Draft House

It seems there have been a lot of horror films involving dinner parties that have gone wrong.  You’re Next may be the best example to take on this idea, and I have to admit to being a fan of the film. It was a fun hipster horror film that kept the story moving forward and delivered more than a fair share of violence and gore.  Then there was last year’s creepy gem The Gift, a film that captured the horror of the past coming back to haunt you.  When it comes to The Invitation, it’s a film that seems like a hodgepodge of both You’re Next and The Gift, but also a handful of other films.  It’s a film that feels so familiar, but as you watch it manages to avoid many of the stereotypical film tropes viewers have grown used to over the years.  The trouble is, although it may lift material from several horror films, I have a hard time considering this a horror film or even a thriller; instead at times I feel this is an execution of tedium that teases horror but never quite delivers.

The film starts off ominous enough with Will (Logan Marshall-Green) accidently hitting a coyote while on his way to a dinner party.  It’s a sad and semi-violent scene; you may be thinking that perhaps this is a red herring for what is to come, or as the filmmakers would have you believe that it’s a simple glimpse into Will’s life.  Instead I found the scene bothersome, simply because I don’t believe this character would continue on, to go to a party he doesn’t want to be at, when there is already so much emotional baggage awaiting him.