The Invitation (2022) Movie Review | ROMANCE OR HORROR?

[@PossessedbyHorror]

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[@gabrielcastaneda9700]

During the pandemic studios decided that instead of keeping movies in theatres for 90 days then moving them to streaming. And now they give it 45 days in cinemas, then move it to VOD

[@KholzReadz]

The director said that there is gonna get an r rated edit for DVD and I'm like... why not just make it rated r to begin with?

[@DerekRabanal]

To reach a wider audience

[@davidnaja]

Yeah, but that could just mean throwing a few more "F" words in the movie.

[@zaldigr863]

Making money. A lot of horror movies used to do this, mark it down/cut it down for a PG-13 rating so it could make more money in the box office then they release an R-rated version. It wasn't up until recently where being an r-rated movie became a selling point in of itself that studios let go of the PG-13 shtick.

[@atinyevil1383]

Sometimes it's because the studio wants to push it to a certain audience (in this case, I think it's teen girls), but the director's original intention was that the film is for adults. I don't know if that's what's happening here, but it's a possibility.

[@shadowofthenamelessking]

Because PG13 movies make more money. For obvious reasons.

[@baabk123]

It was giving CW show with a cinematic budget

[@moonlightprincess449]

The main guy was on CW show legacies lol

[@yennefer440]

@@moonlightprincess449 yeah he basically played the same character in this movie lol

[@dan5072]

I hate how we all know it’s about vampires because of their trailers… That was supposed to be the twist!

[@hypnotikerotix]

I think they shouldn’t have marketed it as horror. This was vampire romance fanfic for sure. Which was exactly what I wanted 😂

[@blackheartbooks]

I was surprised with how much I loved it but I was really there for the vampires. I do wish it was more bloody and the Dracula connection was pointless. It’s something we’ve seen over and over again.

[@87jcksn]

The manicure scene gave me anxiety....

[@Keykatriz]

I have seen the trailer for this movie so many times this summer and yet every single time I saw "The Invitation" listed I went "oo, what's that? Oh...nevermind" Yeah it looked like an incredibly worse version of Ready or Not and the trailer seemed to give absolutely everything away, but none of what they gave away was interesting so....

[@AngelFish479]

There is a massive plot secret that I'm so glad the trailers didn't spoil

[@oliversedgwick7236]

I was also interested until I saw the trailer, then I wish I'd gone in blind and maybe I'd have enjoyed it more.

[@ladyfashionsoul]

Every time I saw the trailer, I was so annoyed cause it gave everything away. It was exactly what I thought it would be. Wasn’t bad. Kind of cheesy in a good way. The issue for me is the whole time I was like well I would totally become a vampire to be with that hot guy and all the wealth 😂

[@cassidymoore9052]

Exactly what I was thinking 😂

[@imari9997]

XD Except your gonna have to deal with his jealous first wife.

[@ashley.taylor174]

Yeah, but good luck sharing him with two wives, especially crazy mean Victoria.

[@SpookyandScary]

unpopular opinion but i liked it… it obviously had some silly/annoying bits but i was entertained the whole time 😭😭

[@alib7775]

Same. I kind of wish the ending would have been different. I wanted her to embrace it. I think that would have been interesting

[@ZombieALX]

I enjoyed it also. Hoping we get more than more blood and f bombs in the R rated cut

[@agenttheater5]

me too

[@agenttheater5]

The director said that was an earlier idea, that she'd stay a vampire but would still go travelling hunting down the rest of the family and other vampires, and that Walter would survive and go back to Romania on a ship like in the book, feeding on the passengers and crew to survive. But she felt that it took away from Evie's victory and could lead to a sequel and that this isn't a sequel type of a story.

[@carrie8242]

me too!

[@mehdigeek]

I love how ur eyeshadow matches ur shirt

[@rememberpickles]

I swear as soon as she said she didn't find vampires scary, I thought, "But what about Thirty Days of Night?" It was like she heard me through the screen.

