It’s that time of the year again, when studios seem to empty out their trashcans onto multiplexes around the country. With the major Oscar contenders still in theaters, there are plenty of quality options available, all of which are better choices than The Uninvited.
Based on the 2003 Korean thriller A Tale of Two Sisters, the film follows Anna Rydell (Emily Browning) as she returns home from the loony bin. Still shaken from her mother’s death in a mysterious fire the year before, Anna finds an unwelcome surprise in dad’s new live-in girlfriend, Rachael (Penn alum Elizabeth Banks). Anna may as well have stayed in the asylum, because her life at home is plagued by night terrors and Rachael’s stranglehold over her father’s attention. With the help of her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel), Anna digs deeper into Rachael’s past, only to uncover some unfavorable secrets.
The scares are predictable and fleeting, and not even an admittedly unexpected final twist can rescue the film from its future spot in the bargain bin. The second half improves upon a sluggish beginning, anchored by the emergence of Banks’ inner-bitch. Playing against type, she steals the show, especially in the film’s latter stages. Kebbel offers the only laughs, thankfully overshadowing Browning, who has the screen presence of a corpse. Though not unbearable at under an hour and a half, The Uninvited shouldn’t prompt anyone to beg for an invitation.
The Uninvited Directed by: Charles and Thomas Guard Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Emily Browning Rated: PG-13
