One of the many things we discover as we get older is that sometimes friends grow apart. Usually, it’s for good reason too. People change and grow apart, or things happen that cannot be easily forgiven. All relationships have the ability to become messy, and not everyone wants to untangle the threads in hopes of finding their way to compromises. Not everyone wants to give it another go when quitting is a great option. This is where the new dark comedy The Disinvited is all too relatable. The psychological thriller introduces us to a man who loses his friends in a breakup and refuses to accept his place on the outs. Aside from the relationship dynamics on display, the movie also sets up an element of danger. There should be higher stakes, and this should be a much more anxious affair, but that’s not the case.
The Disinvited follows Carl (Sam Daly) as he seemingly spirals after being ousted from his group. We see him dating Monica (Danielle Reynolds) and introducing her to his circle. We then see the resulting fallout of that relationship ending and soon discover that Carl has been pushed to the outskirts of the clique. However, he’s not going to let that stop him from crashing a desert wedding where his invitation has been revoked. Especially because his plus one, Monica, is still invited, and he still has feelings for her.
Watching your squad choose your ex over you probably hurts on too many levels to count. Yet, it is hard to feel bad for Carl. He is his own worst enemy and refuses to hear everyone tell him he’s not wanted anymore. What follows is a ton of awkwardly cringeworthy moments where people make it clear he should leave. Carl refuses to listen to reason and discovers all of his former friends are in danger. Will this unwelcome guest save the day and win back his former friends? Or will he save himself and leave like everyone has been asking him to? Clearly, he stays because this is a horror movie, and deserves a very messy conclusion.
While the script penned by Devin Lawrence and Matthew Mourgides doesn’t work for me, The Disinvited does have a few glimmers that of talent amid the muck. More often than not, it felt like characters were just yelling at each other, as none of the jokes landed for me. However, some of the interactions allow a few actors in supporting roles to do enough that I would like to see them in other projects.
I am also curious to see what the director, Devin Lawrence, learns from this, as this is his first feature. A few scenes show a lot of promise for Lawrence, and I would love to see him work with a stronger script. Lawrence, cinematographer J. Connor Bjornson, and production designer Danielle Merendino craft a world that is a perfect backdrop to paranoia. The off-kilter backdrop hints enough at the outcome to keep us visually interested. Sadly, the script yells the conclusion at us throughout the uneven first two acts, which effectively stomps on the breadcrumbs the design team thoughtfully laid out. I’m not sure if the script didn’t trust the audience, or if there is an edit somewhere that allows it to build the mystery it seemingly wants to tell.
Part of what pulled me out of this predictable tale was the pacing that made it seem way longer than its lean runtime. The Disinvited also abused House of the Rising Sun so much that I do not want to hear any more covers for at least a year. The repeated needle drop was somehow worse than the obvious reveal that affirms the danger is exactly who we suspected all along. All of these caveats aside, though, there is a charm to the movie that makes you wish it worked. I’m also here for more horror, exploring the social anxieties of group dynamics. Sometimes our nearest and dearest are the problem, but sometimes we have to ask if we’re the asshole.
The movie never reaches the highs of other films that drop us into the battleground of warring friendship factions. However, it’s also not the worst project to dig into these themes. It’s as easy to point out areas of improvement as it is to figure out everyone’s secrets in this friend group. We know these people because by this stage, we have watched various versions of these scenarios play out in high school, college, workplaces, etc. So, there is comfort in the relatability, even when you’re not sure you’re having a good time with The Disinvited.
The Disinvited is definitely a movie for socially anxious people and plays on the horrors of FOMO. While the finished product isn’t for me, I like the doors that it opens and wish it had made better choices. It’s a watchable project that doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It will find its audience among people who are okay with a movie that meanders while giving away its ending. Perhaps after the year we’ve all had, that sounds appealing to many viewers.