[@tparkerevans7165]

I really enjoyed The Invitation. I never saw the trailers (just quick 30 sec teasers) til after I saw the movie and wow did it spoiled the entire film but I agree that it works better as a romance thriller than a horror. It felt like watching Twilight meets Ready or Not meets Get Out but would've benefited a R- rating. The two main leads were the highlights of the movie for me with their awesome chemistry and performances, the humor was great, and I love the gothic atmosphere setting and vibes. I give it a 3.5/5

[@sstephreads]

I'm gonna be 100% honest. I loved this movie. Maybe it was because I went into it completely blind, but the vampire plot line was a massive twist to me. Not knowing that Walt was a vampire was great because there was a lot of mystery about what was actually going on in that house. Plus the wedding aspect- another plot twist I didn't pick up on until way too late in the game 😅😅

[@nenita93639]

I really think that if I hadn't watched the trailer at all, I would've enjoyed it a lot more, tbh. The trailer pretty much spoiled the whole movie. Really you just end up watching to see what the main character decides to do. Personally, I would've just become a vampire. It's been a lifelong dream of mine, tbh. lol

[@88Factor]

@@nenita93639 Having unfortunately already seen the trailer, this sounds like another movie that got screwed over by marketing.

[@williecrooks3636]

I kind of liked it as well because I like happy endings

[@Moses_144]

This is just me personally the twist I saw from the beginning of the movie due them being too tropey. The main guy look so vampire like with having almost perfect looks to being overly charming. With the unknown assailant attacks happening fast and to lesser to disposable people which is also vampire trope. I personally didn't like it due to being so formulaic for my liking and mostly its only because I don't care for vampire stories. And the formulaic comment, don't get offended by it cause I am not one to talk due to my love for slasher and that's the King of formulaic. But I am glad you enjoyed it though especially if its your type.

[@sstephreads]

@@Moses_144 I think knowing so many people disliked it also had my expectations really low. Overall, I just thought it was a fun watching experience.

[@MaryRose86]

the trailer really made me not wanna even give it a try. They gave away the entire movie

[@PossessedbyHorror]

YEP THEY DID the whole thing

[@MiguelMendoza-pn1fe]

Not their first trailer! I thought it was a human hunting movie

[@MiguelMendoza-pn1fe]

@posessedbyhumor have you seen the trailer for the new interview with a vampire movie??

[@stormageddon9930]

I would say there is a twist that is not in the trailer but besides that you’re correct

[@AngelFish479]

The trailer I saw had ZERO vampire stuff in and I'm so happy because it was a great surprise in the film

[@funluxe]

I enjoyed the movie from beginning to end. My critique would be the fight scenes. I liked the alternative take of how/why Dracula identifies and takes a bride. I also enjoyed Evie and her bestie’s banter and perspective, though, it seemed Evie forgot about a lot of it once she got across the pond. I do agree that the Dracula character was more creepy than charming. But, everything else, the pacing, the backdrop, the idea of lineage versus class and race, and the buddy vibe at the end was entertaining. Overall, I’d give it a 3.8/5. Ready or Not, was amazing and gets 5/5 while Bodies, Bodies, Bodies was a nice, twisty, original take and gets a 4.2/5.

[@anac5656]

The romance IS the psychological horror!

[@jensoto8012]

The trailer gave everything away but I love vampires so I went and saw it. I basically said the same as you. I gave it not quite a solid 3 but felt it was only stream worthy.

[@amberreid1059]

I didn't hate this movie, but it was very average to me. The romance took up over half of the film, and it was SO cheesy. Honestly, though, I preferred the first half over the second. I expected this to be mediocre going in, so I wasn't at all disappointed, but I truly would LOVE for vampires to make a legitimately excellent comeback in the horror genre one day. This was not that day.

[@kylemunley]

For the longest time during the leadup to this one being released into theaters, I kept getting it confused with The Menu-just the title, mind. Sounds like The Invitation is a vampire movie without any bite and that's too bad because a muzzled vampire story isn't all that much fun. Thanks for a great review! I might-*might*-check it out when it's streaming, but I also might just opt to watch a more promising Shudder Original. Cheers!

