The Invitation. (2022) Quick Review.

A struggling thirtysomething New Yorker. ( Natalie Emmanuel) discovers she has a connection to a prestigious English bloodline and goes over for one of her new family’s weddings In this pathetically low-effort slice of Gothic horror. This viewer wanted to write this review because here we have a prime example of a film that may not seem that bad on the surface. Critically it offers absolutely nothing new to the conversation. It may not be an obvious worst-of-the-year contender like Deep Water or The Bubble. It’s still relevant that every single idea here has been done before and better previously. It’s the filmic equivalent of one of the snacks That may functionally cure one’s appetite but offers no nutrition whatsoever. It will instantly be forgotten once It has been passed out to an unsuspecting public. The cast may be filled out with recognisable TV actors but they can’t elevate the most painfully derivative mainstream script one is likely to see all year. Desperate to convince the audience it has seen a Jordan Peele film Without any of the humour or spectacle That makes Peele’s work effective both within and outside its genre. The narrative takes far too long to get to one of the most painfully obvious third-act reveals possible for this type of film. If audience members don’t get The species and clasic genre text our central character has unexpectedly been inveigled in within 10 minutes of our heroine arriving at the central manor house they frankly aren’t trying hard enough. Things could be mildly redeemable If there was some level of spectacle or genuine visceral payoff to this brain-dead excuse for genre leftovers. Unfortunately, Sony/Screen Gems have edited this down to a US PG-13 ( despite The UK 15 certificate.) All the tropes of bad PG13 jumpscare horror are present and correct. How inherently lacking in any kind of merit the film is perhaps best encapsulated by an epilogue that teases a major comeuppance-focused action sequence before cutting away to credits before the events have even taken place. Farted out in the worst way possible.
The Invitation is a functionally worthless addition to the. Already a massively over-saturated gothic horror genre. It has been chopped to ribbons to secure US PG-13 rating. Everything here has been done before and better with very little on offer. Easily one of the worst of the year. Not because it does anything especially egregious but because it is the firm equivalent of reheated slop that Sony and scream Gems believe they can sell on to an unsuspecting genre public who will take anything there offered theatrically in the current climate. Even they deserve better than this.
1/10