Review: ‘Who Invited Them’ -A Deliciously Dark Horror
Looking at one of 2022’s best horror releases, written and directed by Duncan Birmingham…
Thanks to the efforts of fresh and exceptional talent in filmmaking, the world of horror has taken a dramatic departure from tired and tested tropes in recent years. Take, for instance, Jordon Peele’s Us, Ari Aster’s Hereditary, Rose Glass’s Saint Maud and Remi Week’s His House. There is clearly a new generation of bold storytellers entering the fold and Who Invited Them is certainly up there amongst the best of them.
Released in September of this year, Who Invited Them is a dramatic, unsettling and unnerving journey about one married couple who are celebrating their move into a new house by inviting friends and co-workers to a housewarming party. Written and directed by Duncan Birmingham, the 80-minute film starts out innocently enough, with plenty of banter and humour, but before you know it, a dark twist turns the party into something sinister.
The married couple soon find themselves wondering who a pair of seemingly uninvited guests are at their new home, and viewers are left to watch the unfolding horror as the gatecrashers turn a good night with friends into an unyielding nightmare.
Birmingham’s final product is a lavish, smooth and stylish movie. Starring the perfectly cast Melissa Tang, Ryan Hansen, Timothy Granaderos and Perry Mattfield, the film is tense from the outset. It is hard not to feel uncomfortable at the ever-increasingly dark situations the newly moved-in couple face as their lives become centre-stage of their very own version of hell.
What starts out as a film about a new home and the celebration of the couple’s achievements in life, soon turns into an exploration about modern living, how many of us will avoid standing up to difficulties and — more importantly — a study of personal survival.
Who Invited Them is a beautifully written modern fairytale of horror. It certainly has moments of humour within (in fact, some describe it as a comedy-horror), but ultimately, it is a tale of dread and terror.
Cleverly delivered and brought to life by a cast who sizzle with authenticity and chemistry on set, it’s a film not to be missed if you like your movies to have style and substance. Who Invited Them has something to say, and it does so with one hell of a punch.
