A Pg-13 Horror Movie That Was Far Better Than I Expected

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Invitation
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Genre: Horror, Thriller
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 44m
Director(s): Jessica M. Thompson
Writer(s): Blair Butler, Jessica M. Thompson
Cast: Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen, Alana Boden, Sean Pertwee, Hugh Skinner, Virág Bárány, Courtney Taylor
Where To Watch: In theaters now

Not quite what I was expecting but considering it was PG-13, I was genuinely impressed. They could’ve gone R-rated and had a much more powerful film in the end. However, they still ended with an excellent film with hints of CRIMSON PEAK or other modern gothic horror films. I saw another review mention that it felt like GET OUT and READY OR NOT, with which I could easily see the connection.

I do have to say that, unfortunately, it was another film that the trailer gave away far too much for my liking. While there were still surprises and twists, the main storyline could almost entirely be seen in the trailer. I understand the desire to draw people in, but I wish there was more of an art to editing them.

Honestly, I was shocked by the level of violence, and blood in this; being PG-13, I assumed there would be very little, if any. It pushed the boundary of what I thought would be acceptable. I was happy that the rating board was more relaxed than I thought. The last PG-13 horror I saw was underwhelming, to say the least.

My only real issue was that I felt like the entire story became a little too “easy” towards the end. It felt like they spent a long time crafting the world and then wrapped it all up in 15-20 minutes. I would’ve liked to see more of the inner workings of the world we see onscreen. I won’t spoil anything, but you’ll immediately know what I mean if you watch the film.

Another fun aspect was one of the twists towards the end of the film, connecting it to a much larger world. I’m glad that there is so much pop culture in the public domain to pull from and build on in moments like this. While I don’t see it happening, I could see this easily becoming a franchise. Sadly though, I feel like a specific group will take issue with the film (just as they took issue with the original title being THE BRIDE.)

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