Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Invitation

Play trailer 2:10 Poster for The Invitation 2016 1h 39m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 117 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
While attending a dinner party at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister plans for the guests.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Invitation

The Invitation

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Invitation makes brilliant use of its tension-rich premise to deliver a uniquely effective -- and surprisingly clever -- slow-building thriller.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Max Weiss Baltimore Magazine 07/26/2016
3.5/4
Is this a film about grief masquerading as a horror film -- or vice versa? Go to Full Review
Calvin Wilson St. Louis Post-Dispatch 04/21/2016
3.5/4
Psychological thrillers just don't get any better than this. Go to Full Review
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 04/21/2016
Beautifully paced, the movie traces a steady arc from amiability to apocalypse. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Mar 18
3/5
‘…an effective pot-boiler that whittles down the numbers to a predictable punch-line…’ Go to Full Review
David Day Horror Movie Talk Aug 11
10/10
I think my favorite part of The Invitation is the discomfort that you feel in a party is so well intoned, and all of the acting matches so well with the characters and their desires/intentions. It feels real, and it feels upsetting, and I love it. Go to Full Review
Isabella Liistro Loud and Clear Reviews 01/18/2025
There are no scenes, characters, or bits of dialogue that don’t belong. The tension builds and builds until we’re left with a masterful final shot that’s so subtle, but the implication is chilling. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Dakota F @RT07891440 3d This quite possibly was the worst film I have ever watched… I just created an account on this site to write this review.. I was scammed by rotten tomatoes 90% review thinking it’ll be a good film. Do not waste your time. There is literally 0 plot, the most awkward dinner party that is so unrealistic, nobody with a sane brain would hang around for as long as they all did if any of them had any social awareness or a backbone. I was waiting for some sort of climax, and the only thing I got was the credits at the end of the movie. If you do anything right in your life, it’ll be seeing this review before attempting to watch this film and not waste an hour of your life you’ll never get back. You’re welcome. See more Ahmed G @RT03809150 Apr 26 Really good movie for people who appreciate art.... Done mind some audience low rating of it See more Michael P @TheeMichael-jai Apr 12 An amazing watch in the moment, but forgettable moments later. See more Burrito D @RT83115869 Apr 3 This is easily one of the most disappointing films I have ever encountered, ranking as the second worst in my personal experience. The Invitation suffers from a painfully slow pace that drags the narrative to the point of exhaustion, making it difficult to remain engaged. What is even more frustrating is its lack of clarity: the plot unfolds in such a disjointed and confusing manner that it feels as though the film itself has lost track of its own intentions. Rather than creating intrigue, the ambiguity comes across as unstructured and careless. Ultimately, the film fails not only in execution but in coherence, leaving the viewer with the impression that even the director did not fully understand the story they were trying to tell. See more James M. @Jamsey Mar 26 Slow builder, great acting, good script See more Alice C. @RT27908484 Mar 15 DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! We went into this movie expecting the an amazing horror/thriller, with all the great reviews, and found ourselves cheering when the commercials came on so we could finally get a break. the actors, horrible. the plot, horrible. the absolute best part of this movie was when we were blessed with the credits! the directors completely forgot them were even making a horror movie and instead gave us an awkward 90 minute dinner party. if your waiting for it to get better it doesn’t. See more Read all reviews
The Invitation

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
Angel of Mine 76% 86% Angel of Mine Watchlist TRAILER for Angel of Mine Errors of the Human Body 73% 40% Errors of the Human Body Watchlist Operation Avalanche 69% 53% Operation Avalanche Watchlist TRAILER for Operation Avalanche Fashionista 90% 78% Fashionista Watchlist Fare 100% 0% Fare Watchlist TRAILER for Fare Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis While attending a dinner party at his former house, a man starts to believe that his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister plans for the guests.
Director
Karyn Kusama
Producer
Martha Griffin, Matt Manfredi, Phil Hay, Nick Spicer
Screenwriter
Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
Distributor
Drafthouse Films
Production Co
XYZ Films, Lege Artis Film, Gamechanger Films
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 8, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$231.7K
Runtime
1h 39m