The Uninvited

Rose" (Elizabeth Reaser) is married to talent agent "Sammy" (Walton Goggins) and they are preparing for a make-or-break party at their home one evening when the sound of a repetitious car horn sends her out to investigate. That's when she meets "Helen" (Lois Smith). She's an elderly lady convinced that she lives in their house, and when "Rose" takes her in whilst trying to summon some help her presence seems to galvanise her family and their guests into a series of revealingly uninteresting and cocaine-induced home truths that drags the whole thing into the doldrums of a melodrama populated by some seriously mediocre actors adequately reflected by the presence of Rufus Sewell! Actually, any scene stealing probably just belongs to a toilet doorknob, to Smith and to an enthusiastic effort from Roland Rubio as their son "Wilder". Otherwise it's really just a collection of who cares people that engender very little interest in their self-induced and/or self-serving problems. Stereotypes galore, sorry!

After watching Pedro Pascal and Walter Goggins absolutely dominate in The Last of Us and Fallout, I was really hoping/expecting there would be more to this than the description. Some kind of time-travel thing or something to make it interesting. (Between the title and setting, my mind kept going back to The Invitation, which definitely had its shortcomings but was at least creative) Unfortunately, it's just a straight drama. For what it is it's done very well, but the entire movie is just interpersonal drama with layers of trivial love story. It's a story, just not one worth telling.

The movie is done very well, so if you're someone that likes filling your head with banal personal BS, it's definitely worth checking out. If you like stories with creativity, definitely skip this. Pedro Pascal's charisma may seem endless, but it can't carry this much.

In stylish but pretentiously artsy drama "The Uninvited" Hollywood agent Walton Goggins (always good) & ex-actress wife Elizabeth Reaser (outstanding) host a party for guests including actors Pedro Pascal (Reaser's first love who supposedly oozes charm - tho Pascal doesn't convey that) & Goggins' main client Rufus Sewell (with actress gf Eva Di Dominici). As domestic issues unfold (particularly between Goggins & Reaser) elderly Lois Smith pitches up with her dementia apparently convincing her she lives there. What writer / director Nadia Conners intended with it all in her second film is unclear even after the credits roll. It's quite nice to look at, but ultimately meh.

This film was not what I was expecting. I walked into a comedy and left with my heart in a thousand pieces. Not many films have moved me to tears on that many levels - it was a balanced exchange of wit and woe. Despite being set in the Hollywood Hills, the tensions and conflicts, especially around identify and relationships will resonate deeply with many.

The nuances in the storytelling leave you with a lot to unpack and it's one of those films you could see multiple times and still find something new and revealing about the characters. Elizabeth Reaser (Rose) and Lois Smith (Helen) are brillant in bringing to life two women with shared experiences of loss and of being lost.

It will stay with me for a while this one.

I watched The Uninvited. At the Odeon last night and was genuinely moved by it. The film had the emotional depth and intimacy of a stage play - relatable, at times uncomfortably so, yet also beautiful, thought-provoking, funny and emotionally rich .

The performances were strong across the board, pulling me into the story completely. I laughed, I cried - it was one of those rare films that stays with you long after the credits roll.

I especially appreciated the visual effect and setting of the scenes with the orange tree - beautifully done, both symbolically and cinematically. They added a sense of quiet magic to the film that balanced its heavier themes.

A good production and a truly moving piece. I'd absolutely recommend it - and would gladly watch it again.