The Invitation is a 2022 American horror thriller film directed by Jessica M. Thompson and written by Blair Butler. It stars Nathalie Emmanuel as Evie, an aspiring artist in New York City who takes a DNA test after her mother dies.
The test reveals a long-lost cousin named Oliver (Hugh Skinner) living in England, who invites Evie to a lavish wedding being held at the estate of his friend Walter DeVille (Thomas Doherty).
However, Evie soon discovers that Walter and his aristocratic family are actually a coven of vampires with sinister plans. What follows is a fight for survival as Evie tries to escape the estate and uncover dark secrets about her own family history.
1. Who Were Evie’s Ancestors?
The film opens in the past showing Evie’s ancestor, Emmaline Alexander, confined in an English manor before hanging herself to escape a terrible fate. In present-day New York, Evie is struggling as an artist and caterer after her mother recently died.
2. What Happens After Evie Takes DNA Test?
Out of loneliness, she takes a DNA test and connects with newly discovered cousin Oliver in England. Despite hesitations, she agrees to attend an upcoming wedding at Oliver’s friend Walter DeVille’s countryside estate. Upon arriving, Evie is charmed by the handsome Walter and witnesses strange behavior from the manor staff.
3. Was Walter a Vampire?
She also sees apparitions of Emmaline warning her of danger. As signs point to the estate hiding dark secrets, Evie befriends fellow guest Viktoria, who oddly sucks blood from Evie’s finger when she gets a cut. At a rehearsal dinner, Walter shocks Evie by announcing their engagement. The next evening at a dinner party, Walter, his friends, and Oliver reveal themselves as vampires. They slit a maid’s throat and drink her blood, confirming Evie was lured there to become Walter’s eternal vampire bride.
4. Was Evie Able To Escape?
With help from head maid Mrs. Swift, Evie tries escaping but is caught and returned to the manor due to a pact between Walter and nearby villagers Jonathan and Mina Harker.
In the climax, Evie is wed to Walter in front of the vampire families. However, she turns the tables by drinking Walter’s blood during the ceremony, giving her vampire powers. She sets Walter and the estate on fire.
Evie then battles Walter’s two vampire brides, Lucy and Viktoria. Lucy sacrifices herself to kill Viktoria. Finally, Evie defeats Walter by kicking him into the fire. With Walter dead, Evie returns to being human as her vampire traits disappear.
The ending shows Evie and her friend Grace hunting down Oliver, implying Evie is seeking revenge on the family for what they put her through. They set out to expose the Harkers for supporting Walter’s vampire cult.
5. Is it Based on a Novel?
The film is inspired by Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, specifically the character of Dracula’s brides. It received mixed reviews from critics – praise for Emmanuel’s performance but criticism for the generic plot and horror elements. Regardless, the $10 million budgeted film was a box office success, grossing over $38 million.
6. Is ‘The Invitation’ Worth Watching?
The Invitation has received mixed to negative reviews, earning mediocre scores between 2-3 out of 5 stars from most critics.
Overall, reviews for The Invitation are mixed to negative. The film has a 43% critics score and a 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 49 out of 100 based on 22 critics.
On the positive side, lead actress Nathalie Emmanuel and co-star Thomas Doherty give strong performances, and the film has some entertaining moments for fans of vampire lore. However, most reviews conclude that The Invitation is a lackluster gothic horror/thriller that squanders its premise.
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Plot of The Invitation is seen as too predictable by many, with twists that most viewers will anticipate. Additionally, the tone shifts jarringly to camp horror in the third act. Critics felt the film fails to fully deliver on its themes related to race, class and gender. Other common criticisms include slow pacing in places, half-baked attempts at social commentary, visuals that are too dark, and an ending that falls flat.
