Committed to a mental hospital after her mother's tragic death, teenager Anna (Emily Browning) discovers upon her release that her father (David Strathairn) plans to marry his deceased wife's former nurse, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks), a woman who may not have the best intentions. Foreboding warnings from her mother's ghost only cement Anna's suspicions in this remake of the 2003 Korean chiller Janghwa, Hongryeon (Rose and Lotus aka A Tale of Two Sisters). -netflix
I really was not sure what to expect from this remake, as I had not seen the original Korean film. I dig a good thriller, so I thought I would give this one a shot. Even if the movie was not very good, I could enjoy looking at the very cute Emily Browning for ninety minutes or so.
So this film basically boils down to a girl who is having trouble dealing with the death of her mother and the fact that her dad is shacking up with a new woman. She is dealing with some psychological issues while trying to readjust to the changes in her life at home. Signs start pointing to the new woman in dad's life being a black widow of sorts... killing off the competition to take over life with the husband. The girl begins having visions and dreams of her mom trying to warn her about the new woman of the house. This sparks her to investigate Rachel and try to convince dad to dump her.
While this film is more psychological thriller and drama than it is horror... I still enjoyed it. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching the Lifetime movie channel. It was pretty tame on the gore-front, tame on the language front, and unfortunately for me... tame on the nudity front (or the frontal nudity). The few effects that did find their way into the movie were fairly well done. Not sure why it is titled "The Uninvited" though. I assume it refers to the new woman taking over the house... but I guess it could also refer to other things as well.
The story was a pretty good one, the actors did a nice job, and the twist at the end makes it worth your while. This is not my favorite movie of all time, but I think most people would enjoy it. This movie had what I refer to as a "lifetimey" feel, so it is probably a good date movie, as I think alot of women would like it. And so you won't think me sexist, I enjoyed it too. If you are looking for a decent psychological thriller to watch on a rainy night, give The Uninvited a shot.
Committed to a mental hospital after her mother's tragic death, teenager Anna (Emily Browning) discovers upon her release that her father (David Strathairn) plans to marry his deceased wife's former nurse, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks), a woman who may not have the best intentions. Foreboding warnings from her mother's ghost only cement Anna's suspicions in this remake of the 2003 Korean chiller Janghwa, Hongryeon (Rose and Lotus aka A Tale of Two Sisters). -netflix
