After the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) takes a DNA test…and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she’s at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family’s history and the unsettling intentions behind their sinful generosity.
For thoughts on The Invitation (2022), please check out my colleague Brandon Lewis’ review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The Invitation (2022) comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is really striking. This is a carefully crafted film with many unique shots which allow you to see an incredible amount of detail. There are numerous interior sequences within the manor featuring intricate production design which provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The film engages with the bright colors on display from the greens of the foliage to the striking hues from the costumes, such as a crimson red dress later in the film. This is a film with a color palette veering to the cooler side of the spectrum that is reproduced perfectly here with a pleasing radiance. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. The white levels are handled effortlessly, along with deep blacks that do not suffer from any compression artifacts or banding. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. This presentation is a great piece of work from Sony.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that has a surprisingly complex sound design with quite a bit of nuance that is well balanced. Environmental effects play a notable role in the film as Evie begins to experience weird occurrences, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully immersive world works quite well. The directionality is precise so that sounds always appear natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. The track is most active during the climactic confrontations when things start to go down. Activity in the low end really comes alive at this point as it adds some force to the proceedings. Sony has provided a great sounding release here.
Special Features
- Theatrical Cut (1:45:05) and Unrated Cut (1:45:52)
- Outtakes & Bloopers: There are two minutes of flubbed lines, laughing fits, malfunctioning props and more.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: There are three unused scenes totaling five minutes provided here featuring Evie exploring the house and an alternate ending.
- The Wedding Party – Meet The Cast: A six-minute featurette is provided here which introduces you to the cast as they explain their place in the narrative and the creative team highlight the qualities the performers bring to their roles.
- Til Death Do Us Part – Production & Design: A nearly seven-minute piece which explores the female-driven set including the set design, the lighting, the cinematography, the hair & makeup, the costumes and more.
- Lifting The Veil – Designing The Story: A five-minute piece in which Director Jessica M. Thompson and the creative explore the feminist perspective on this Dracula story and the numerous references to that original story.
- Previews
Final Thoughts
The Invitation (2022) is better than you might expect it to be judging solely from the outside. There is the inherent studio gloss over the film and an adherence to certain conventions. Yet, it does take some firmly established source material and subverts expectations in fun ways. The lead performance from Nathalie Emmanuel is full of charisma, and the playful nods to the source material add an additional layer of admiration for literary fans. It is not a top-tier horror release, but it is perfectly enjoyable for studio-driven fare. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a decent selection of special features. The unrated cut does add a few shots of additional gore and light sexuality which does make it feel less sanitized. If you are in the market for a capable, occasionally-steamy female-driven horror film, this one is a decent watch. Recommended
The Invitation (2022) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
