Karyn Kusama might be the most interesting director working in horror today.
She’s best known for Jennifer’s Body, a misunderstood cult classic in which Megan Fox becomes possessed by a demon and kills a bunch of high school students.
Most recently, she made Destroyer, a noir crime thriller starring an unrecognizable Nicole Kidman (and Sebastian Stan).
There was also Aeon Flux, but let’s not talk about that.
But Kusama’s most underrated (and arguably best film) is the 2015 thriller The Invitation, about a dinner party that turns violent.
The Invitation stars Logan Marshall-Green as Will, a man invited to a dinner party hosted at the home of his ex-wife (the same home where they used to live together).
Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband David are members of a bizarre cult. As the movie continues, it becomes clear that they’ve been planning more than cocktails and dinner.
The entire film also takes place inside the house (an actual home, not a set), and Kusama uses the location to its full potential. Most notably, that includes a dining room located on the second floor. (Weird, right?)
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“This house was unusual because the space for the dining room was upstairs. It created this interesting moment in the story where it was sort of like, OK, the pre-dinner party is over and now the night will begin.”
When the night does begin, The Invitation escalates impressively. After building tension, the release is quick and violent. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say the movie’s last few scenes are unforgettable.
The Invitation is a taught, psychological thriller with a killer ending. It’s also a nice reminder that no matter how bad your next dinner party goes, it could always be worse. Watch it now on Netflix.