The Uninvited

Director: The Guard brothers
Cast: Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn
DVD release: 23 July 2009
Rated: MA15+

Twin Peaks meets The Sixth Sense

The Uninvited is not a remake of the creepy 1943 Ray Milland film of the same name, remarkable for its unsettling atmosphere, and all the more frightening for the ethereal ghost being only vaguely glimpsed. The new film seems distantly related to Twin Peaks, with David Lynch style dream sequences and lots of pine trees. There’s also more than a touch of The Sixth Sense. Actually it’s based on one of those Asian horror flicks so often remade now for American audiences who obviously don’t enjoy subtitles. The ghosties here are strictly of the solid gruesome variety.

The film starts dramatically with a beach party dream which would give Freud cause for alarm. Then we discover Anna (Emily Browning) the dreamer is in a mental hospital under treatment of a kindly psychiatrist being told surprisingly she’s well enough to go home. But coming home she finds dad Steven (David Strathairn) is making out with ‘wicked’ stepmother-to-be Rachael (Elizabeth Banks). Rachael tries hard to befriend Anna. But Anna and her elder sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) also living in the rambling family mansion (which could be out of Twin Peaks) hide suspicions Rachael caused their ill mother’s death in a fire and explosion a year earlier. Anna witnessed the event, the emotional shock causing her mental instability and memory loss of what took place.

The sisters determine Rachael has a shady past and might be a killer. Anna’s boyfriend Matt shows up briefly explaining he witnessed the whole thing, but is promptly despatched before he can impart information to Anna which might implicate Rachael. Sister Alex encourages Anna to expose Rachael, who alternatively treats Anna with kindness or becomes threatening. Ghoulish appearances in dreams or otherwise continue to haunt Anna and turn more disturbing. Yet all is not what it seems. In the last act the story’s dumped on its head with a plot twist which almost beggars belief. The writers thoughtfully if unnecessarily add a coda to explain what really happened, and a kicker end scene which neatly ties the show up.

Bright eyed Aussie Blue Heelers star Emily Browning (coming to prominence in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) spends much time wandering around with a perturbed pout, but does infuse needed life into the role as a young and vulnerable teenager. David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) looks totally miserable, maybe he wonders why he took the limited part. He’s capable of much better things.

Poor Elizabeth Banks, (Laura Bush in W.) cops a dismal line about wiping old people’s backsides in her earlier days as a nurse. As a conniving bitch she’s reasonably good value. Arielle Kebbel (The Grudge II) makes the most of the conspiring sister determined to solve the sinister mystery of the fatal fire.

Directed by Charles and Thomas Guard as The Guard Brothers - clearly not related to the Coens - the plot’s a little creaky although the surprise ending helps its case immeasurably. Production tends to the routine often appearing if shot for TV with lots of big close ups. But it does on balance provide scary shocks in a traditional manner. There’s nasty business with garbage bags as Anna sees dead people in the most unlikely places, even under kitchen stoves. These horribly deceased souls leap out with a blast on the sound track which keeps you from dozing. They’re definitely not the shy retiring type of ghost.

The Uninvited has more going for it than many recent horror movies thankfully not relying on chopped up body parts dripping with blood. Rather a good old supernatural thriller harking back to The Haunting, and The Sixth Sense with overtones of Twin Peaks.

John Bale

P.S. A further connection with Twin Peaks is the cameo part for Don S. David who played Major Garland Briggs in the TV series.

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