After making a successful debut with The Light of the Moon, director Jessica M. Thompson has taken on another feature film. Her latest project, The Invitation, which she co-wrote with Blair Butler, revolutionizes a gothic classic. Nathalie Emmanuel, who starred as Missandei in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Thomas Doherty (Gossip Girl), and Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. Robot) all appear in the horror thriller. 

Keep reading to find out more details about the movie review.

It is important to mention that the movie is loosely-inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula, so audiences have an idea of what to expect. 

Young American woman Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) chooses to get a DNA test after losing her mother to see if she has any other living ancestors. She meets Oliver (Hugh Skinner), a long-lost cousin, at a restaurant and discovers they are related. Oliver then invites Evie to a wedding in England, allowing her to meet the rest of her family. 

When Evie arrives, she is amazed by her aristocratic host, Walter (Thomas Doherty), and his opulent home. Throughout her stay, he pursues her until she accepts his proposal.

Meanwhile, as the day of the wedding Oliver invited Evie for approaches, she asks more questions about the bride and groom's identity and location. However, she receives evasive and mysterious responses. Eventually, she unravels the puzzle and discovers that this family has a shady surprise in store for her.

It turns out Evie is the bride-to-be and chosen as Walter's spouse. But, as she struggles to flee her dangerous and brutal hosts, his charm quickly becomes a menace. If Evie wants to survive this nightmare and see another day, she will have to fight her way out.

The first hour of The Invitation was filled with a fantastic build-up. Evie is a sweet young woman who is orphaned. She has just one friend and is thrust into a world of extravagance, alluring English men, and the infrequent microaggression many people of color experience.

However, as the movie progressed, the trailer appeared to give too much information. The trailer revealed several plot twists, including telling that Walter is a vampire. However, because this part was in the trailer, its revelation in the movie became meaningless. It also rendered the entire build-up almost pointless as viewers waited for Evie to discover individuals with bad motives surrounded her.

There were few specifics about Walter, the vampires, and most events inside Carfax Estate. One of the few rules shared by most vampire myths was found to apply to the vampires in The Invitation, but the film said nothing else about what was real other than how to kill a vampire. Because of this, even the history surrounding Walter's origin was scanty.

In addition, little information was available regarding Walter's interactions with Evie's family. It was claimed that they have something unique in their blood, but how did he learn about them? That was not stated.

On August 26, 2022, The Invitation was made available in theaters all around the country. There is currently no scheduled date for a digital release because it was only made available in theaters. The movie is a good and enjoyable watch despite the flaws noted.