Seen on: January 31, 2009

The players: Directors: Thomas Guard, Charles Guard, Writers: Doug Miro, Craig Rosenberg, Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Strathairn, Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel

Facts of interest: Based on Kim Jee-Woon's "A Tale of Two Sisters."

The plot: Two sisters try everything they can to convince their father that his new girlfriend is not the person she pretends to be.

Our thoughts: Charles and Thomas Guard’s “The Uninvited” is yet another lame, unnecessary horror remake that lacks suspense and falls victim to a nearly disastrous script. No matter how bad these flicks are, they just keep coming, and it’s annoying me now more than ever.

Based on South Korea’s “A Tale of Two Sisters,” the film introduces us to Anna (Emily Browning), whose life becomes a living hell when she returns home after spending several months in a mental facility for an attempted suicide.

Still mourning her mother’s tragic death, Anna is haunted by terrifying dreams and visions that lead her to believe her father’s new girlfriend Rachael (Elizabeth Banks) is not the person she pretends to be. Together with her sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel), Anne heads out to uncover the truth.

If you think this story sounds rather boring and unoriginal, I don’t blame you. In truth, all you get in return for the price of admission is a series of cheap shock effects and lousy appearances by ghosts. But hey, if that’s your thing, I admit you may actually enjoy this film.

However, if you expect a vibrant thriller with plenty of scares and an intriguing atmosphere, I highly recommend you stay far away from this one. The list of flaws is long, but the movie’s greatest weakness is undoubtedly its slow-moving plot, which spends nearly 90 minutes following a suspicious girl who sees dead people. Been there, seen that…

Because talking in greater detail about this flick would be a waste of time, I’ll quickly get to the cast. Neither Browning nor Kebbel turns in a convincing performance, and their characters are more annoying than they are interesting. As for Elizabeth Banks and the awesome David Strathairn, I really don’t know what convinced them to join this project.

Freaky quote: “You know what Anna, I don't think this is going to work out." – Elizabeth Banks

The final word: With minimal action, worthless dialogue and a stupid final twist that completely ruins an already weak movie, “The Uninvited” is one to avoid. If you’re really in the mood for a brainless film boasting excellent action and plenty of suspense, go see “Taken” instead.

Article by Franck Tabouring