The Invitation: Evie is a struggling New York ceramicist, unable to survive on an artist's income she caters at events as she tries to finish her MFA. At one event she gets a goodie bag with a free DNA Test. The results show that she has English relatives who are well off. A cousin pays for her to come to England to attend a family reunion in Whitby where they are all attending the wedding of their aristocratic acquaintance and patron, Walter DeVille. If we hadn't been forewarned by the prequel we would still reckon there was something creepy about DeVilles stately manor, given the paintings and sculptures, the way the internal gloom counterpoised the gleaming stone exterior. A creepy butler appears to play a part in the disappearance of waitresses hired to cater for the wedding. Wonder eerie cobweb encrusted wine cellars and a dark library room provide the perfect locations for attacks where we can't quite make out the assailant. As the narrative unfolds the nature of the attacker becomes clearer and the horror scenes are more explicit, Some gore is spilled but more is saved. While yiu might guess as to what's going on from an early stage I'll refrain from spoilers here. The mansion itself is virtually a character as are it's environs with some vivid overhead shots of dancing. Not really original but it does try a new angle on an old trope, a romance as well as a horror story, it's well worth a viewing. Directed by Jessica M. Thompson, written by Blair Butler. 7/10.
Review of The Invitation
