The Uninvited

Rating PG13 Formats DVD Genre horror Starring Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn, Elizabeth Banks Directed by Charles Guard, Thomas Guard Publisher DreamWorks External Links Official The Uninvited Website

The Uninvited sticks to the true formula and structure that we all have come to expect from our beloved horror flicks.  This thriller combines hot chicks, creepy and sickly pale undead children, barely legal cleavage and of course, an anticipated bloody twist in the final ending scene.

From the producers of The Ring and Disturbia, DreamWorks presents to you, The Uninvited.  This 2009 American remake of the 2003 South Korean thriller, Changhwa Hongryon will have you hiding under your blankie like a three year old. Anna, played by Emily Browning, returns home after spending ten months in a mental hospital.  Anna attempted to end her life after the unfortunate death of her mother, causing her father, played by David Strathairn, to send her to a sanitarium to receive medical help.

After returning home, Anna finds that her father is engaged to a woman that she doesn’t approve of.  Her father plans to marry her mother’s former nurse.  Rachel, played by Elizabeth Banks, cared for Anna’s ill mother before she got killed in a mysterious fire. Rachel has quickly taken over the house by eliminating all memorable items that represent Anna’s mother.

Anna’s recovery is soon reevaluated when she sees her mothers ghost. The following days Anna encounters multiple unknown ghosts who warn her of Rachel’s evil intentions.  Anna and her sister, played by Arielle Kebbel, go on a mission to prove to their father that his fiancé, Rachel, is not who she claims to be.  Both sisters are convinced that Rachel had an influence on their mother’s death.  While attempting to find evidence that will convince their father that Rachel is a murderer, they run into many unexpected setbacks.

Rachel is the classic stereotype of the evil stepmother…perhaps a bit more intense though.  While Anna’s calm demeanor and delicate emotional state may make her seem sweet and inferior to Rachel’s ulterior plan, you’ll find that she is quick to prove us wrong.

Surprisingly, despite the movie’s place in the horror genre, The Uninvited consists of a very comical cast.  Emily Browning, who plays Anna, has recently stared in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events where she plays the innocent Violet, an orphan who is sent to live with her crazy relative (Jim Carry).  Elizabeth Banks, who plays Rachel, has recently been seen in the phenomenal comedies, The 40-Year-old Virgin, Role Models and my absolute favorite, Zack and Miri Make a Porno.  Lastly, we have Arielle Kebbel, who plays Anna’s sister Alex.  Arielle’s most memorable performances include her roles in the teen flicks, John Tucker Must Die and American Pie Presents Band Camp.