The Invitation

This is what happens when HBO lures you in with a promising title and poster for a mysterious horror film, only for it to turn out to be a dreadful young adult vampire flick, reminiscent of the worst moments from the Twilight series. Thankfully, the bloody ending salvaged some of the cringe. (05/30/2023)

The Invitation might work better if you don't look at the trailer before the screening, because it shows far too much. So you know from the start what kind of "horror monster" you are dealing with, and the makers make no effort to prepare any major plot twists. I commend the interiors of the estate and a few decent scares, albeit predictable ones. In terms of story, as I mentioned, the film doesn't surprise much, and I found the answer to the question "Why is this happening?" rather bland. The final scene didn't bring any plus points either. Better two stars! (09/01/2022)

A bland vampire movie in a dull package. The film sort of races along until the halfway point, only to take an amusing turn at a wedding reception and give us hope for a better second half. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen, which is all the more disappointing. It's full of dull characters, clichés and unoriginal genre elements, there is no potential for vampires, scares, atmosphere or gore at all, and the ending is so rushed that you don’t even notice it. Second-rate borefest. (10/20/2022)