Review of The Invitation (2016) by Stephen F — 16 May 2016

The Invitation is a chilling, independent thriller about a man who attends a dinner party at his ex-wife's home whom he, nor any of their friends, have heard from in over two years and it is immediately apparent to our protagonist, Will, that something is off, yet no one seems to support his theory.

This film truly blew my socks off and the white-knuckle intensity was almost unbearable at times as we, the audience, can clearly see something is amiss, but due to, Will's troubled past, the others have difficulty taking him seriously.

The script does a brilliant job at twisting scenarios in favour of the hosts (his ex-wife and her new husband, David) and leaving, Will, feeling desperate and as if he's losing his mind. It is already troubling for him being in his former home and dealing with a tragic past with his ex, and this no-win scenario sets him off at the most in-opportune times.

The cast is well-rounded with both likable and intriguing players, the biggest names this film has to offer is character actor, John Carol Lynch, and Logan Marshall-Green in the lead, but everyone does a great job! The first 2/3 of the film is easily the best part with nail-biting tension and uncertainty, but once the cat is out of the bag in the final act, it does descend a bit into a cliched horror film.

Then the ending happens which won me back in spades and I audibly gasped at the lingering final shot which was a DOOZY! This is a truly great indie thriller/horror film that deserves as much attention as it can get, and I was riveted throughout, despite a somewhat slow-burn!