Will and Kira are driving to dinner. They were invited over by Will's ex-girlfriend Eden, who disappeared two years ago after their child died. They hit a coyote. Will, already tense from both conversation and expectation, finishes it off with a tire iron.

As far as a harbingers go, it's not a subtle one.

It also highlights my main complaint about The Invitation: you can't help but see the structure, hear the metronome tick. There's the initial omen with the coyote. It's followed almost immediately by a mention of Chekhov's dinner guest, a gun that surely won't be fired until the third act. There's Will's obvious unease at meeting his ex, accepted by the gaggle of old friends who are also there because of their shared history. The disturbing signs only he sees, which they can easily dismiss as manifestations of his discomfort.

Tick, the spike at 30 minutes in. Tock, the plot pivot at the one hour mark. Tick, the acceleration into the third act. Tock, the denouement.

It's a well-crafted suspense. I enjoyed the puppet show, but the wires were too plainly in sight. I'm still happy we're getting more of the slow-boil Blue Ruin-type movies. Karyn Kusama's reliance on structural crutches doesn't show anywhere near Saulnier's confidence, but maybe she's a late bloomer.

Originally published on my old blog

#karynkusama #jeremysaulnier #loganmarshallgreen #emayatzycorinealdi #suspendse #sydfielded