The Invitation: Mature, slow-burn psychological thriller with lurid but effective horror ending

https://youtu.be/0-mp77SZ_0M

Rather impressive - and the last of a list of 10 good/little-known horror/thriller films on Netflix that I came across. I had already seen and greatly enjoyed 8 of those so thought that the two unseen ones (the other one was Hush - already posted comments) would be pretty sound - and I was right.

There was for the majority of the film a really good, stylish and subtle building of tension - we were an hour in to the 100 minute film before anything truly dramatic happened. After that events happened very rapidly - I did wonder perhaps too rapidly? - but as much time had been spent on establishing characters and relationships, I was fully involved with the characters and their lives - and the fact that we did not find out about everything about every character was one of the numerous smart and clever moves made the film-maker.

The characters were rounded - hence our involvement with them - and even the implied ending did, I think, work - but it left questions and doubts in one’s mind. But this was good.

So, well worth a watch - but give it time…

Side Effects: A soundly enjoyable piece. Nothing madly original but what it does, it does well

A Cure for Wellness: Psychological thriller ending in Lovecraftian horror that just about works