With the success of this year’s The Invisible Man, it looks like the Universal Monsters are on their way back into our lives. Not long after The Invisible Man’s rave reviews, news came out that a new take on the iconic Dracula would be released in the future. Taking on the directorial role of this new Dracula is none other than Karyn Kusama.
I don’t know about you, but as soon as I heard Kusama was directing Dracula, my hype skyrocketed. Kusama has had a stellar career crafting brilliant films. And though she has made several excellent films, there is one that has always stood out to me as a special gem. While not only her major contribution thus far to the genre, The Invitation makes for a fascinating, must-see horror experience.
Big heads up before reading further. The Invitation is a film best gone into blind. I cannot stress this enough: if you have not seen it yet, go check it out on Netflix before reading further.
Otherwise, be warned that this article contains heavy spoilers.
As the film begins, we meet Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) driving to the former’s ex-wife’s house. We know little about this trip; what we do know is that an invitation was sent to the couple to come over for a get together involving friends of Will’s he has not seen in some time. Walking into the house, Will appears on edge. His friends are happy to see him though. He then sees his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard); it has been a long time since Will has seen her, and while feeling distant, he embraces her in their reunion. Up to this point, The Invitation has not given any sort of hint as to where the plot may lead. One could certainly assume that something will take place at this get together; but as to what that something even is, who knows.
That said, an interesting note of observation is Will’s psyche. Something is clearly up with him, especially given his distance towards others and the random flashbacks to a small child in Eden’s home. There’s also another flashback that shows a distraught Eden attempting to self-harm herself. But the Eden in the present time seems far removed from that mental state. She acts in a manner that is free flowing (though she does display an awkward moment of aggression).
The audience eventually learns that Will and Eden lost a son due to a freak accident. Both entered a horrid state of grieving, splitting up and going their separate ways due to the pain. Though Kusama’s film works as an excellent experience of suspense, she also makes it a powerful exploration of grief. In translating the superb detail of the script, written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, Kusama presents a narrative that pulsates with uncomfortable emotion and anxiety.
Scrutinizing the actions of Eden and her new husband David (Michiel Huisman), Will notes the odd atmosphere, such as the bars on the windows and how David locks the front door. On top of this, David has invited two other individuals to join the party; there is the jittery Sadie (Lindsay Burdge), as well as the uncomfortably quiet Pruitt (John Carroll Lynch). Among the friend group that has known each other for so long, the two feel completely out of place. While Will is picking up on these weird details, so too is the audience. The interesting catch, however, is how Kusama toys with perception and atmosphere.
Kusama provides brilliant moments that exude unease (whether it’s through what is taking place at the get together or offering a look into Will’s head). There is a kitchen scene early on where we see Will guzzling down a glass of water (reflecting on that flashback of Eden harming herself). The scene is intense in its physical action, the score fueling the moment’s hostility. We jump back and forth from the flashback to Will staring off into space. Then the score cuts out, and we get a shot of soft lips in Will’s ear calling his name. We then cut to Eden standing behind Will, Kusama bringing us out of the flashback so suddenly that it unnerves us. This is the type of tension The Invitation uses to get under the audience’s skin. Subtle details accumulate to convey a sense that there is something not right with this picture. Then, in a moment that comes across so casually, we find out that Sadie, Pruitt, David, and Eden are in a cult. That cult happens to be called “The Invitation.”
The cult masks itself as a hippie community that strives to let go of matters such as grief. David shows the group a video about the cult (mind you, he doesn’t call it that), with said video showing the death of a woman. This video, along with some awkward pushing from David, begins to disturb some of the guests. That said, they eventually move on and enjoy their night.
Cults tend to operate in a manner that brainwashes folks to join their collective. They may try to sell the appeal of finding peace and love, but they also tend to target individuals suffering great pain (an example being those who may be grieving). It doesn’t take much to recognize that Will is still hurting from the loss of his son; Eden, on the other hand, seems to have almost removed herself from emotion surrounding her child’s death.
Once their cult background is revealed, Will becomes warier of David, Pruitt, Eden and Sadie. As the night progresses, he begins to pick up on more weird vibes, eventually lashing out at David. Will’s distress plays an important role throughout The Invitation; for while there are the little oddities taking place around him, he too is acting odd. Multiple times he brings it up to various friends how something does not feel right about the gathering. His friends acknowledge the awkwardness he must be feeling seeing his ex-wife, but they brush off his concerns (stating that he needs to chill and enjoy the time). Eden even makes it a point to bring up Will’s distance to Kira, mentioning that he can be self-destructive.
Through this scene, as well as the small moments with Will and his friends, Kusama sets up multiple points of interest for the audience to consider. Though there is plenty that feels off with Eden, David, and their random guests, is there something also wrong with Will? To add to Will’s discomfort, Kusama establishes several tropes from the beginning, such as there being no cell service, the landline being out of order, and a potentially missing friend. These details work to heighten both Will and the audience’s concerns as to what is going on. At the same time, however, there is also a sense that these details may be coincidental.
For the most part, it is only Will perceiving the strangeness of the get together. Everyone else is having a great time. Kusama has a way of playing with dual atmospheres. She’s able to guide us from a moment simmering with unease, to friends joking and laughing. This contrast makes for a significant element as to what allows The Invitation to mess with the viewer, because it also messes with Will’s perception of things. For those viewers familiar with the types of tropes the film employs, one can’t help but acknowledge how screwy they make the situation. Are they coincidental? Or is Will being overly paranoid?
A few times throughout the film, it is brought up how one of the friends has not shown up to the get together yet. After some time has passed, his suspicions already on high, Will comes across a voicemail from the friend saying he was at the house earlier. Will aggressively confronts David and Eden, asking them where the friend is and calling out all the creepiness that has been going on. As he berates them, the doorbell rings and the friend shows up.
Feeling guilty for how he has acted, Will takes a moment to enter the bedroom of his late son. He then sneaks into a nearby study where he finds and watches a videotape with the cult’s leader (conveying a vague and bizarre message). Returning to the friend group, everyone is given a glass of wine to partake in a cheer. During this sequence, Will begins smashing the glasses out of everyone’s hands, with only one friend having drank from her glass.
Will once again confronts David, with Sadie attacking the former and Will shoving her into a nearby piece of furniture. As she is bleeding from her head, the audience is led to believe that Will is once again overreacting; that is, until we see that the friend who drank the wine is dead. In the end, the audience sees that their and Will’s worries were warranted. The community Eden and David belong to is that of a death cult.
Leading all the way to its final scene, Kusama masterfully presents a brilliant film that messes with the viewer’s mind. Her directorial skills and command over the script allow for a narrative that rides to a constant rhythm of tension. Her ability to pull the rug out from under us and provide an atmosphere of tremendous unease is nothing short of incredible.
The Invitation is an amazing gem of horror cinema – one that absolutely deserves to be watched and respected. It’s an awesome testament to Karyn Kusama’s filmmaking artistry.
And I am beyond excited to see her vision of Dracula.
