Invited (2024) Review – A Tense But Ultimately Absurd Digital Nightmare

Welcome to Knockout Horror. We are back with another Found Footage horror suggested by Reddit. Today’s movie is screenlife horror Invited from 2024. You can check this one out completely free on the Terror Films YouTube channel which is pretty neat, to be fair.

Enjoyable screenlife horror

I’m probably more of a fan of screenlife horror than most people. It has been a sub-genre I have enjoyed going all the way back to The Collingswood Story and I am happy to see the format still being utilised. Hell, it has even made its way to Hollywood with well-regarded thrillers like Searching and Missing.

The aforementioned movies are, probably, two are the more noteworthy examples. But mid-2010s films like Unfriended and The Den also brought the style to prominence among the horror community. The last specific horror movie to strike gold with an entirely computer screen-based presentation was 2020’s paranormal horror Host and that is the movie Invited most resembles. 

Well, I say that purely from a stylist viewpoint and the real-time nature of the events taking place. The plots are entirely different. Invited eschews the webcam-based paranormal scares in favour of a more realistic and far more believable scenario. The movie sees a family jumping on a Zoom-style video call to watch the wedding of their daughter who has eloped to Russia. Little do they realise that there is a more sinister side to the ceremony than they initially thought.

Simple and undemanding

Much like Host, Invited is a fairly undemanding and easy to follow movie. It doesn’t ask too much of the viewer and manages to accomplish a little with a lot. We are introduced to the character we will be spending the most time with, Linda (Martina Schabron), before being offered up some minor exposition on Linda’s familial problems and struggles with alcohol. We are then introduced to other members of the family before learning of their strained relationships.

“It is hard not to admire how much scene setting and character establishing director Navin Ramaswaran accomplishes in such a small space of time.”

It’s pretty nicely done. It is hard not to admire how much scene setting and character establishing director Navin Ramaswaran accomplishes in such a small space of time. We find out about the mother’s alcohol issues. It becomes clear that she has caused an accident that has injured her son. We learn that her parents don’t approve of her and that her daughter has drifted away from her. 

It’s impressive stuff and continues throughout the movie. We are drip-fed information about the characters slowly but clearly. The story consistently being built on throughout. It is made clear that there is a far more sinister motive for the ceremony than initially assumed. And the well-developed and fleshed-out threat is slowly unfurled. For the first 30 minutes or so, Invited is an interesting movie with great pacing and an interesting plot. Unfortunately, that is where things fall apart a little.

Gets a little ridiculous

As things begin to escalate; everything turns just a tad bit ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean that every character in the movie reverts to an almost caveman-like level of intelligence. Certain events take place that would, at their worst, demand only basic levels of common sense for the average person to solve. The characters here are completely lacking in that common sense and do the complete opposite of what they should.

I get it, you have to add some stakes and further the plot. But the levels of stupidity on display here are beyond eye-rolling. You won’t be screaming at your television in frustration. There is just no point, these characters would be too dumb to understand a single word you were yelling.

“Certain events take place that would, at their worst, demand only basic levels of common sense for the average person to solve.”

It, unfortunately, ruins the climax of the movie and undermines the carefully built story preceding it. The final 20 minutes, or so, are pretty high-octane but just too silly to actually buy into.

Still watchable

Despite these issues, this is still a watchable movie. I mean, let’s be real, we have to grade found footage on a curve. It is a genre that implies DIY levels of filmmaking and should be thought of as such. And as far as movies like this go, Invited is enjoyable and shows a lot of potential.

Story and characters are well-developed and established quickly and effectively. Acting is fine, for the most part. The interactions between characters are a little inorganic at times but typically okay and the pacing is decent. There are even a few moments here and there that may prove quite shocking for some viewers.

“It deserves criticism for the ending and how dumb the characters are. But it deserves equal praise for the many things it does right.”

The ending lets things down a fair bit and characters are stupid beyond belief. But for a free movie that you can watch on YouTube, you could do a lot worse. Both my partner and I enjoyed Invited and while I wouldn’t put it up there with Host, it is a good effort.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.