The 2019 movie Ready or Not starred Samara Weaving as a new bride in an atmospheric, Gothic story that doubled as a dark comedy and horror-lite cautionary tale, a fun (recommended) flick about a wedding, about marriage, and marrying into a new family–the dark side of families, the skeletons in the closet.  The strange horror sub-genre continues this weekend in Sony Pictures’ theatrical release of The Invitation, originally titled The Bride.  This time the bride doesn’t know she’s the bride, and it’s not a comedy, but it looks to be on the bloodier side, and trailers show it has some promise, with Fast & Furious, Army of Thieves, Die Hart, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance star Nathalie Emmanuel as the bride-to-be.

Is it a 23andMe scam to lure a woman out of the city to become a main course for vampires, or is she going to have this guy for lunch?  Sony isn’t hiding this as a vampire show, inspired by an early entry in the genre, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  Take a look at these trailers for The Invitation: 

A pandemic production, The Invitation was written by Helstrom writer Blair Butler and Jessica M. Thompson (The End) and directed by Thompson.  Hey, that’s me with Blair at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012:

Familiar faces in the cast include Gotham’s Sean Pertwee, Disney TV actor Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. ROBOT, Legion, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Alana Boden (Mr. Selfridge, Humans, Hawaii Five-O).  Hopefully this will catch up with Halloween Ends, which will premiere simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock, for a Halloween home release.

The Invitation arrives in theaters in the U.S. this Friday, August 26, and September 8 in the UK.

C.J. Bunce / Editor / borg