[@cydneyking7453]

I had such high hopes for this to delve into the gothic, aesthetic, disturbing horror that you can bring to vampires. :(((((( Like, vampires are narcissistic manipulators who can tear your throat out mid sexy times, there’s some really easy ways you can make a fucked up story outta that. Here’s for hoping for the next vamp flick

[@cartercavazos2396]

I’m very glad I didn’t see the trailer before watching the movie. I think that’s the main reason why I found some enjoyment. It was predictable, but I can only imagine how predictable it would have been seeing that trailer first. My biggest criticism is the actual movie was very dark? Like visually dark? There was scenes I couldn’t even make out. I’d just hear bones cracking and think “wish I could have enjoyed that”. It almost felt like there was two different movie villains? I felt like I was confused with the characters a lot and trying to figure it who was related to who. And like the “library” didn’t make sense to me. Almost everything with the maids felt unrelated to the vampire storyline.

[@TiaraonCamera]

“Romantic Thriller” is the perfect category for this movie. There wasn’t really anything remotely horrific about it. Also should’ve been released as a straight up R-rated movie and the trailer genuinely gave everything away- there was nothing to be surprised by

[@Bookwitherin]

Didn’t enjoy this movie whatsoever, but I knew that going in! Reminded me too much of “Ready Or Not” which…I said that right when I watched the first trailer. Would’ve been nice to just see more! More vampire stuff, and the end was just cheesy. So sad ):

[@ilonkachapel5399]

I'm sorry but I preferred this over Bodies Bodies Bodies. To respond to what you said, I disagree that the characters in BBB were more relatable. They were spoiled rich 20 somethings and at least this main character was dealing with loss. Great review, though! P. S. Love the eye shadow!!

[@mattm2451]

I will say, she said felt more real which is different than necessarily relatable. I haven't seen either movie so I don't know.

[@furvismcturkthesecond]

I agree with you 💯 👍

[@charoraimondogarcia]

I love the "Ready or not level of romance" What romance? He was trying to kill her

[@PossessedbyHorror]

exactly lol but no seriously just what they show in the beginning of the movie like that level

[@onnkatm]

i am so used to ready or not that I didn't even know this movie is about vampires

[@theuntimelyhippo7232]

My gf and I just got back from seeing it… we both didn’t like it. I feel they tried too hard to throw in a theme of standing against colonialism/oppressive traditions or what not. It took me out of the movie a lot. And that final scene sucked, I hated that they ended with that

[@mrs.ericalaurenhornmason3825]

I just watched it with my husband and I love ❤️ it. Gothic and beautiful 🖤🧡🖤🧡💋🧛🏻🧛🏻‍♀️🧛🏻‍♂️🔪🔪🔪💋💋💜

[@peaceofwestphila]

There's a heat wave in my town and I went to watch this movie purely to sit in air conditioning for a couple of hours. So I was super grateful it was an hour and 40 minutes 😅

[@justinesworld5719]

Loving the makeup and the set up in this vid! Also, great review

[@jaylaamor8905]

I fell asleep and woke up an hour into the movie 😭. I went to see it in theaters too lol

[@holliegol1ghtly]

omg ur makeup in this video is so cool !

[@pinknikkij]

You could create a drinking game around how many times she said Romance😅

[@R4t10nal]

Sean Pertwee is the badass butler again

[@bethanyanderson4424]

I liked the movie. Plus I always say of critics, if you can do better make your own movie. People make movies on iPhones. Female director.

[@BennyFadyLindaa]

The PG 13 version is what’s going to be out in cinemas, but the R version is actually going to be online on the streamers. There’s more prosthetics in that one,” Thompson told Bloody Disgusting’s Meagan Navarro as part of an interview conducted ahead of the film’s release.

[@dawudj2286]

U.S. ratings . U.K. It’s a 15 rated movie . United States of America it’s PG-13.

[@ZeinaIan]

I like romance movies and the aesthetic of this movie was right up my alley. But honestly I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was a straight up gothic romance or just a horror. the mixing of the two didn't hit the mark in my opinion.

[@chubby_deity3143]

The worst movie isn't a bad movie, it's a movie that provides false hope and then lets you drop off a cliff.

