The Invitation is a horror movie without the horror. This is another case of a good-looking movie that features a cast going through the motions. It’s an exercise in total lunacy. The only victims are those sitting in the audience.
Nathalie Emmanuel from the Fast and Furious movies stars as Evie, a young woman who takes a DNA test after her mother’s death leaves her with no other family. She discovers that she has a cousin in England (Hugh Skinner) and the two meet face to face. He convinces her to come to England and meet the rest of the family.
Evie’s initially reluctant but goes anyway and once the rest of the family meets her, they treat her like a queen. One man in particular (Thomas Doherty) becomes immediately smitten with her. She’s at once repelled and attracted.
Evie also gets to meet the staff of the house where her family lives. Downton Abbey this is not. Sean Pertwee costars as the head butler who has some peculiar proclivities.
While staying at the house, Evie soon becomes aware of some supernatural occurrences. Some in the household have a bloodlust. Ten points if you can guess their secret.
The Invitation is supposedly inspired by Dracula, but it contains no bite, unlike Bram Stoker’s vampiric antagonist. Instead, the movie makes us take its premise and give us a movie free of scares or surprises. We can sense every time when someone is going to peek out and give a jump scare.
This movie is filled with nonexistent scares, a story flatlines with silly moments and performances that feel as dead as the vampires on screen.
There are moments of unintentional comedy when the family sits down to dinner and gobbles it with hilarious urgency.
If you’re looking for instant camp, this might work well. If you’re looking for a creepy, supernatural thriller, look elsewhere.
The Invitation can RSVP as one of the year’s worst films.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for terror, violent content, some strong language, sexual content and partial nudity.)
