"The Uninvited" (2009) - Movie Review

I want to shout like Kevin Spacey how he did in “Glengary Glenn Ross” at Alan Arkin to go for lunch in a tense office room. It would be directed against the horror movie makers and the yelling would be “Will you fix all the doors creaking in the entire freaking house? Will you fix the door creaks? Will you?” The Guard Brothers’ “The Uninvited” has a beautiful house by the beach which only the hollywood films have. The problem is it has badly placed doors which creak every time Anna (Emily Browning) opens. Creaks ! Creaks ! Creaks ! I am tearing my hairs apart and that feels good than the sound of the suspense the film poses. As many of you might know that horror genre are not my cup of tea, I still went to “The Uninvited”. And I will say the cliched, expected line which would possibly appear in the reviews for this film which is “The film is uninviting”. Sorry, could not help it.

In the crowded halls of my darkened living room amongst the cousins and relatives, I watched a horror film supposedly a cult in India when it released. It is called “Evil Dead” and I managed to watch it with a blanket over the head and a conveniently made hole to see. I was young and terrified. It can be said to be fair that it contributed to where I stand in terms of not watching that genre. But in my defense, I loved “The Mist” and enjoyed “1408”. Many others come to mind but these are the recent films which readers will be able to associate where I stand. Anyways, the irritating sounds in “The Uninvited” I talked upon in previous para horrified me during “Evil Dead”. That genre has not changed much it seems. Trying to scare the poor kids and now a day that is hard to do too.

Anna comes out from the psychiatric facility making good efforts to forget that past of her sick mother dying in a fire accident in their out house. She has an elder sister Alex (Arielle Kebel) who hates the girlfriend of their father (David Straitharn). Rachel Summers (Elizabeth Banks) is that who arrived as the nanny for their mother and she will be the blonde we will be punched by the directors to doubt throughout the film. Alex and Anna will be teaming to dismantle the supposed machinations of Rachel. And Rachel will be giving that cunning eyed look to convict herself but oh, also means being nice.

For growing up as a frightened kid, I was not scared. Surprised by their cheap tricks, yes. Why does a ghost always wants to frighten every one? If the intent of them is to convey messages and be nice to their lovable kids and others, why not come simply as good easy way to communicate? Why the after dead has to be scary? Anyways that is questioning the fundamentals of scary films which is fine until it is getting abused by films like “The Uninvited”.

Actually the ghosts come in the dreams and possible hallucinations of Anna. Anna is fed information by Alex to believe that Rachel is after every one related to Steve in order to be that obsessed crazy lady. Banks tries hard to give that dangerous girl look and appearing as a vicious woman but she is too nice for a role like this. All I could imagine was how she is delivering the dialogues to appear as to be seen in two ways. And I read in wiki that it is what exactly she intended to be in the film. It should not be visible that she is trying hard for it.

While I would not boast that I completely found out the ending, I pretty much knew who are the characters to look for and who are the ones protecting Anna. I also knew what it was on the other side of the door and in the winds flowing through the curtains. I always knew what to expect and the stupid moves and intentions of these sisters trying to make sense of the woman in their house.

See there needs to be something called characters. The characters can make a film work, sometimes even in the most loosely founded script. The ties with the other beings or with the loneliness they are living can be made in to a more scarier film than usual. Where is daddy Steve hiding in all these chaos? Under the crushed papers in a trash can of the writer’s office room. I am tired of films likes this. At least in the next film I hope they fix the house and a little bit of their characters too.