The Invitation (2015)

Director: Karyn Kusama

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michiel Huisman

A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions.

Wow, this was great! Mainly thanks to Logan Marshall-Green’s incredibly good acting. He shows so much emotion with his acting that you actually share his feelings and emotions. The man is fantastic!! He gives so much life and credibility to protagonist Will, who can’t come to terms with the loss of his son. He blew me away in this film!! I first took note of Logan in the excellent 2018 film ‘Upgrade’, and after seeing ‘The Invitation’ I want to see everything he has done!

Back to ‘The Invitation’, this was an interesting mystery drama thriller. The film is not only eerie and mysterious but also very emotional as we learn through back flashes and conversation what happened between Will (Logan) and his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) who, together with her new lover, invited a bunch of friends for a lavish dinner. From the onset it is clear something is very wrong at this dinner party.

Although the film is entirely set in a house, it never becomes claustrophobic. It became insanely nerve wrecking, though, as Will became more and more suspicious of the hosts’ friendly gesture. This was a very different kind of creepy film that literally got under my skin. It was unnerving, to say the least, and I wanted the protagonist couple to leave the house with every passing minute. I actually couldn’t wait for the film to end – not because it wasn’t good. Oh, no, quite the opposite: because it WAS so good! But my nerves couldn’t handle the mystery and suspense and I couldn’t wait to see how it was going to play out. And yes, the ending delivered! The climax was great and the very ending was one of those “oh f*ck!!* moments! It was awesome!

‘The Invitation’ won Best Screenplay, and received further nominations for Best Limited Release Film, Best Actor (Logan, off course), Best Supporting Actor, Best Horror, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Feature Film, Best Motion Picture.