The Uninvited | DVD Review

Where to begin? How does a film that showcases some fine acting performances, solid direction, and a production team whose credits include a ton of blockbusters end up with only a “worthy viewing” rating? In the case of The Uninvited, let’s chalk it up to an over-ambitious screenplay that fails to tie up some loose ends in its attempt to out-Shyamalan M. Night Shyamalan.

Granted, Shyamalan’s output of late has been lacking originality in its twist endings, and The Uninvited does actually provide a few genuine surprises for viewers who haven’t seen A Tale of Two Sisters, the hit Korean film from which it was adapted. The glossy North-Americanized version, which grossed $28.5 million domestically, is the story of Anna (Emily Browning, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events), a girl who returns home after ten months of being institutionalized following her mother’s tragic death. Anna is happy to be home in the loving arms of her father (David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck.) and her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel, The Grudge 2, Red Mist). But when she finds out that her mother’s old nurse, Rachel (Elizabeth Banks, W., Zack and Miri Make a Porno), is now engaged to her father and living in their house, the sisters become suspicious about the circumstances surrounding their mother’s death and begin to investigate Rachel’s background. Aided by spectral visitations from her mother, among others, Anna will have to convince her dad before it’s too late. Can she?

It’s a promising premise, if a little busy in its attempt to keep viewers’ minds focused so as not to wander off and figure out the twist before it’s revealed. Backed up by strong acting all-around – especially from Browning and Banks – the direction from The Guard Brothers (Charles and Thomas) is, considering it’s a PG-13 thriller and that they plied their trade making commercials before this, remarkable for its lack of quick cuts and dodgy editing. This straightforward but elegant style provides for a pretty eerie and dark atmospheric mood.

As with the rest of the film, everything is fine in the DVD presentation, it’s just not earth-shattering. The picture is crisp, and the sound field is well-utilized in the 5.1 Surround mix. The special features included are:
Unlocking the Uninvited: this making-of documentary starts off with husband and wife producers Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald discussing how and why they acquired the rights to remake A Tale of Two Sisters and goes on to touch just about every aspect of making the film, including interviews with the directors and much of the cast.
Deleted Scenes: The deleted scenes included here would not have helped or hindered the film in any way (except for one that the directors must have felt would have made the twist ending a little less surprising), so they must have been left out due to concerns about time and fluidity. This special feature would have been better if the brothers would provide commentary as to why the scenes were cut.
Alternate Ending: There are some people who complained that the theatrical version of the film tied things up too conveniently at the end, but that would be a misleading statement. Compared to this alternate ending, there isn’t any difference in the conclusion that the audience is expected to come to, it’s just that the version they decided to release to North American theatres makes sure the audience gets it, while this alternate ending lets the idea float around and sink in. And perhaps that’s what’s wrong with this otherwise good film: there’s no room for the audience to think.

There is nothing wrong with The Uninvited; it’s actually a competent supernatural-tinged psychological thriller. It’s just that maybe it tries a little too hard to nudge the viewer away from figuring things out on his or her own, so that the payoff at the end is successful and ‘shocking’. It’s hard to not feel manipulated at the end of The Uninvited, and yet it still didn’t fell like a waste of time. Go figure.

Movie rating – 2.5

Disc Rating – 2.5