The Invitation

Inspired by notable themes from the extensive library of vampiric lore, “The Invitation” brought an equal sense of fantasy, sophistication and full-blooded fear to the screen.

Jessica M. Thompson did memorable work directing this story. She imparted a graceful blend of meanings into a tale that would otherwise have felt done to death (pun unintended). Blair Butler did exceptional work on screenplay. Dara Taylor’s musical scoring was remarkable. Autumn Eakin’s cinematography was enthralling. Felicity Abbott’s production design was amazing. Danielle Knox’s costume design was superb.

If you haven’t already noticed, an all-woman team was at the core of this project.

Great work on art direction and set decoration. Hair-makeup and stunts did outstanding work. The VFX department was clever and subtle, and doubly notable for it.

Evie, played by Nathalie Emmanuel, was amazing. She captured the essence of her character and brought it to life, in a manner of speaking. Walter, played by Thomas Doherty, was outstanding. He played to his strengths admirably in this script.

Oliver Alexander, played by Hugh Skinner, was noteworthy. Mr. Fields, played by Sean Pertwee, was great. Viktoria, played by Stephanie Corneliussen, was captivating. Lucy, played by Alana Boden, was quite good. Grace, played by Courtney Taylor, was memorable. Mrs. Swift, played by Carol Ann Crawford, was good.

All other cast and crew did memorable work in “The Invitation” now streaming via Amazon Prime VOD.

A distinguished gothic ambience, aristocratic vampire themes, and dark tropes all featured in this movie. Blood and gore weren’t exempted, and a ‘just right’ amount was used to great effect. Everything about the New Carfax Abbey was architectural and décor eye-candy.

The concept of vampire privilege, secret power-sharing between immortal vamps and mortal humans, selective bloodlines, and dark weddings all brought the script together. Throwing the unwitting Evie smack in the middle of this pit of consequences and conundrums made the movie both interesting and unnerving.

The story was equal parts horror, romance, fantasy, and mystery with paranormal undertones throughout. Vampirism played a core role in the script. However, some of its aspects were a tad unoriginal. Regardless, “The Invitation” proved captivating from start to finish. In addition, the vampire transformations were minimal and good.

Jessica Thompson and Blair Butler gave gothic conspiracies an intriguing twist. Though the movie rushed to a close, it conveyed the powerful message that lay at the heart of it and provided a story that felt familiar yet fresh. Also, I won’t be able to look at DNA ancestry tests the same way again.