A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Uninvited” (2025).
“The Uninvited” is the debut fictional* feature film from writer/director Nadia Connors, who is also coincidentally Mrs Walton Goggins. (* Connors previously directed a well-regarded 2007 eco-documentary called “The 11th Hour”.) It’s an odd fish of a film, classed on IMDB as a “Comedy/Drama”. While the plot was set up for a fine comedy of manners, it’s more drama than comedy. This was perhaps a bit of a mistake imho.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“The Uninvited” Plot:
Ex-star actress Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) and struggling agent Sammy (Walton Goggins) live in a swanky house in the Hollywood Hills. They are holding a party for a select group of Hollywood’s finest. But the arrival of a confused old woman, Helen (Lois Smith) who thinks she still lives there, disrupts Rose’s party preparations.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Very strong language, drug misuse”.)
Talent:
Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, Lois Smith, Rufus Sewell, Eva De Dominici, Pedro Pascal, Kate Comer, Roland Rubio, Michael Panes.
Directed by: Nadia Conners.
Written by: Nadia Conners.
Running Time: 1h 37m.
“The Uninvited” Summary:
Positives:
- The set up of the plot is interesting.
- There’s some finely observed black comedy.
- A really interesting cast with some strong performances.
- A fun music score.
Negatives:
- It’s more drama than comedy and the different strands of drama don’t tie together well.
- Most of the characters are pretty narcissistic and unpleasant and it’s difficult to care about them.
Review of “The Uninvited”:
A great plot set-up.
Nadia Conners should be commended for delivering an intriguing set-up for her film. We start by setting up the marital disharmony in the home. Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) is a former star actress but now a full time mother to young Wilder (Roland Rubio). She’s frustrated that she can’t seem to get back into work again. Sammy (Walton Goggins) is a theatrical agent, suffering a mid-life crisis, desperately unhappy with his job and looking to branch out on his own, dragging with him a star client (the golden-goose Gerald (Rufus Sewell)).
Rose and Sammy’s marriage has had better days and as we open the film the pair are bickering about everything. Cue a constantly parping Prius at the front gate containing our protagonist Helen (Lois Smith). All of this is happening while a ‘spirit aura photographer’ (very LA!), played by Michael Panes, is setting up downstairs and the first of the important guests are arriving.
But it’s more drama than comedy.
The comedic potential of all of this is superb, setting up for a raucous comedy of manners of the likes of “Death at a Funeral”. Sadly, for me, that’s not the direction we go in as the few and far between laughs tend to dry up (I felt a bit robbed to be honest) and we pursue a multitude of somewhat melodramatic story lines. Some of these are:
- The mystery as to why Helen is there and who can come and collect her;
- The attempts by Rose’s ex, Lucien (Pedro Pascal), to rekindle their relationship;
- Sammy’s attempts to persuade Gerald to join him in his venture;
- Rose’s unhappiness that the stage role, that she made her own with Lucien, has been recast for the movie. It’s not only that it wasn’t her, but also that it is the young and gorgeous starlet Delia (Eva De Dominici).
The script wants you to believe that Helen is somehow the catalyst in all of these dramatic strands. But, apart from a few carelessly repeated truths, Helen is almost inconsequential to many of them. Another issue I had is that the different dramatic strands never really coalesce into a unified whole: it always looks like you are watching five distinct chapters within a common location.
It also doesn’t help that you care very little about what happens to these self-obsessed and generally unpleasant people. It would be my idea of hell to be one of the party guests and have to engage in small-talk with them. So it’s difficult to get enthusiastic about being in their celluloid company for even 100 minutes.
It’s not without its laughs.
So, the film majors on its drama, but I don’t want to imply that it is without laughs. There are some witty insights into the vainglorious and narcissistic world of these assorted stars, agents and producers.
For example, a producer rejects Rose for a part because the producer doesn’t think she would be convincing as the mother of a 6-year-old. This drips with irony in two respects: firstly, the gorgeous Elizabeth Reaser (aged 49) looks about 10 years younger than her actual age (particularly wearing THAT very revealing red dress!); and secondly her child, Wilder, in the film can’t actually be older than about 7 or 8!
I also liked the nice touch of Helen stating that the fireplace in the house was one that she bought off David Niven. The clueless Delia then pipes up “Who is David Niven?”!
A really interesting cast.
None of the names are names that I would class as fully “A-list”, but they make for a really interesting ensemble.
- In particular, where has Elizabeth Reaser been hiding? She is probably best known for her recurring role as Esme Cullen in the “Twilight” saga but none of the other films in her filmography have crossed my path. But she is a genuinely interesting actress to watch (giving off Eva Green vibes) with a very expressive and attractive style. I’d love to see more of her.
- The 95-year-old Lois Smith looks to be having a fun time as the dementia-addled Helen. Her first film was 1955’s “East of Eden” and she has been a regular fixture on big and small screens since then including the whacky gardener lady in one of my favourite Spielberg films “Minority Report”.
- Rufus Sewell is as wonderful as ever, although he probably needs to be careful at not being typecast as the drunk and obnoxious English dinner guest: his role here is almost identical to that in the recent “The Trouble With Jessica“!
- The Argentinian actress Eva De Dominici is a new name for me, but she seems perfectly cast as the up-and-coming new starlet that everyone wants to be associated with;
- Pedro Pascal plays an interesting character: a well-known actor and boyfriend of Rose before drink got the better of him. Pascal is flying high with TV roles in the Star Wars spin off “The Mandalorian” and “The Last of Us” as well as an impressive range of high-profile film roles including “Wonder Woman 1985“; “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent“; “Drive-Away Dolls” and of course “Gladiator II“.
- Sharing the ‘top-name’ status in the film is Walton Goggins, who has a huge filmography (including “The Hateful 8“; “Tomb Raider” and “Ant Man and the Wasp“) but has recently shot into the general public consciousness as the tormented Rick Hatchett in the brilliant third series of “The White Lotus”
The quirky score gets credit from me.
I very much enjoyed the quirky score by Eric Avery and the well-chosen needle drops included, especially Louis Armstrong’s “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South”: you can never fail in my eyes by including a bit of well chosen Satchmo in your film.
Summary Thoughts on “The Uninvited”
It’s a mixed bag, made slightly disappointing because I thought the premise promised much more than it delivered. But it’s got some interesting angles and is well worth your time.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
At the time of writing, the film is not available on the “Justwatch” database.
Trailer for “The Uninvited”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBWz-YTbWuI.
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