Audiences might RSVP to the invitation but might leave the party early. What went wrong? Let’s talk about it.

A lonely waitress named Evelyn (Nathalie Emmanuel) seeks out more family after her mother’s death. She takes a DNA test resulting in the discovery of a long-lost cousin named Oliver. He invites Evelyn to a family wedding where she soon finds herself in survival mode, after discovering a dark family secret.

The Invitation struggles to bring something new to the horror genre. There are moments of suspense, but not many that are memorable. The beginning has a promising approach but ends up not having any importance due to the slow pace and attempting too much. The twist is pretty predictable and is no surprise at all. Too much was given in the trailer to appeal to an audience. What makes the film interesting is Nathalie Emmanuel as Evelyn who is charming even though the script is very cheesy. She delivers a powerful performance with a weak script. Emmanuel is definitely a stand-out and should be the reason you should tune into The Invitation.

Although The Invitation falls short on a unique delivery and is very similar to the successful ‘Ready or Not’, it makes an impact in two ways. First, the film is directed by Jessica M. Thompson. It’s nice to see that Hollywood is offering the opportunity for female directors to bring their creativity to the big screen, although the direction is weak. Secondly, The film offers a refreshing change to the final girl whose racial struggles are noticeable and is placed in situations where people of color can relate. It’s interesting to observe her in survival mode amongst all fair-skinned European vampires.

The Invitation is playing now in theaters exclusively.