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‘The Invitation’ is a horror movie from director Jessica M. Thompson which stars Nathalie Emmanuel as a young woman who finds herself invited to a lavish wedding in the English countryside by a long-lost cousin, only to be thrust into a nightmare when she discovers her bloodthirsty hosts have ulterior motives.
‘The Invitation’ is a horror movie from director Jessica M. Thompson which stars Nathalie Emmanuel as a young woman who finds herself invited to a lavish wedding in the English countryside by a long-lost cousin, only to be thrust into a nightmare when she discovers her bloodthirsty hosts have ulterior motives.
My brother is the family genealogist. He keeps us up-to-date on little-known branches of the family tree. And by urging our DNA testing, he’s unrooted some parts of the tree best chopped up and stacked away.
Same thing happens in “The Invitation,” a new horror movie that’s currently showing in theaters.
This Gothic tale was originally titled “The Bride,” but maybe that gave too much of the plot away. The previews certainly do.
The story begins when Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) sends off a DNA test only to discover she has an unknown second cousin, Oliver L. Alexander III (Hugh Skinner), whom her friend proclaims is “the whitest white guy I’ve ever seen.”
What’s more, Oliver wants to meet her and introduce her to his side of the family, and even sends her an airline ticket to a reunion in the English countryside.
“So Jane Austin,” she demurs. But he insists.
Actually, it’s more than a reunion, it’s a wedding. But where’s the bride?
Yes, “The Invitation” is designed to scare you. It’s kinda like “Get Out” meets “Eyes Wide Shut.”
Nathalie Emmanuel is an English actress, known for her role as Missandel in TV’s “Game of Thrones” (2011) and Ramsey in “Furious 7” (2015). Her father was of St. Lucian and British descent; her mother from the Dominican Republic. She offers the exotic blend of, say, Jennifer Beals (who also starred in a horror movie called “The Bride”).
If “The Invitation” seems familiar, you may be conflating it with a 2016 film of the same name, a horror flick that Roger Ebert described as “a dinner-party-from-hell scenario best served as unspoiled as possible. After all, a psychological thriller built upon slow-simmering tension is only as good as its surprises.”
He could have been writing about this spooky new movie (with genders switched for originality).
Rotten Tomatoes sums it up: “She’s at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the unsettling intentions behind their sinful generosity.”
The weekend’s host (Thomas Doherty) sweeps her off her feet, drinks a fresh, warm toast in her honor, then announces the wedding plans.
As the trailer says, “You are cordially invited to a nightmare.”
Shirrel Rhoades is a former executive with Marvel Entertainment, a writer, publisher, professor and filmmaker. He is from North Carolina and lives in Florida. Contact him at srhoades@aol.com.
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