[@violaivy]

I think it's a horror but a gothic horror, drawing from the tradition of gothic literature. Which is definitely different from modern horror and what people often expect from a horror film. Gothic literature is often heavier on romance or drama, many stories involve a young woman who gets married to a mysterious rich man or finds herself in an unfamiliar situation and place. Some examples: Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Carmilla, Dracula, The Turn of the Screw and more modern works like Rebecca and The Haunting of Hill House, The Bloody Chamber short story (and Angela Carter's work in general). The best film example is Crimson Peak obviously, which Guillermo del Toro said wasn't actually a horror but a gothic romance or a fairytale. I'm not going to argue with him about his film, but I think gothic horror still counts as such, it's just different. I remember many people were harsh on it for not having enough horror or being too boring or not original enough, when it's intertextual and draws on a rich literary tradition older than horror movies themselves. This doesn't make it more valid or better I just wish people didn't put down films that don't fit into a certain type of horror (or any non R rated film or teen horror). I really enjoyed the film, (I didn't watch the trailer, only seen snippets) but it seemed like a gothic story and I love those. It delivered and felt like a contemporary Hammer horror film. The visuals were also great (cinematography, sets, costumes).

[@j1430]

yeah i was so fucking confused why she said it wasn’t gothic when it had so many of the same tropes and elements???? i’ve read and watched several, and although the movie was very “modern”. the meat of the movie was the mystery, romance, and unsettlingness. like you said, gothic horror/romance is pretty different from nongothic horror. gothic literature usually uses the visuals of horror but with a focus on romance and melodrama.

[@adribby]

Yea I can’t do romance.. I don’t find it intriguing. Also what’s your early take on “don’t worry darling” I’m kind of excited.

[@amitysluzara2022]

I was thinking of watching this in cinemas next week but after this. I don't think it's my thing. I might get it on Dvd at some point or watch on streaming but I won't be in a rush to watch this movie

[@KDTheG]

Does anyone know what the Dragon statue is called that was inside of the house to the left of the staircase?

[@nightwingnoir]

I believe that this is all about preference, because I genuinely loved this movie. I agree that the clip at the ending was not great, but besides that it was good! Granted, I love romance movies, and I love vampire movies.

[@niamhwilkinson4973]

I love how your eyeshadow matches your top!!

[@stewartmiddleton4527]

Just seen this, and you're right...too much romance, not enough horror. And the trailer does give everything away 😂😂

[@kathleenshocknesse5996]

Been waiting for this review. I loved the movie. I loved the build up and it was a visually beautiful movie

[@audrie8456]

totally random, but you need to watch bullet train!! saw these two back to back, so they are associated for me, but bullet train is one of the best movies that i have seen in a while. it’s such a creative story, and is a genuinely fun watch!

[@a.houston946]

Love the thumbnail. The perfect illustration of "screaming inside"

[@PoderdoCosmos]

You're wrong about the F word. Evie says WTF (the actual words) when Victoria sucks her finger.

[@The6Eternal6Dark6Lord]

I love vampires so I was entertained but yeah it could have been better

[@allisonlee428]

Im loving ur eye shadow in this video! It looks bomb!

[@emiloubooks6708]

I feel sad today because I watched this movie last night and it was so meh. I waited agggess to see it and was so excited☹ There were some scenes I did enjoy but what really annoyed me was the end scene of her leaving the house. It was exactly the same as Ready or Not. One of my favourite movies. Not cool guys!

[@frankiew.4101]

Coming back to your review after finally seeing the movie (on Netflix) :) Happy I didn't spend any money on it and was able to fold laundry as I watched.

[@charlesxcx]

please review resurrection! i’d love to hear your thoughts on it

[@PossessedbyHorror]

it will be in my monthly recap this month! but I loved it 👀

[@charlesxcx]

@@PossessedbyHorror yayy! I’m so glad you did. Can’t wait for the monthly recap

[@Samhain1212]

I remember being at the theater watching it and when the big twist happened 1 it was very obvious what it was going to be without a doubt in my mind, but they also gave the twist away in the trailer so going into it I thought it was going to be an even bigger twist but when it didn’t happen I was so upset. There were 2 “Vampire” scenes sprinkled in the movie and the rest was romance until the last 30 minutes. Also hated the ending. The fact that you could have watched the trailer and claim you saw the movie and wouldn’t have missed a beat is the problem 😭

[@cassieclover99]

I agree with everything about this movie. It all came off as trying way too hard. I don't mind a little romance in horror but everything about this romance just felt OFF, weird, and cringy. I think I could have liked this movie more with some differences in characterisation. Honestly, I have to say, I think the scene that brought me the most excitement was when I saw the main character wearing an Outlander shirt😂 And omg, learning that your a Big Brother fan...all I have to say is Happy Kyle Eviction Day!!

