In recent years, many horror films have been released with strong moral underpinnings. Instead of simply attempting to scare audiences, these movies want to stimulate both your mind and adrenaline glands. 2017's It Follows, for example, is a film about sexuality where a strange entity stalks and kills an individual unless they can pass their possession on by being intimate with another person. 2015's The Witch is a period piece that explores the pitfalls of puritanism. And, of course, 2017's Get Out is a fascinating tale about liberal racism and the systems of marginalization.
The recently released film The Invitation, directed by Jessica M. Thompson and written by Blair Butler, is another addition to the canon of morally resonant horror flicks. It follows a young woman named Evie, portrayed by Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones, The Fate of the Furious), who, following a DNA test, is invited to a remote mansion in order to meet her extended family. However, it is quickly revealed that the estate harbors dark secrets, and Evie eventually finds herself fighting for her life.
The film led the box office on its opening weekend, though it happened to debut during one of the worst box office weekends in recent memory. Nevertheless, this vampire film is filled with biting social commentary and has more than enough enthralling horror moments to make the audience's blood pressure rise as it explores the terrifying truth of age-old societal issues.
A DNA Test Brings Evie to the Macabre Mansion
When Evie's mother dies, her friend Grace (Courtney Taylor) suggests that she gets a DNA test, as Evie had long believed her mother to be her only relative. The test leads her to a "cousin" named Oliver (Hugh Skinner) and, ultimately, to the mansion where she inevitably is left to fend for her life.
Though the DNA test is eventually revealed to be a ruse, it's clear to see how genetic testing fits into Thompson and Butler's broader themes. Bloodlines are incredibly important to powerful families and have been for thousands of years. Additionally, Evie is mixed race, which sets her apart from most of the other characters in the film, who are overwhelmingly white. It is another way in which folks have been discriminated against merely for their genetics. Furthermore, people of color have historically been kept from the upper echelons of society.
Centuries-Old Vampires Represent Generational Wealth
Evie is immediately uncomfortable with the old money excessively displayed in the mansion, and it seems that many of those who work or live in the abode also have a distaste for Evie. However, it is soon revealed that the discomfort is for a reason, and Thomas Doherty's (Catherine the Great, Gossip Girl) Walter is a vampire who tricked Evie into coming to his mansion with the sole intention of marrying her. This brings in the important theme of feminism.
Later, Walter casually mentions that he used to be known as the "Son of the Dragon," which more horror-inclined audience members recognize means that Walter is actually Dracula. Of course, the mythos of Dracula has been around for a very long time, and it's easy to see how this character fits into the themes of classism. Throughout his theoretically immortal life, he has accrued exorbitant wealth. He has developed relationships with countless individuals, including an elderly couple that re-kidnaps Evie when she manages to escape the mansion.
In this way, he is similar to families that have been wealthy for generations, as they have been able to secure an immovable spot at the top of the social hierarchy.
Forbidden Love in Dracula's Shadow
At the film's end, audiences finally learn why Evie was chosen to marry Dracula. Evie's great-grandmother Emmaline was initially meant to be Walter's third wife, but she fell in love with her great-grandfather, and they had a child in secret. Enraged, Walter brutally murdered Evie's great-grandfather, though Emmaline is able to get her son to safety before taking her own life. Essentially, this means that Evie is the victim of an ancient class conflict. The Alexander family has sought out Emmaline's descendants for years, representing how upper-class individuals can historically insist on taking what they believe to be theirs.
Though the film's reviews haven't necessarily deemed The Invitation to have the same teeth as some of its horror predecessors, there is still a lot to like. It's intelligent and terrifying, with plenty of heart. The performances are compelling, and Doherty provides an interpretation of Dracula that could make Gary Oldman doff his cap. Most importantly, The Invitation carries social commentary, which will only become a more compelling theme in the coming years.
If you are invited to a strange countryside mansion in the upcoming weeks, maybe skip the trip and opt to see this film instead.