The Uninvited

Want to see a scary movie?  The Uninvited isn’t it, but it was entertaining to this non-expert in scream films.  I should preface this review with the fact that I rarely watch “scary” movies.

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen my fair share, but as a rule I skip them.  What led me to a movie theater on a Friday night to see such a film?  Two young teen girls who begged to go see it.  That was a first for me.  The only think my daughter has asked to see recently is Twilight (times 10), so I was happy to oblige and make the sacrifice in the name of being the “cool mom.”

I should also make it clear that I am in no way a reviewer.  I like what I like, but that rarely has anything to do with the art of the film itself.

So, back to The Uninvited, there I was, in a sold out show (who knew so many wanted to be scared?!).  Security guards trolled the aisles for the self-declared “I’m going to be loud” teens that packed the theater.  A couple almost lost their $8 for being annoying with threats of being forced to “step out”.   The big-booted feet on the back of my seat was a distraction as well, but the huff I got when I forcefully shoved their feet off my seat after numerous requests to “please stop” was satisfying enough.  Maybe this is why I avoided these types of films before?  The audience was just plain juvenile!  But, I digress.

The film started  off slow and I found the scary parts predictable.  Yeah, yeah, something is going to move in the bag.  Yeah, yeah, better not put your hand in there.  Yeah, yeah, something is going to get you in the dark.  It provided all the scare 13-year olds can handle (they made it VERY clear they would not be asking to see Friday the 13th no matter how cute Jared Padalecki was).   For me, not so much.

The acting was as rememberable as acting can be in such films.  I expect a lot more from an actor like David Strathairn, but who am I to deny someone a paycheck in this economy?   I found myself thinking more about wishing I had a house like the one used in the film than what was really going on.

All its faults aside though, I have to say, the ending had me going “WOW”!  Not being a fan of this genre, I wasn’t aware that it was a remake of an Asian film and if I had known what the twists (and I use the plural there) were going to be I wouldn’t have wasted my money.  But, taken totally by surprise, the ending had me actually liking the film.  The girls were even astonished and chatting away on the way home non-stop about the ending.

Granted, I felt a little silly that I didn’t see the end coming.  I should have picked up on the cues, but then it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun!  So, while I am not sure I would actually recommend the film, if you have nothing better to do, have seen all the good stuff already in theaters and are looking for a way to spend an hour and a half, I wouldn’t say don’t go see The Uninvited.

Visit the Official Website for more about the film.