[@madeofmeats]

I had a bad feeling about this movie from the trailer alone but I didn’t want to voice that openly because a lot of my coworkers really wanted to see it (I work at a movie theater). Tbh I didn’t realize it was a vampire thing until my manager mentioned it, which I’m really not a vampire person, so it made it even more whatever for me. Probably won’t watch this one, looking forward to Pearl and Don’t Worry Darling tho

[@marcyanne8910]

I have not seen a scary vampire movie at all and so I looked it up. And the 30 days of night does not compare to some images I found. Maybe that's a new video!! You could compare actually scary vampire movies, maybe do other mythical creatures too.

[@jesspsi9859]

using the vampirism as an allegory for the rich exploiting the poor, and the almost irony of it being precisely because of evies background (being cast out of the family originally) being the reason she had the strength and morals to end it all, won me over. I love a little tidy metaphor in these genres even if we have seen this sort of thing before. And it added to the romance side too as she was initially romanced by this rich guy (the idea of riches) until she realised it involved feeding off of the serving class.

[@dia5040]

I actually loved it, yeah it could’ve had more gore but It was okay. Also It was shot in Hungary so it’s not really an English countryside I just thought I’d say it (I’m from Hungary lol) but I agree I also hated the very end scene. Also there is an unrated version and It’s more gorey

[@sharairomo1994]

where the other people human ??? because they drink wine and not blood ... and when she ran to ask for help alll the people in town where vampires ??? can somebody explain

[@silverwolf6384]

So it sounds like a dark romance maybe?

[@michasmentions]

It's always a shame when a movie is rated PG-13 when the entire vibe should've been rated R. It's one of my top issues with Black Christmas (2019) because it was edited down to the point it's just confusing. Sometimes, a movie just has to be R. Doing PG-13 is fine when you're intending it to be PG-13 from the start. Please, stop editing down R rated movies. Additionally, STOP showing me the entire movie in the trailer! I have the same issue with Don't Worry Darling because I feel like it told me everything in the trailers.

[@richgranados11]

Technically, it wasn’t bad. Some of those costumes were stylish, sexy and badass. The atmosphere was tangible. A very old fashioned castlevania vibe to it. But as to whether this is a romance or horror, let’s just say the main Megan Markle looking lady had an outlander shirt on so that should give you a clue for the type of HBO/Starz horny tone they were looking for. It wasn’t a good movie at all but the production quality was better than most cheap horrors

[@maevemaiden]

That Megan Markle chick is Missandei from Game of Thrones lol. She is so much prettier than MM, imo.

[@sareegeevee]

I hate how much I liked it. It had me cringing in my seat because I don’t like romance and I think that the reaction I had to the cringe was my favorite part.

[@lindsaylobotomy4355]

I saw it today. I didn't dislike it but I had higher hopes. That last scene was lame though. When I was walking out, I heard someone say "I don't know if that's the worst movie I've ever seen or the second worst movie I've ever seen" 😬

[@william3onfire]

For me the romance worked; so rated higher. The ending was too predictable.

[@mutedmayday]

I really liked it. Wish there were more special effects makeup for the vampires.

[@kaitlynmarie2640]

My issue was the trailer showed EVERYTHING. Someone said it was like watching the trailer in slow mo. I feel like I would have liked it more if I didn’t see the trailer

[@scottchristy]

did you like Bodies any better seeing it a second time?

[@PossessedbyHorror]

YES it’s so rewatchable

[@scottchristy]

@@PossessedbyHorror cool :)

[@danelis8252]

I really didn’t care for the main character. I thought she was annoying

[@jasminekt5204]

don’t think i’ll go and see this in theaters.. seemed like a let down honestly i was hoping it would be good

[@Andreea140294]

Can you review La Abuela? its a Spanish horror movie I think its really good.

[@mattball7362]

I went into this film blind. No trailer etc. I quite enjoyed it! I thought the ending was a bit tame, BUT yeah, the rest of it is great if you want a gothic film. Deffo not the scariest, but entertaining.

[@Skapapapow]

I went to the theatre not knowing anything and I’m so glad I did! It was super cheesy and my sister and I were laughing pretty hard at times but the dinner scene was definitely a shock lmao. Overall an entertaining experience

[@Teatime7771]

The tone was trying to mimic Get Out.

