Rent The Invitation (2015)

Compelling and stylish - The Invitation review by NP

Initially, this film reminded me of a modern version of 1932’s ‘The Old Dark House’, in which a group of strangers meet up and navigate their way through an awkward evening, where every word and sentiment is laced with some cryptic double-meaning, before events take on a more horrific note.

Here, we meet Will (Logan Marshall-Green), someone so determinedly uncomfortable, it seems there aren’t enough egg-shells in the room to walk on around him. When we (and his outstandingly loyal girlfriend Kira, played by Emayatzy Corinealdi ) meet his group of friends (and his ex-wife Eden, played by Tammy Blanchard) who have organized the reunion in which the story takes place, we feel he has every reason to be so tense.

As is often the case, I enjoyed the ‘journey’ more than the ‘destination’. The finale I found too vague, although the open-ended nature of events is scary. My score for this compelling and stylish production is 7 out of 10.

Would you Pass the Poison Please? - The Invitation review by griggs

We’ve all been to gatherings we’d rather have skipped—but few end like this. The Invitation begins as an awkward reunion between exes, laced with grief, weird cultish vibes, and too much wine. The tension bubbles nicely, though the first two acts feel like things we’ve seen before: polite discomfort, cryptic guests, one character clocking that something’s off. But it’s the final stretch that sets it apart—not original exactly, but unsettling in its execution. The performances are solid, and the slow-burn paranoia works well enough. Just don’t expect a revelation—more a well-plated slice of genre déjà vu.