables for others.
I should probably also mention here that The Invitation’s dinner party scene goes hard. It rattles you. It crawls inside you. It’s awesome.
FINAL COMMENTS:
I never expect roller coasters to change my life. I don’t expect to sit down in the car, tug the protective bar to my chest, fly through the air, and walk away with the tiniest bit of greater understanding of the cosmos. I’m just there for a few moments of fun.
That’s the attitude I recommend walking into The Invitation with. It alludes to social justice issues but never spends enough time or explores them in any necessary depth to make those bits meaningful. I applaud the effort, but come for the fun. You won’t be disappointed.