‘The Uninvited’ movie review: Pedro Pascal and Walton Goggins in an aimless mess
After the success of feminist films like The Substance, it seems that many other studios are attempting to capitalise on the commercial boom related to these stories. Nadia Conners is one of many to create a so-called commentary on motherhood, ageing, and Hollywood with her directorial feature debut, The Uninvited. While the story certainly sounds like something I would be interested in, it is executed in such a weak and unconvincing way that any semblance of weight is completely lost.
After some shockingly awful and on-the-nose exposition, in which the main character, Rose, gazes at herself in the mirror and laments over how she imagined she would age ‘gracefully’, bickering with her husband, Sammy (played by Walton Goggins), over petty issues that seemingly arise from nowhere. The story begins after we learn that the couple are hosting an important Hollywood dinner party that evening, with Sammy banking on the evening to finalise some mysterious business plans. However, the bizarre catalyst of the story is created by the unexpected arrival of an uninvited guest – an old woman called Helen, who believes that she lives in their house.
From this point onwards, the film is laden with cringeworthy cliches and convoluted plot points, clutching at straws to create meaning between each uncorrelated event. Sammy is trying to entertain his guests, while Rose is having supposedly enlightening conversations with this old woman whose character leans into every stereotype in the book. Helen says randomly rude things and offers extremely vague pearls of wisdom.
It is clear that the writer is trying to imply that Helen’s arrival will encourage these vapid Hollywood stars to change their perspective on life after they meet someone who has been through it all, but her character is so poorly written that her alleged profound impact on the guests makes absolutely no sense.
As well as this, the central performances are not convincing at all, no doubt due to the clumsy script, heavy-handed metaphors and meandering plot that tries to create drama through the most predictable and pointless moments. Rose and Sammy’s son supposedly goes missing, but they find him sleeping in another room, and the crisis is averted. Sammy tries to set up a business deal with his friend, but his friend declines. Rose is being pursued by another man she was once in a relationship with, all while Helen is roaming the streets and making cryptic comments that add no justification to her being there, becoming an unnecessary and repetitive side plot alongside the dinner party.
The Uninvited feels like two hours of someone trying to fill time, with absolutely no genuine insights into the themes it claims to explore. The main character is a mother, and while a few slightly interesting moments point out the clash between her past and reality as a mother, the insights on motherhood end there. It is supposedly a commentary on fame and Hollywood, too, with Helen’s character being intended as a jolt of authenticity to wake them up to the real world and the vapidity of fame, but executes this so poorly that the ending feels like a forced and abrupt emotional catharsis.
It’s not completely offensive to watch, but it just isn’t good, and even a star-studded cast cannot bring life to something so sparse and full of holes.
