The Invitation

Nathalie Emmanuel breathes life into the film with its cast of stuffy and polite characters, providing a modern heroine that doesn't feel like an overdone ...

[Nathalie Emmanuel](https://movieweb.com/former-game-of-thrones-star-nathalie-emmanuel-offers-advice-to-house-of-the-dragon-cast/) shines as the film’s beating heart, with the [likability of her character](https://movieweb.com/the-invitation-social-commentary/) keeping the audience engaged with her story. Perhaps if The Invitation had foregone a theatrical release in favor of a Netflix premiere, the project could have avoided the blemish of an underwhelming box office opening. Had the script better suited the visuals and capabilities of such a strong cast, The Invitation [could have stood alongside Ready or Not ](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-invitation-movie-review-2022)as a gripping and well-balanced thriller with both wit and poise. Current trends show that viewers want a strong motivation to pay money to see a movie in theaters. Shortly thereafter, Evie is blindsided by the announcement that she, in fact, is the bride-to-be, with Walter as her groom. The film wraps up with a scene of Evie and her best friend stalking Oliver, planning to exact revenge on her treacherous cousin. In fact, the film does a great job of balancing the fantastical nature of its supernatural elements with serious horror sequences to ensure that it does not feel satirical or like a parody of vampire fiction. Burdened by the loneliness of no longer having a nuclear family of her own, Evie gives in to the temptation of partaking in a DNA-based ancestry service in order to find unknown relatives. As the upcoming nuptials approach, it becomes increasingly odd to Evie that she has yet to meet the bride and groom. For these and many more reasons, Netflix subscribers have propelled the film to popularity on the streaming platform — with the film peaking at number three in Netflix’s top-ten films among subscribers in the United States for the week of December 26, 2022, through January 1, 2023. How did a film that performed so poorly in its theatrical run manage to find success later on through its Netflix release? [Thomas Doherty](https://www.glamour.com/story/thomas-doherty-the-invitation-interview), The Invitation is a [seductive thriller that has a little bit of everything](http://movieweb.com/the-invitation-jessica-thompson-interview/).