The Invitation (2016)

Directed by Karyn Kusama. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Huisman, Tammy Blanchard, Emayatzy Corinealdi, John Carroll Lynch, Mike Doyle, Jordi Vilasuso, Michelle Krusiec, Jay Larson, Lindsay Burdge, Marieh Delfino, Toby Huss.

There’s something not quite right with a dinner party in the Hollywood Hills hosted by Blanchard and new husband Huisman. Among the invited guests is Blanchard’s ex-husband (Marshall-Green), who’s still coping with grief over the incident that ended their marriage—the accidental death of their son—and anxieties turn to suspicions and even paranoia as the evening creeps along. Why does Huisman keep the doors locked, what happened to a guest who apparently never showed up, and what was up with that weird video the hosts shared from the cult-like group they’ve joined? The heavier themes color behavior, but has no real effect on the plot or outcome in this modestly tense thriller. It works better as a mystery during the first hour as the viewer shares Marshall-Green’s unease and curiosity, but once it becomes clear what’s going on here (upon the lighting of a lantern), there’s a sense of “is that it?” deflation that finally hisses out its last breath during the violent finale. Doesn’t quite hold up to scrutiny in the aftermath—was the outdoor scene between Marshall-Green and enigmatic sexpot Burdge only a half-formed red herring?—and the denouement is more chilling than the curiously anti-climactic scenario that preceded it, but director Karyn Kusama and writers/co-producers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi handle the setup and disquieting apprehension with satisfactory skill. Debuted at the SXSW film festival in 2015, but didn’t get a commercial release until more than a year later.

63/100