Director: Karyn Kusama

Writer/s: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi (written by)

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, and more.

Requested Review from Kelly Sinagra!

The Intro:

The Netflix horror genre is mostly riddled with films that are badly reviewed. It is not a shock to be attracted to a thumbnail picture because it looks interesting then only see the rating with two stars or less. It happens all too often, maybe every time. That is why you must watch movies for yourself and form your own opinion, and that is why my friend Kelly requested this one for me to check out because she genuinely enjoyed this movie and wanted to see if Mr. Oberrated would too. So is this just another typical Netflix horror to pick out of the litter or is this truly a hidden gem? Let’s begin.

IMDB Summary:

When Will and his girlfriend Kira (Logan Marshall-Green and Emayatzy Corinealdi) get invited to Will’s ex-wife and her current husband’s house for a get-together, Will is skeptical from the get-go that the invitation and event is odd as is. Once the event begins, it becomes questionable whether Will’s skepticism is actually true or if he simply is being mentally haunted by his past involving his ex-wife, Eden (Tammy Blanchard).

The Oberrating:

Ladies and gentleman, the gem was found. ‘The Invitation’ was a pleasant shock upon finishing my viewing of the film. From the start, the film does a great job of using mystery to its advantage. If you go into this film blind and not knowing what to expect (which might I add, is the best way to approach any film at all), you will remain unknowing of what is coming next, scene after scene. To compliment the sense of mystery, one of my favorite things films can do is make the “good guy” seem like they may actually be the bad guy or at least the one with questionable motives. So now as you all read this; does that mean the lead is the bad guy or good guy? I guess you will have to watch for yourself. 😉Overall, this film is simply an hour and forty minutes of tense mystery. But once the climax hits, all hell breaks loose.

Now, however, ‘The Invitation’ was not all praise and positive criticisms. Two major things affected my overall satisfaction of the film. 1. There are plot holes/ points that throw common sense out the window and also are unexplained. It could just be the detailed eye that I have or common knowledge but regardless, I was not a fan of these points. 2. The characters beyond Will, Eden, and David are extremely undeveloped and borderline pointless besides just being there.

The Wrap-Up:

So another requested review at your service! “The Invitation” is one of those possibly half decent horror/thriller films in the vast land of the Netflix horror genre. Although two things affected my full satisfaction of the film, they were not too heavy to drop the rating too low. Definitely worth a Netflix view if you are searching for something to watch and enjoy the genre!

Rating: 2.5/5

References:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400463/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast