THE UNINVITED
RYAN: “The Uninvited” is a new horror movie starring Elizabeth Banks who we both really like, and I know she’s what drew you to this movie. But I was psyched for it just because I love scary movies.
CAROLINE: They’re not my favorite because I don’t like having nightmares afterward. This is one of those Asian horror movie remakes and it’s a true January release. It co-stars the Oscar nominated David Strathairn, which is odd. I didn’t think someone of his caliber would deign to do a movie like this.
RYAN: Don’t forget he was in “Dolores Claiborne” which was kinda similar.
CAROLINE: Sure, but that was way before he got all famous and Oscar nominated.
RYAN: Maybe he just likes doing thrillers.
CAROLINE: Either way, “The Uninvited” is silly and derivative though there is an interesting twist at the end. Let’s be honest though; all these movies are the same. If you’ve seen “The Ring” or “The Eye” or “The Grudge,” you’ve seem ’em all.
RYAN: There’s the obligatory creepy dead hand slithering across the floor…
CAROLINE: …or the obligatory hump-backed old woman coming into your room at night…
RYAN: …or the obligatory dead child speaking to you from the Great Beyond.
CAROLINE: This movie has all of these elements. Of course, there are some genuine jump-in-your-seat moments.
RYAN: Honey, it’s all in the music and the editing.
CAROLINE: Elizabeth Banks is OK in a cheesy role. Some of her lines are pretty dumb and require not-so-great acting. Let’s just say the audience was laughing out loud at parts.
RYAN: I actually wish people hadn’t. A movie like this is always scarier if left to its own devices, so it breaks up the feeling of terror when people laugh. This movie did have some true chilling moments.
CAROLINE: It did, but I sometimes laugh as a defense mechanism. It makes me feel better when I get scared.
RYAN: For a movie that’s so cheesily written, it actually did surprise me. I didn’t at all predict how it was going to turn out.
CAROLINE: Me neither! The end was a real shock, and made it a much more thought provoking movie than it could have been. It’s not super violent either, which was nice. But I can’t say it’s a great movie.
RYAN: The girl who plays the lead character, Anna, was one of the Baudelaire children in the Lemony Snicket movie. It must have been really fun for her to do this role. Let’s just say her character is rather interesting. And it was fun to be creeped out by Elizabeth Banks because normally she’s so cute and funny in movies.
CAROLINE: I hear you, but I’ll take my Elizabeth Banks in romantic comedies or dramas from here on out.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: It’s a pretty typical movie for this genre. If you like “The Ring” and those kinds of movies, it’s fine; but it’s certainly not a must-see.
CAROLINE: It’s a niche film and it certainly will have its audience. It could even be #1 at the box office this weekend given how much the kids love their horror flicks. You really know what you’re getting with a movie like this; but even for this genre, it’s not that great.
— RATING —
