The Invitation

"There is nothing to be afraid of."

2016 1h 40m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🔥

90%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 2,974🍅90%Rotten Tomatoes●74Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 131,693

ThrillerHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Will and his new girlfriend Kira are invited to a dinner with old friends at the house of Will’s ex Eden and her new partner David. Although the evening appears to be relaxed, Will soon gets a creeping suspicion that their charming host David is up to something.

“There is nothing to be afraid of.”

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Cast

Logan Marshall-Green
Will
Tammy Blanchard
Eden
Emayatzy Corinealdi
Kira
Michiel Huisman
David
John Carroll Lynch
Pruitt
Lindsay Burdge
Sadie
Mike Doyle
Tommy
Jay Larson
Ben

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Karyn Kusama
Writers: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 35% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Karyn Kusama, shot by Bobby Shore. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Theodore Shapiro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Plummy Tucker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard and Emayatzy Corinealdi carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "There is nothing to be afraid of.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Karyn Kusama directs. Bobby Shore behind the camera. Theodore Shapiro scores. Plummy Tucker cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 35% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 10 years ago.
4Directed by Karyn Kusama, shot by Bobby Shore. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Theodore Shapiro. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Plummy Tucker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard and Emayatzy Corinealdi carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "There is nothing to be afraid of.".
9IMDB entry: tt2400463 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "suicide", "husband wife relationship", "paranoia", "lantern".
11Released under 16 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Bobby Shore
Original score: Theodore Shapiro
Editing: Plummy Tucker
Production design: Almitra Corey
Costume design: Alysia Raycraft
Makeup / hair: Paula Scarpino
VFX supervisor: Greg M. Silverman
Sound: Phillip Blackford
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,000,000
Box office: $354,835
Return: 35% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Invitation (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 74/100
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 131,693 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

4 wins & 15 nominations total

Sitges Film Festival Best Feature-Length Film award

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Karyn Kusama

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

teix2016-07-24
★ 9/10
This film was a very nice surprise for me. I didn't know much about the plot, which helped. Right from the start you are increasingly presented with atmospheric stimuli that help to increase the overall tension for the story. The photography and the sounds and the acting might seem off putting for some, but for me it all worked well together. You start to get what is going on and to think you know what is going to happen, and they make you doubt yourself... Very intense film that kept me very entertained and I highly recommend.
Reno2016-10-24
★ 6/10
Think carefully before attending your ex's party invite! My first impression was, not another 'The Perfect Host'. And it is not, but the same category. This is a comeback film for the director after the average 'Jennifer's Body' that released half a decade ago. Some people liked it, but for me it was an average film, because I've seen the better one. Still, I appreciate the effort, like handling the narration. You know these days viewers are bit clever, they begin to predict from the early stage, so this story quite interestingly upheld the suspense. Till the final act it keeps developing, not the story or the characters wisely, but the event where the plot evolves. A at a same time it leaves behind some clues about what might come later. That part is very confusing, I did not know what to believe and what not. Because I don't want to be a fool when twist happens. This was a lot dramatised and when the crucial event comes into play, the pace increased. The first 80 per cent of the film was what I enjoyed, but the twist ruined my party and then the final scene was so smart. The best way to conclude for such a thriller. There are none tense moments, except in the final segment, but the curiosity of the event's states gets higher like particularly everybody is waiting for the twist to come. That's where some people would be disappointed. If you are not expecting too much, you would enjoy the remaining part as well. There's nothing to praise about the actors, all were just good. The script should have been a bit smarter in some parts. For one time watch it will do fine, that's what I favour. 6/10
The Movie Diorama2020-01-16
★ 8/10
The Invitation incites audiences to attend the most anxiety-inducing dinner party ever. Grief. The melancholic turmoil of loss. A catalyst for unwanted prominent personality alterations that change the very fabric of who we are. Each individual experiences sorrow and subsists through a variety of different methods. Some forgive and forget. Others harness the inability to progress, experiencing a stumbling block of anguish as they continually inflict psychological suffering upon themselves. It is irrefutably the most difficult emotion to overcome, and can overwhelm the strongest of personalities. Kusama’s thrilling episode of ‘Come Dine With Me’ gradually explores the weight of life itself, simply by allowing a group of long-time friends the chance to discuss such a topic. Yet, what enables Kusama’s slow-burn thriller to elevate itself into the top echelon of effective profoundness, is its simplicity. There are no extravagant plot devices. No sublimely utilised twists. And certainly no misplaced character conveniences. By equipping grief and depression as a manifestation of the narrative, Kusama was able to demonstrate her incredibly astute direction through natural plausibilities. Will, portrayed accurately and captivatingly by Marshall-Green, exhumed indications of paranoia. A heightened consequence of his raging anguish. Constantly questioning the actions of other characters, such as locked doors, barred windows and unknown guests, he assumes the role of the audience’s perception. We, as the viewer, examine and query each character reveal and emotional complexity simultaneously to Will’s interrogative persona. He, essentially, is us. Instantly allowing viewers to relate to him in this unusual circumstance. Something is not right with this dinner party. He feels it. We feel it. But his instincts are muted by the other guests, naturally due to his heightened state of sorrow, in order to maintain a civilised appearance. That, right there, is the representation of depression. Forced to hide what we really are enduring, with despondent thoughts circling our synapses. It’s abundantly intelligent on Kusama’s part, who elevated the screenplay to the stratosphere of uneasy, anxiety-inducing storytelling. With the assistance of Shore’s cinematography, constantly blurring the outskirts and backgrounds of frames to enhance personable abandonment and solitude, Kusama hosted one of the most engaging dinner parties I’ve ever attended. Inviting a naturally diverse cast of actors, ranging from different ethnicities to sexual orientation, who inhibit their own character qualities. An array of components culminating in a third act that switches from first gear to a gear with incalculable speeds. The wine was served, my heart rate increased. I required a towel, I was sweating that much from anxiety. Ignoring the last minute of the feature, which was an eye-rolling moment to say the least, a slow-burn thriller such as this utilises a substantial amount of foreshadowing as its narrative device. Unfortunately, it is inescapable. However, Hay and Manfredi do their utmost best to keep the conversation flowing during times of prognostication. Shapiro’s score is also worth mentioning for its sharp string-based chords that increase the chance of sweaty palms. The Invitation, from the offset, is an incredibly simple thriller. Games are played, wine is served and a few arguments are bound to occur. However, if you cut through Kusama’s simplistic exterior, you’ll find an extraordinarily intelligent dinner party that evokes a powerful emotional connection. Just, y’know, think twice before accepting an invitation...