You Must Accept "The Invitation"

Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs the lines of  paranoia, mystery, and horror until neither the characters or the audience know what threats are real or imagined. 

From the moment he arrives at his ex-wife’s dinner party, Will struggles with memories of living in this beautiful home,  where their young son died in a tragic accident.  The film does a clever dance between paranoia on Will’s part (are Eden’s new friends part of an evil cult?) & friends gathering – both new and old – to try and bury the past enjoying wine, prescription drugs and perhaps some mutual affection…

While watching The Invitation, the audience is never really sure if Will has a true grip on reality.   Director Karyn Kusama, takes us on a terrifying rollercoaster of emotion. Though  there is plenty of gore and violence for fans of such films as “The Purge”, it’s the slow and steady climb that really makes The Invitation a  "Must Watch."

The Invitation is Rated R.

Follow BFCA Movie Critic Lisa Erdman on all social media @take2review for more movie reviews and news.  

Everybody Wants Richard Linklater - Movie Review: Everybody Wants Some

Every college kid from the 80s is sure to love “Everybody Wants Some”, Richard Linklater’s latest film.   Just as “Dazed & Confused” was a nod to the director’s high school experience, “Everybody Wants Some” is a summation of his college years.

The opening scene takes us to a fictional Texas campus as seen through the eyes of the film’s main star, Jake – a freshman baseball player.   Within minutes we have met the rest of the team, and it’s a cast of characters we won’t soon forget.  It wouldn’t be easy to handle such an ensemble cast, but Linklater is the man for the job.

The soundtrack alone is enough to send everyone on a trip back in time.  The cars, the clothes, the hair – everything is styled to perfection. 

Everybody Wants Some in hilarious – and quite nostalgic.  It’s also one of the best movies I have seen so far this year. 

 I had the chance to meet three of the actors from the movie a couple of weeks ago at the Kansas City premier.  Super nice guys.

L-R Glen Powell, Myself, J. Quinton Johnson & Wyatt Russell

Everybody Wants Some is Rated R.