|
The Uninvited Haunts its Way Into Theaters
by Reg Seeton
 Back in 2007 I was invited to the set of The Uninvited in Vancouver, BC when the film was still under its direct remake title of A Tale of Two Sisters, the creepy and truly scary 2003 South Korean horror movie by director Ji-woon Kim. I ended up spending the day on a tiny island hidden away on the Sunshine Coast of BC with veteran producer Walter Parkes (Gladiator, The Ring), and stars Arielle Kebbel, Emily Browning, David Strathairn, and Elizabeth Banks. Having already been familiar with (and scared out of my mind by) the previous A Tale of Two Sisters, I knew Parkes and crew had a big challenge ahead of them in capturing the same spine tingling suspense and terror of its predecessor. Early in the day I asked Parkes about how he and sibling directors Thomas and Charles Guard would be retooling the story to make it more relatable to American audiences. Long story short; Parkes revealed that the story would be reimagined so that it would stand on its own legs as a new film. Having now caught the final product under its new title The Uninvited, I finally understand what Walter Parkes was talking about. And to the production's credit, changing the title of the film was a good start since any Asian horror remake that comes down the cinematic pike now is much too late to the party after the popularity of movies like The Grudge and The Ring.
 Long before its release, though, The Uninvited was ripe for the critical pickings. With the wave of Asian horror remakes still fresh on everyone's mind, it was hard to think that another 90 minute retooled spookfest wouldn't be ravaged by critics and get a fair shake at the box-office. I mean, what horror movie isn't going to evoke such reaction as "standard plot", "typical scares", "tired twists", "cliché dialogue", "unoriginal", etc, and so on? And sure, The Uninvited can't escape any of the predictable and expected elements that you've seen before, but it's not nearly as bad as the predictability of the weekly critics. Having experienced a first-hand look at the production when it was under its remake title, there's no way I can look at The Uninvited and say that its as scary or as terrifying as A Tale of Two Sisters. It isn't, because it's a different type of horror movie that been reconstructed in a different way. That's not to say it's a write-off either. Its been Americanized in the same way that The Ring was retooled from Ringu. Is it is as good as The Ring? No. But like I've said before about some horror offerings of the past, it's not as bad as some of the horrible, god-awful atrocities some critics hail as B-movie classics.
 If you're not familiar with the 2003 Korean film, that's your best shot at having some fun with The Uninvited. Emily Browning takes on the role of Anna, a young girl struggling to cope with the death of her mother, who returns home from a mental hospital and reunites with her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel) only to learn that her father (David Strathairn) has now shacked up with her mother's nurse Rachel (Elizabeth Banks). With a little help from the weird and supernatural, their peaceful island home gets turned upside down as the stepmother experiences the terror of a haunted house and the pain of two sisters. To the girls, there's more to their new mom than meets the eye. To the audience, there's more to The Uninvited underneath the surface than what you see on screen? Is it psychological or is it supernatural?
The Uninvited wastes no time as it moves forward with several psychological twists that keep you off balance with imagery of dead bodies, deathly nightmares, and dripping blood. The best elements within the story are the many questions that arise since nothing is as it seems. Have we seen similar devices before? Absolutely. However, if it weren't for the fact that it forces you to question what's real and what's not, it would be extremely predictable. At least The Uninvited doesn't paint by the numbers like your typical slasher flick and attempts to keep you guessing. And when the story comes to an end, it's the most unpredictable part of the film.
 However, where the film falters is in the answers to the questions and the film's fright factor. Like I mentioned, the wave of Asian horror remakes are still fresh on everyone's mind, so for many the terror of the dead won't be able to spook anyone out of their seats as much as if The Uninvited came out eight years ago. The Uninvited will depend on what type of horror fan you are, your tolerance for Americanized horror remakes, and your ability to let yourself go along for the ride. The original A Tale of Two Sisters is much creepier in its tone and its use of suspense but The Uninvited isn't as bad as it could have been and not as great as I had hoped.
|
