Answering the invitation sent by his ex-wife, Eden (Tammy Blanchard), and her new husband, David (Michiel Huisman), boyfriend-girlfriend, Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) meet the couple and their old friends.
But Will starts to grow suspicious when the couple, and two unknown guests, start to share their new found ideas of expelling pain with the group.
Haunted by the memories of his dead son with Eden, Will begins to confront Eden for dismissing this tragic happening. The event quickly spiraled out of control. It even got worse after Will found out that the couple wants to poison them as part of their idea of peace through death.
"The Invitation" is commendable for not being a lazy film, despite its simple premise. For one, it really has a compelling message to tell about grief and depression and the importance of pain in our lives.
It builds tension from the beginning until the end. It was able to maintain that tension throughout the film by brilliantly using uncanny sounds to set the atmosphere. The main actors and actresses also did a great job of playing strange and cynical characters, which makes the movie both scary and interesting.
One reason that viewers tolerate a slow-burn movie is the payoff. But gambling on payoffs can make or break the movie. Unfortunately, "The Invitation" provides no spectacular outcome in the end. For sure, director Karyn Kusama can do better.
I also noticed that the peculiar visitors are placeholders in the movie. It feels like the characters are underutilized and are just "in-there" for decoration.
"The Invitation" has a number of brilliant moments, and the subtle symbolism and foreshadowing are all brilliant. However, it fails to truly put the cherry on top.
2/5
