The Invitation

Critics Consensus

The Invitation makes brilliant use of its tension-rich premise to deliver a uniquely effective -- and surprisingly clever -- slow-building thriller.

88%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 104

69%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 13,647

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Movie Info

In this taut psychological thriller by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer's Body), the tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green, Prometheus) shows up to his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard, Into the Woods) and new husband, David's (Michiel Huisman, "Game of Thrones") dinner party. The pair's tragic past haunts an equally spooky present: Amid Eden's suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda. Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will-and the audience-are unsure what threats are real or imagined.
  • Rating:
    NR
  • Genre:
    Mystery & Suspense
  • Directed By:
    Karyn Kusama
  • Written By:
    Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $231,703
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Drafthouse Films

Cast

Michiel Huisman
as David
Logan Marshall-Green
as Will
John Carroll Lynch
as Pruitt
Tammy Blanchard
as Eden
Emayatzy E. Corinealdi
as Kira
Lindsay Burdge
as Sadie
Mike Doyle
as Tommy
Michelle Krusiec
as Gina
Jordi Vilasuso
as Miguel
Marieh Delfino
as Claire
Jay Larson
as Ben
Aiden Lovekamp
as Ty
Toby Huss
as Dr. Joseph
Danielle Camastra
as Annie
Patricia Gates
as Follower
Karl Yune
as Choi
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Critic Reviews for The Invitation

All Critics (104) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (92) | Rotten (12)

  • If you were at a creepy dinner party, and the hosts decided to show a video of their vacation in which they spent time with a crazy cult leader in Mexico, would you stick around for the main course?

    May 19, 2016 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Rene Rodriguez

    Miami Herald
    Top Critic

  • Psychological thrillers just don't get any better than this.

    April 21, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Calvin Wilson

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Top Critic

  • Beautifully paced, the movie traces a steady arc from amiability to apocalypse.

    April 21, 2016 | Full Review…

    J. R. Jones

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • John Carroll Lynch shares credit with a superb ensemble, but it's his halcyon turn as a pitiable demon that unifies the action.

    April 21, 2016 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Scott Marks

    San Diego Reader
    Top Critic

  • All this foreboding produces no suspense: It's evident from the bloody prologue where "The Invitation" is headed.

    April 21, 2016 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…

    Mark Jenkins

    Washington Post
    Top Critic

  • Will is the proxy through which we experience the increasingly confounding web of suspicion and surprises that are obfuscated by social niceties and facades of politesse.

    April 15, 2016 | Full Review…

    Katie Walsh

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (104)

Audience Reviews for The Invitation

  • Feb 25, 2018
    Something about this style of story telling is very unsettling, it feels a bit of from the start. Makes you think about all the times you felt awkward or out of place, you feel the constant character tension. The end is as surprising as it is gruesome, it is almost like you saw it coming the whole time.
    Super Reviewer
  • Dec 15, 2017
    Interesting idea. Drags out a little long, but decent Netflix watch.
    Nicki M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 30, 2017
    The tension and paranoia of this indie film are almost unbearable, the finale is probably the weakest part of the film. The low budget never got in the way of the story and the one setting location is brilliant. The final 20 minutes comes and goes but it weakens all the hard work that the lead up created. I think the paranoia was enough and the pay off was to service audiences who expected the violent pay off. I thought the film was strong enough to try a another angle but it unfortunately leans towards the slasher. The actors were fantastic and the slow burning plot rewarded the audience with intelligent writing, just a shame that final shot was left in the film. I think that final twist was way too much and overly commercial, why leave the film with the view there is more connected to the cult? The film could've been more and it does a lot right but lost me in the finale 20 minutes. 30-07-2017.
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Dec 28, 2016
    An Invitation to a slow-paced film and a weak plot that fails in originality, despite creating an uncomfortable atmosphere. - Andrew Huynh
    Andrew H Super Reviewer
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