Review of The Invitation (2016) by Rameshwar I — 09 Apr 2016

A tense slow building atmospheric thriller ably supported by a relatively unknown cast but misses the impact climax it so needed.

Will (Logan Marshall-Green) gets an invitation from his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) regarding a reunion comprising of her current husband David (Michiel Huisman) and a few of their common friends. He overcomes his anxiety in returning to his previous house where he had a very traumatic past and brings his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) along. His paranoia returns after witnessing an unusual sequence of events and behavior especially from some additional friends whom Eden and David invite separately.

Will sets up the atmosphere with a silent demeanor but with a rage building inside which is ready to explode anytime. He has a feeling that something is not right about this reunion but his every doubt is countered with a clever interruption or a coincidence. When David and Eden show everyone a video of a religious cult practicing a process where its members meet their departed loved ones, things are not the same.

A wafer thin storyline set in a single house requires a strong screenplay and interesting moments to keep the audience engaged - dealt with successfully. There are a few disappointing elements, one of them is its wrong billing as horror genre, its a suspense thriller and a drama at most. And the next is a dud of a climax - very predictable, poorly executed and doesn't pack a shock or impact element it so needed. Its a good effort for a low budget psychological thriller but there are other superior efforts that can easily shadow this.

Better movies of a similar genre out there - watch 'Coherence' for a much better experience.