This review is about the movie The Invitation which is new blood for the vampire genre
There is a mild spoiler warning for this review since it discusses a few plot points that are also addressed in the film’s trailer.
There has been a fascination with vampires for hundreds of years among audiences. With Nosferatu celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, The Invitation is just the latest in a long line of stories about the undead, but this time, with a feminist twist to give it a more modern edge.
There is a good chance that in the year 2022 you or someone you know will have taken part in a mail-away DNA test kit to discover your ancestry, and health traits, or perhaps you will find out you have long-lost wealthy relatives living in a mansion in the English countryside.
There is a movie called The Invitation in which the orphaned Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) discovers that she belongs to the same family tree as a branch of the British aristocracy.
It is with great pleasure that Evie is whisked away to England to attend a family wedding in order to invite some new blood into their manor.
Review Of The Invitation: A New Blood For The Vampire Genre
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There is no doubt that her newfound family in their gothic mansion seems to be a little odd to her. It is only after she is wined and dined, and made to feel like the center of attention, that Evie forgets her worries, including the fact that she has yet to meet the bride-to-be.
It was at this point that she was introduced to her non-relative Walter De Ville-ha, get it? It’s the devil! She has more than a few surprises up her sleeve when she is enticed by this handsome and mysterious suitor who has a few surprises up his sleeve to surprise her.
There is a sense of foreboding as the pre-wedding celebrations ramp up, as Evie discovers she is going to become a vampire bride in this homage to all things Dracula, thus securing the family’s bloodline.
In The Invitation, a rare feminist entry into the vampire canon, the script is co-written by Jessica M. Thompson and Blair Butler, and it is directed by Jessica M. Thompson.
Despite the fact that the audience knows all too well what will happen long before Evie does, it makes for an entertaining watch as she is seduced by Walter (Thomas Doherty) and his lady gang, Viktoria and Lucy (Stephanie Corneliussen and Alana Boden).
Taking place in theaters on August 26, The Invitation isn’t exactly a movie that reinvents the genre. Still, it certainly gives Evie more agency than what is typical since it is directed by and written by a woman.
There is no denying that she is not a mere bumbling victim of the sexy vamp, but that she is someone who will not go down without a fight.
It is important to note that the casting of Game Of Thrones star Emmanuel adds even more layers of isolation and “otherness” to this vampire story as a woman of color.
I am sure that in similar films, it is usually the men who seduce the women, but in this film, Viktoria and Lucy are just as seductive to Evie, even if they might not have her best interests at heart.
It is evident that these women haven’t had much choice in their lives and, as a result, they are both punitive and supportive of Evie’s freedom, despite the fact that they have had very little choice in their lives. There is no coincidence in this film when it comes to the power of women.
As a result of complaints from male test audiences about the title, the original title of the film was changed to The Bride.
It is ironic, isn’t it? It is still all about the bride, despite its new title reflecting the idea that a vampire must be invited into a home before being allowed entry.
Emmanuel plays an important role in the success of the film, he convincingly conveys Evie’s thirst for the excess that is in front of her in the film.
With the help of a well-written, pointed script, Evie is shown to be a woman who is intelligent and has something to say and do.
As a character in the book, she is more than just a victim of the vampire clan- she is a character you want to root for.
There is a refreshing change of pace within the genre offered by Emmanuel when the story takes an unexpected turn in the second half of the film, a move which he again makes successful.
This film is a luscious gothic horror that doesn’t ask you to take it too seriously with several tongue-in-cheek moments, countless Easter eggs, and nods to vampiric lore (one of the characters’ names is Harker). I think this is a great end-of-summer watch with plenty to keep you busy.
You can watch this film on a double bill with Ready Or Not if you want to experience the ultimate bridal horror.