Many probably see the posters and advertising for the movie “The Uninvited” and think that this is a horror movie (meanwhile hoping that it won’t be another pathetic attempt to recreate an Asian-style horror film).
While “The Uninvited” does have its moments where corpses are crawling on the floor with sudden, grim movements, the movie mostly seems to steer toward the suspense genre.
The movie is based on a 2003 Korean film, “A Tale of Two Sisters,” which enjoyed a cult following in the United States. The story is that a young girl, Anna (Emily Browning), just got out of a psychiatric facility and is returning home to her older sister, Alex (Arielle Kebbel of “John Tucker Must Die”), and her father, Steven (David Strathairn of “The Bourne Ultimatum”).
She is put in the facility after her mother becomes deathly sick and needs the help of a young nurse, Rachel Summers (Elizabeth Banks). Anna’s mother then perishes in a fiery accident. Anna just couldn’t cope with the sudden fact of losing her mother right in front of her eyes, so into the facility she goes.
On Anna’s return 10 months later, she finds out that daddy is coping just fine, thanks to the help of Rachel, his new, own naughty nurse and fiancé. However, despite her charm, not all is what it seems with Rachel. On her first night back home, Anna is visited by the ghost of her dead mother, who is trying to warn Anna of Rachel’s intensions to break up her happy little family and have the father all to herself. So it is up to Anna and Alex to find out who Rachel is exactly, before Rachel can fulfill her deadly plans.
The first line of the movie sets a certain theme that’s constant throughout the rest of the film: “I love you, and I have a condom.” Now, sex is nothing new to the film industry, but there seems to be a little bit more here than what the usual suspense movie has.
Also, the movie moved a little quickly, showing too much too fast. It made little effort to conceal the major plot points — there was no curiosity, no hidden thoughts and no real meat to it. It just went straight to the point, which defeats the purpose of a “suspense” movie.
Unless you’re the type of person who sits there, watches a movie and never tries to figure out the twist or catch, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this movie — there’s not much to puzzle over. Also, “The Uninvited” lacks in the second viewing department, because when there’s nothing to ponder, there’s nothing else to get out of repeated screenings.
With this movie, it would probably be best to wait until it comes out on video to rent. It most likely won’t be that long anyway.
