The Invitation [Review]

Loss is one of the most important parts of life. It’s almost never a positive thing when it happens, but it can lead a person down a path of enlightenment like few other experiences can. And while we all deal with it in various ways – loss is the one thing that we all have in common. We have all lost something or someone near and dear to our hearts, but how did you deal with it? Did you let depression and anger ferment inside of you? Did you grieve and surround yourself with the company of others? Did you ignore it completely? There’s no right or wrong answer, and we’re all typically certain that we’re doing the right thing. The Invitation takes that thought – mixes it with a full serving of mystery, paranoia, and resentment – then serves it up as a film that earns and deserves every minute of your attention throughout its multitude of twists and turns.

The film revolves around Will. He and his ex-wife Eden were once a loving couple, but after a tragedy took their son, Eden disappeared. Two years later, out of the blue, she returns with a new husband… and as an entirely different person. Eager to reunite with her ex and those she left behind, Eden invites them all over for an impromptu dinner party, but something isn’t right. Will is gripped by mounting evidence that Eden and her new friends have a mysterious and terrifying agenda. But can we trust Will’s hold on reality? Is he the unwitting catalyst of the doom he senses, or has the loss he suffered altered his perception of reality past the point of return?

That’s the ever-present balancing act of The Invitation. You’re never quite sure if the unease that Will is feeling is justified or simply a bi-product of being back in an environment that is ripe with such painful and harmful memories. As a viewer, you can almost see both sides of the coin at all times. Sure, things feel eerie and unsettling, but your view is colored through the mind of Will – who seems increasingly unstable as the film progresses. You can practically taste the tension in the air – and it’s wonderful. Couple that with an incredibly fitting musical composition, all-star performances by (almost) all involved, and a final act that absolutely lives up to the aforementioned atmosphere that was crafted with such expertise – and you have yourself a winner. I feel as if I attended this dinner party as a fly on the wall, and that’s perhaps the strongest compliment you can give to a film like this.

Also–perhaps it’s a coincidence (which is doubtful), but it does seem like the production team went above and beyond to assemble as diverse a cast as possible. That’s not a bad thing, but having Asian-American, African-American, Caucasian, Homosexual, Heterosexual, Single, Married, and potentially separated guests all around the same dinner table seems a bit too contrived not to be intentional. That said, it gives you a lot of different looks as a viewer, and it positions The Invitation as an incredibly progressive genre film–which is something that we should all appreciate.

The Invitation is mysterious without being confusing, it’s stylish without being pretentious, and it’s terrifying without being “scary”. This is Director Karyn Kusama‘s 3rd genre film now, and it is her finest work to date. I can’t wait to see where she goes from here.

The Invitation is available in select theaters and VOD platforms on April 8th.