Wednesday, November 1, 2017

NETFLIX AND KILL: THE INVITATION (2016) *


Logan Marshall-Green goes to a party at his ex-wife's house with his new girlfriend in tow.  If that already wasn’t awkward enough, the ex and her new husband tries to indoctrinate them in their newfound hippie religion.  Everyone at the party tries to be nice, but it soon becomes apparent that this hippie-dippy shit is actually a cult.  The hosts show them a recruitment video and even makes them participate in one of their group circles under the guise of a party game.  Eventually the guests have had enough and try to leave, but realize too late that they’re trapped in the house.

Too much of The Invitation feels like you're at a party where you don't know anyone.  There’s more social awkwardness here than out-and-out horror.  It also takes way too long to make its point.  You have to wait about eighty minutes for anything remotely horrific to happen, which is bad enough when you consider the film is already too long at a hundred minutes to begin with. 

Director Karyn (XX) Kusama is going for a slow burn type of deal, but she forgets to turn on the stove.  I don’t mind a slow build-up if you deliver the goods in the third act.  Sadly, the payoff here is painfully weak.  The big revelation is underwhelming and the scenes of the guests going bonkers at the end isn’t worth the wait.  Not by a long shot.

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