Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Invitation’

Written by Scott Edwards

There is nothing better than getting together with your friends and catching up on how life has been, especially if it has been a while since you have all seen each other. It is important to make time for your friends, especially when they are having a rough time in life, since having someone there that they can depend upon can help them get through just about anything. Spending time with your friends may not seem like something big, but when you look back on life, you will cherish those moments more than you can ever imagine.

Getting an invite for a special get together with his ex and friends, Will is not sure he really wants to attend. But with his new girlfriend Kira by his side, he knows that not much can go wrong. Driving up to his old house, Will hits a coyote and is forced to put it out of its misery. Arriving at the house, Will sees all of his old friends, but it is Eden, his ex, that he is most worried about seeing. With the way that their relationship ended, it has been hard for him to leave his feelings behind and move on with his life.

While the night is full of fun and wine, the group is curious as to why they have been invited to the house and their gracious host is ready to explain to them the reason for this little get together as David starts to tell the group about how he has started living his life. Putting in a DVD that shows a woman dying, the group’s mood drops drastically and the thought of Eden and David being in a cult has crossed the minds of all of their guests. Trying to lighten the mood, David decides to play a game that he and his group used to play after their sessions. But once again, this creates more uncomfortable feelings towards Eden and David, along with their two follower friends.

Being in the old house has Will out of sorts as he cannot erase the memories that he and Eden shared. After losing their son, Will has had a difficult time making life worth living, but seeing that Eden has forgotten all about it is driving him mad. Looking around the house, Will notices other changes since there are now bars on the windows and the doors are locked all the time. Believing that there is something more sinister in place for the night, Will is no longer able to bite his tongue and lets loose on his ex and the cult that she has joined. But when Will is proven wrong with his theory, he is forced by his friends to retract his accusation, but it might not have been so farfetched as the night moves on and the wine is poured from a sacred stash.

If you're a fan of movies that fly through the plot, or stories with a little action, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised with the thoughtfulness and slow pacing of this one. You get to see the pain that being in the old house has brought Will and when you see him try to keep Eden from committing suicide, you quickly understand that there has been a massive change in their relationship. The conversations with the group are just fantastic and when they are having a good time, you get to laugh along with them. Watching as Will is forced to deal with his inner demons is the best part of this film however, and while he shows so much distrust for his hosts David and Eden that seems unwarranted, his first impressions turn out to be right. With some preaching, a cult, one of my favorite character actors and some blood, this movie has plenty to be thankful for and shows how powerful the ‘word’ can actually be.  

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