Being Film #28 for Hooptober 2025
Is this the first time we’re covering a film that we already covered on the podcast? Yes, but in this case I wasn’t there for Episode 32 which focused on the films of Karyn Kusama, so The Invitation was a new experience for me. And now having watched it, I can see why 1) so many people hold it in such high regard, and 2) I was right in holding off seeing it for so long. This is one I’m happy to admire from afar. I get it, I see what Kusama is after, and yeah – the dread and tension is excruciating. But this is very much not my kind of movie, and makes me uncomfortable in way I suspect the filmmakers intended, but honestly at this time in my life I don’t need. That’s okay, though. Good movie.
THE QUICK SUMMARY: Will and Kira head to a party in Hollywood hosted by Will’s ex-wife and her new husband. Right away you can se this isn’t a good idea, right? Well, Will knows but can’t helped but be drawn in. As friends gather certain revelations come to light, including the deep grief of a child’s death that caused the fracture between Will and Eden, his ex-wife. But it appears Eden is working through her grief with the help of some diabolical support system that everyone is soon drawn into. How do we handle our grief and isolation? What is it worth to get out from under it? And why the red lantern?
I can’t speak to the other film Jon and Jeremy covered on the episode, but I do like Kusama’s work: both Girlfight and Jennifer’s Body work really well and emphasize what Kusama is trying to say without being overly precious about it. And that’s the case with The Invitation, which despite telegraphing the inevitable end (though maybe not the stinger in the film’s closing moment) is so good at capturing the awkward pressures and tension as the group and Will spiral further toward the film’s climax. Performances across the board are great, and Logan Marshall-Green continues to remind me he’s more than the terrible role he played in Prometheus.
Also always glad to see John Carroll Lynch in absolutely anything.
But ultimately this is the kind of thriller I shy away from. I tend to look for escapism, and when it comes to cults and rituals I like my movies a little further removed from reality. Which, again: this was NOT what Kusama was shooting for, so I would never take points away from executing the goal. But the dread and tension feel so inevitable that even the relatively brief runtime feels like everyone is pedaling to something we know is coming, and I’d prefer we just get there.
I’m definitely in the minority on that, though. I see a film like The Invitation and I’m glad it’s here, and that it has its champions. We need more films like this, and more visibility for filmmakers like Karyn Kusama who provide a singular perspective and voice.
And I’m perfectly happy to not be the target audience for it. Not every movie needs to be for me.
Cinema Dual 
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