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The Invitation - A Movie Review

'The Invitation' builds on riveting tension.

By Marielle SabbagPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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I have a bad feeling about this house party tonight.

The Invitation invited guests to the theater is 2015. Reluctantly accepting his ex-wife’s invitation to a dinner party, the atmosphere is unsettling the moment Will walks through the door. The evening does not get any better once secrets are revealing creating tension.

I had no idea what to expect when I decided to watch The Invitation. For most of the film, I was on the edge of my seat, curious to see what would happen. Slow, the film builds on riveting tension throughout its entirety. It invokes terror in parties.

My favorite aspect in any film is characterization. Each member of the cast displayed a contrasting relationship. Genuine to this type of story. Though I have gone back and forth over whether each character was given enough depth. We didn’t focus on a majority of the members of the party.

Logan Marshall-Green was stupendous. I was impressed by his magnetic countenance. Marshall-Green was not afraid to express his vulnerability. Will has been through a lot. Will and Eden have varying opinions regarding grief. Unlike Eden, he has expressed grief a lot differently than she has.

The first time I saw Tammy Blanchard was in Tallulah. I was not overly fond of her performance. I am glad that I gave Blanchard another chance. Blanchard challenges herself in complex roles. Her performance was both chilling and deep at the same time. Blanchard and Marshall-Green did the best job in their interactions.

Each member of the cast got a chance to stand out. John Carroll Lynch delivered an impressive monologue connecting to this dark character.

As I mentioned, I feel like the rest of the members of the party didn’t get enough attention. Some of the characters felt unnecessary and could have been cut. For example, we hardly get to know Kira, Will’s girlfriend. She is there mainly to comfort Will when needed.

Camera angles were well-achieved to deliver the subtle nuances of horror. Focusing on items of value or tracking someone’s every movement, filmmakers excelled. The music is another focal point of the film to emit a nightmarish quality to what seems to be a fun evening.

Subtly is mastered. We don’t have to know everything. The Invitation takes its time to let the story evolve to make us feel as uneasy as possible. I felt like I was a member of this party. We find out backstories through conversations.

I know most people may not like this film because of the slow build. It is done on purpose. Honestly, it is refreshing. Most films tend to drive the story too fast to the point where you can’t keep up with what is going on. Prepare yourself for an incredibly tense ending.

There is also a quiet atmosphere to it. This quiet atmosphere makes you uneasy because it’s supposed to be a party after all. Parties are meant to be fun. Any loud noise made me jump.

Karyn Kusama focused highly on the eerie atmosphere, camera angles, as well as character direction. Kusama embraced the ominous tone of the film. However, I feel like the story was not evolved enough. We could have had minimal characters because most of them have no development or purpose in the story.

The ending is an on-edge climax that will make your heart pound. I was not fond of the twist. It felt random. And it ruined the quality of the atmosphere.

Some viewers may find this film unsettling due to the subject matter. I recommend that you find The Invitation and watch it on Netflix.

movie review
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About the Creator

Marielle Sabbag

Writing has been my passion since I was 11 years old. I love creating stories from fiction, poetry, fanfiction. I enjoy writing movie reviews. I would love to become a creative writing teacher and leave the world inspiring minds.

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