[@mcmakelove369]

I actually really liked this movie 😭

[@MiguelMendoza-pn1fe]

Have you seen the trailer for the new interview with a Vampire movie yet?

[@noviamoore]

Hi . Im new to your page and was wondering if you’ve ever seen The Dark and The Wicked ? I’ve noticed you’ve never reviewed it ☺️. It’s on Shudder and is a good watch

[@jockey7069]

Would've been better if it was filmed in the same place as Ready Or Not But it's a very simple rating. If you loved RON, you will like this one even with the cringy parts and this 11:53 same, i was kinda making the picture and was ok with the possible ending that was ''definitely not obvious'', but turns out it can be even worse than expected :/

[@RichieReviews01]

In fact they were shooting in Budapest Hungary.

[@Desaki65]

Romance or Horror? I thought CAMP. Which, as soon as my brain went there, I enjoyed. 🤣

[@ClassicsTv]

That of this movie 🍿🎥 is it is like watching "The Curse and Ready To Not" meet and now 1) Movie come be shorter 2) They made it to obvious about it 3) Do like it enough I would watch again later 4) Do wish they be more vague cause it is obvious the minute the maids were getting killed. 5) Do like her friend kind of funny and so like that final girl is black so that's cool and do like setting and cinematography is nice. I give a B 👍🏼👍🏼 3.5 Stars

[@ferilovelyy]

ahhhh so excited for this review!!

[@signycullen4376]

It was just a very lackluster film. And I felt like everything moved too quickly at the end :(

[@mistress_mercury]

I've seen enough reviews to know that I'm saving my money at the cinema but I might watch at home

[@chimiko13]

I love romance and thriller and I did not watch the trailer for it (luckily!!) so it was a good ride for me :) i would have loved to seen some depth to the characters tho and their relationships

[@danielsweet858]

Finally got to see it yesterday. Thought there were some genuinely spooky scenes & the acting so good I didn't mess a ton of gore. Interesting beginning to the Halloween horror movie onslaught we are heading into.🙂

[@alrethianscraftsbattles]

Thank you for the review. I was on the fence about this one, i don't think i'll watch it in the theater but i am interested in a R rated version. Love the Ripley T-Shirt btw 👍

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

This movie was about as romantic as an Uzbekistan Wedding.

[@djsynthia694]

I am obsessed with vampires. Love them more than any other "monster" and I 100 % agree with you about this film. Pretty much had the same thoughts as you. Nothing special about this film at all. Utter disappointment. Ready or Not did this premise a lot better.

[@bostonbakedbeaniebaby]

absolutely love the makeup/shirt combo

[@BadwithDates2]

Your expression in the thumbnail is so great 😂

[@batmansjadoctorwho]

I really liked the movie but I did want more horror

[@YouHaveBeenWatchingFilms]

I went into this film without any prior knowledge, and I have to completely agree that even then my expectations were too high! Found myself agreeing with everything you said here, the romance wasn't working, the brief moments of horror was underwhelming, but I also think that this film had the most abrasive sound design! Not just the constant jump scares at inappropriate moments (a jump scare sting for the reveal of a housemaid, really??) but also most sounds in this film just sounded way too sharp and loud. Too many scenes of exposition which had no bearing on the story just made this a real slog to finish :(

[@lenora-yoder]

I was mostly disappointed with this movie because the whole time you can feel its potential to be an enjoyable, rewatchable movie and then it just keeps falling flat. Like so many things are almost there and then poorly executed.

[@vilmfernsehen9039]

I also really didn't like the movie and I agree with you on all the points you made... I loved your eye-shadow though!!

[@heyhorinshi]

How can they fuck up with vampires so much and not come out with something decent? Last time was let the right one in for me and since then nothing! Suggestions welcomed

[@Elessar1888]

They spent so much time on the romantic element, I almost think it would have been a great twist to have her totally embrace the new life. Own it, Walt is mine, this mansion is mine, move over everyone else, this is happening. Like have her struggle a little bit with killing, but then screw it lol when they did the “plot twist” and Walt suddenly didn’t seem to care one way or the other about how she felt after all that build up…it was like they threw the baby out with the bath water. Lame.