Netflix Pick – The Invitation
This week’s Netflix Pick was almost cast aside twenty minutes in. That isn’t really a selling point, but the fact that the film did eventually grab me and kept me going to not only see it through but to make it my recommendation for the week should speak loudly. A very tense thriller that is far more than it seems at first glance, The Invitation is creepy and jarring. It’ll keep you guessing and delves deeper into the protagonist than you would’ve expected.
The synopsis for The Invitation is quite simple. A man, Will (Logan Marshall-Green), and his new girlfriend, Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi), accept a dinner party invitation from Will’s ex-wife. The ex-wife in question, Eden (Tammy Blanchard) is a completely different person from when her and Will split two years previous. The dinner party guests feel forced and awkward. Will is completely unable to get comfortable, and not just because he’s back in the house he once shared with this woman while his new girlfriend looks on. As the uncomfortable vibes resonate throughout the party Will begins to feel more and more that something sinister is lurking behind the scenes.
Delving further into the plot would mean toeing the line of spoilers. That’s not somewhere a review/recommendation should go. I can admit that in the beginning I found a movie with a simple concept I had a hard time believing. As good as Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, and John Carroll Lynch are, many of the secondary actors are wooden. These things aside, stick with the film. As the plot turns, thickens, and then turns again the payoff becomes apparent and the strength of the script comes, just a little delayed.
The Invitation is one of the few thrillers where full on explanations actually help the plot. That isn’t to say that movies with plot gaps and holes are better, quite the opposite. In movies that lean closer to horror having tidy explanations for all the scary going-ons almost dilutes them. It dilutes them by taking the fear out of the viewer’s imagination. While The Invitation never quite jumps to fear, it is certainly unsettling and has an uncomfortable tone throughout. Diving into Will’s past doesn’t take any of the tension out of the film. It ups the story, makes you care, lets you see where he’s sitting. The explanation on the protagonist’s past also does a great job of giving you insight on the antagonist. The explanation even explains why a man would show up to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife at all!
A true independent movie gave the Director and Writers 100% control of the project. As an arthouse film this is great news, with some of the stiff performances and pacing issues it had, a studio producer may have come in handy. The film ultimately turns out to be great, but it could have pulled more than its 230k gross with some more polishing.
Another aspect that may have helped the film, and would have gone a long way to backing some of the stiffer performances from the cast, would be a soundtrack. With almost no music at all throughout the film the scenes of straight dialogue and banter fall flat.
Not without a few flaws, this week’s Netflix Pick is ultimately enjoyable. The plot turns out to be spectacular and the climax of the film will pull you out of your couch and have you waiting for the conclusion. A film so independent without a major studio backing it means they aren’t building a franchise or concerned about the ‘norm’ of storytelling. The Invitation has a feeling all along that the protagonist may not be correct, and may not even win. The final shot of the film is pure genius. If you still aren’t convinced about the plot then give the movie a chance just so more independent movies have their shot at being featured on Netflix.
