3 out of 5

Directed by: Karyn Kusama

Points for honesty?

‘The Invitation’ works if you evaluate it from a perspective of it not trying to fool you.  This is similar to how I think Jennifer Lynch’s Surveillance should be viewed (although that’s a far superior movie by my opinion) – that approaching it from the point of view that the movie is a twist movie makes the eventual rug-pull a bit let down because it’s exactly what you think it is.  We’re so conditioned for this last-minute turnaround that we tend to go looking for it even when the film doesn’t merit such a search, resulting in our calling foul when we’re not blown away by whatever ending.

Unfortunately, it is apparent that director Kusama and her screenwriters are out to surprise us, since they go the whole double-bluff route with the plot, and pretty much spend 3/4ths of the film building up our sense of something being off.  And if you weren’t already expecting what happened to happen and you’re reading my review before viewing, well, you’ll probably know now.  (Spoiler for those with basic deductive skills?)

Fortunately, there are many positives which keep The Invitation afloat for its runtime.  First and foremost, the movie’s core isn’t solely propped up by its darts at dodges; our focus is on Will (Logan Marshall-Green), invited to a dinner party by his ex-wife and new hubby (Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman), visibly troubled by events that led to that “ex-” and whatever may have occurred between then and now.  This is the key for building up suspense as the evening – which as also a gathering of old friends – wears on and odd behaviors by their hosts begin to stack up: Will has well-handled flashbacks to happier times, or less-happier times, downing glass after glass of water while the party ebbs and flows around him with liquor and laughs and occasional drugs.  He’s quiet, he’s off, and we know it’s only a matter of time before he erupts emotionally.  This component of the movie is as interesting as the building dread; the manner by which his ex has ‘recovered’ from their past is satisfying dramatic fodder even without the added layer of ‘thriller.’  Which is why, as mentioned, the movie works even if you know where it’s going.  It even manages to survive that double-bluff, because of how it plays into Will’s inner turmoil.

The sound design is also excellent, with interesting edits layering music or dialogue over other scenes, and Kusama has a very patient approach to the project and a slick manner of transitioning (there’s a moment where we’re watching footage on a laptop and the way it finally slinks into the POV of the footage itself is seamless) that makes sure the pot can keep bubbling for the majority of the runtime.  All the same, the denoument doesn’t exactly bring the emotional circle to a close (or even push it anywhere new), leaving those stronger elements of the film floating in exchange for a more abrasive ending.  It also inevitably opens up a lot of Why? type questions that the film sort of tries to blanket with a “Because it takes place in LA” shrug.

The Invitation, overall, is a strong film, saved by making sure to stand on a strong central character and backstory.  It doesn’t really end up doing much with that, but it successfully entertains while you’re watching.