The Invitation (2022) Movie Review

The vampire genre is back and in a big way. After a hiatus after the successful Twilight franchise, based on the novels by author Stephanie Myer, the genre made a return in 2022 with the gothic-horror film ‘The Invitation’ from director Jessica M. Thompson and writer Blair Butler. The film follows Evie (played by Nathalie Emmanuel), a young woman who is swept off her feet by the dashing and charming De Ville (played by Thomas Doherty), only to find a gothic conspiracy afoot. With a great cast, talented filmmaker behind the camera and an intriguing, albeit familiar plot, I was very excited to see how ‘The Invitation’ would turn out. So how was ‘The Invitation’?

‘The Invitation’ was a great vampire flick, with fantastic performances and suitably eerie atmosphere to accompany these. The gothic setting has been one sorely missed on the big screen for a number of years. Del Toro attempted to bring it back with his acclaimed film ‘Crimson Peak’ in 2015, but sadly the film whilst garnering positive attention from critics, sadly didn’t catch on with audiences, only grossing $74 million off a reported $60 million budget (not inclusive of advertisement costs). Director Jessica M. Thompson, utilises the location well, providing audiences with a great castle setting, mixed with a creepy atmosphere and tone, that is rarely seen in a big-budget, studio horror film. I admire the attention to detail that was paid when making the film.

The performances here are amazing as well, with Nathalie Emmanuel asserting herself as one of the best young actresses working in Hollywood. After her turn as fan favourite, Missandei on ‘Game of Thrones’, many people, myself included, were intrigued as to what she would do next. Since Game of Thrones, she has flexed her action muscles, with roles in ‘Fast and Furious 9’, ‘Army of Thieves’ and ‘Unsinkable’, her comedy chops in ‘Holly Slept Over’ and a recurring role in Kevin Hart’s show ‘Die Hart’. Now she’s moved into the horror genre, with a convincing performance as Evie in ‘The Invitation’. She acts as an audience surrogate here, as we go along with her through this thrill ride. She does a great job of giving the audience an insight to this world, whilst also conveying a wide array of emotions. She’s fantastic here and I hope she does more in the horror genre.

The film also does a great job of setting up tension. The setting itself is already quite creepy, but the film utilises the premise and its characters to create a truly terrifying situation for our main character Evie, whilst also providing the audience with enough backstory, to almost sympathise with villainous characters. Whilst we are never truly on their side, we can understand their motivations and why Evie has found herself in this predicament. It is well written and well-directed horror. As I mentioned, the film does play off tropes and plot devices we have seen in the genre many times before, however, subverts them just enough that the film feels fresh, innovative and somewhat new. It’s a testament to director Jessica M. Thompson, who obviously has a love and thorough understanding of the horror genre. I hope she does more in this space.

‘The Invitation’ was a solid horror film. Whilst it won’t convert the unconverted, it will definitely provide scares for horror fans and also appease the vampire lovers out there as well. Jessica M. Thompson asserts herself as an emerging talent behind the camera, and Nathalie Emmanuel continues to shine as a leading woman. Definitely check this one out if you're a horror fan. ‘The Invitation’ arrives on DVD and Blu-ray November 9, be sure to head to your local Sanity or online, to secure your copy. You won’t want to miss this one especially with an extended cut with over 10 minutes of additional footage, making its way exclusively to physical media.

Buy The Invitation Movie here!

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here