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The Invitation (2022, Blu-ray, Netflix Rental) Review

The Invitation (2022, Blu-ray, Netflix Rental) Review
« on: March 11, 2023, 02:03:49 PM »

This movie starts with an intriguing setup:  Our heroine has recently lost her mother; she’s the last of her family.  This prompts her to take a DNA test on her birthday, the results of which lead her on a whirlwind gothic horror/romance/adventure.

Nathalie Emmanuel stars as Evie Jackson, struggling New York artist working catering jobs to help support her true passion.  Those DNA results connect her with a lost part of her family’s heritage, and a generous invitation is extended for her to attend an extravagant wedding.  That straight-forward setup takes an unexpected turn about half way through the movie, although astute aficionados of the genre should pick up on some early clues. 

Set in an old English castle, the movie contains all the tropes you’d expect:  Dark hallways, locked rooms, creaky doors, creepy basements, lurking shapes obscured by shadow, occasional jump scares, and devious plans.  Some of these parts work better than others, and they did a terrific job with the estimated $10M budget on the production side.  The set design and cinematography fit the movie perfectly, and the musical score and ambient sound effects are surprisingly effective for yet another meager 5.1 mix.

This isn’t a bad movie, but it could have been better with another couple of passes on the script.  While the pacing is fine, it’s lacking in a sense of dread and danger.  The tone is light in spots, which undercuts the horror elements it’s trying to set up.  Added to that, there are a number of messages that the moviemakers want to hammer the audience with, to the point where some of the dialog crosses the line into eye-rolling territory.  (This clunky advocacy is quickly confirmed by watching the extras.)

I’m going to rate this one as the definition of average.  If you’re looking for a slightly different take on a horror movie that resides on the tame end of the gore scale, it might be worth a rental, but this is not one of the best examples of the genre.  And that’s a shame, because the premise held more promise than it could deliver.

A bit of trivia for follow nerds:  The movie was written by Blair Butler, formerly part of G4 where she worked on X-Play and also covered the comic book scene for Attack of the Show.

Scott
My Room:  26’-1” X 17’-4” X 10’
Equipment:  Monolith HTP-1 feeding X7 and X9 amps, JVC RS3100, Elite Screens 135"", JBL Studio 590 for L, C, R, W, R, 580s for sides and four SCS8 for tops, JTR Captivator 1400 x 4, Panny DP-UB420K, Toshiba HD-A35. Nvidia Shield, Sonos Connect, MX-780 remote

See Youthman's actual tour of my room here: https://youtu.be/PHEaG2xKVhg

Re: The Invitation (2022, Blu-ray, Netflix Rental) Review
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2023, 12:24:15 PM »
Scott,

Did you get my PM?

David
Blu-ray Reviewer / Technical Writer
Sound & Vision Magazine

Re: The Invitation (2022, Blu-ray, Netflix Rental) Review
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2023, 01:51:53 PM »
Scott,

Did you get my PM?

David
Yes, reply sent.  Thank you.
My Room:  26’-1” X 17’-4” X 10’
Equipment:  Monolith HTP-1 feeding X7 and X9 amps, JVC RS3100, Elite Screens 135"", JBL Studio 590 for L, C, R, W, R, 580s for sides and four SCS8 for tops, JTR Captivator 1400 x 4, Panny DP-UB420K, Toshiba HD-A35. Nvidia Shield, Sonos Connect, MX-780 remote

See Youthman's actual tour of my room here: https://youtu.be/PHEaG2xKVhg

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