In the mood for a modern-day gothic vampire film? If so, The Invitation is waiting for you. This horror thriller is directed by Jessica M. Thompson (The Light of the Moon), and cowritten by Blair Butler. It stars Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Thomas Doherty (Descendants 2, Descendants 3), Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. Robot), Hugh Skinner (Mamma Mia!), and Alana Boden (Flowers in the Attic: The Origin).
Evie (Emmanuel) is a ceramic artist who works at a catering company as a waitress. Having just lost her mother, she is distraught and craves familial bonds. When the opportunity presents itself, she takes a DNA test and sends it to a genealogy company who presents her with a surprising result: a British cousin by the name of Oliver Alexander (Skinner). He invites her to a wedding in the English countryside and, after reluctantly agreeing, she is soon swept off her feet by the handsome and charming Walter DeVille (Doherty). But not everything is as it seems in this idyllic and sprawling estate.
The DNA/genealogy concept is a unique take on the vampire genre, which brings an antiquated "monster" into a more modern era. It is also refreshing to see a gothic vampire movie on the big screen again, as The Invitation bases itself more on Bram Stoker's Dracula than Twilight.
The actors have wonderful chemistry and do a fantastic job. All of the characters are believable. The main characters appear to be fleshed out in a convincing and interesting way, though more backstory on Viktoria (Corneliussen) and Lucy (Boden) would have been welcome. Emmanuel does an amazing job as she carries the movie with grace and wit. The charismatic Doherty is also perfectly cast as the charming and mysterious host, Walter.
Gothic stories as a genre hold most of their tension in their setting: usually a mansion, manor, or an English estate (which The Invitation has in spades). The setting is used in that respect, but it could have been utilized more.
While the trailer to The Invitation is intriguing, it has another unintentional effect: it ruins some of the tension in the movie. Since viewers are able to see how some of the scenes play out (sometimes in their entirety), the tension in those scenes are completely gone while watching the movie. When both the lead-up and the payoff are released in the trailer, it takes that anxiety away from the moviegoing experience, especially in a horror-thriller.
One of the scenes where this doesn't occur is during the manicure scene when Evie is getting her nails done. Not only does the director depict some great character-building tension between the characters (which isn't shown in the trailer), but there is added physical tension from knowing what will occur (since that is shown in the trailer).
The score for the movie sometimes sticks out in an overdramatic and cheesy way. But when it sticks the landing, the music does a great job adding to the cinematic experience. However, in certain scenes the compositions swell and feels over the top.
The beautiful scenery and sprawling DeVille estate is a sight to behold on the big screen. The fight scenes are well choreographed and the acting superb. Vampire fans will be delighted in their interesting take on vampire lore. There were a few missed opportunities and plot holes but overall, The Invitation is an interesting and erotic vampire thriller.