The Uninvited (2009)

Anna Rydell returns home to her sister (and best friend) Alex after a stint in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother, aloof father, and the presence of a ghost in their home.

Directors:

Charles Guard, Thomas Guard

Writers:

Craig Rosenberg (screenplay), Doug Miro (screenplay),

Stars:

Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Browning	...	Anna
Arielle Kebbel	...	Alex
David Strathairn	...	Steven
Elizabeth Banks	...	Rachel
Maya Massar	...	Mom
Kevin McNulty	...	Sheriff Emery
Jesse Moss	...	Matt
Dean Paul Gibson	...	Dr. Silberling
Don S. Davis	...	Mr. Henson
Lex Burnham	...	Iris
Matthew Bristol	...	David
Danny Bristol	...	Samuel
Heather Doerksen	...	Mildred
Alf Humphreys	...	Priest (as Alfred E. Humphreys)
Ryan Cowie	...	Orderly

Storyline

After the death of her ill mother in a fire, the young teenager Anna tries to commit suicide and is sent to a mental institution for treatment. Ten months later, Anna still cannot remember what had happened on the night her mother died. Her psychiatric Dr. Silberling, however, discharges her telling that she has resolved her issues. Her father and successful writer, Steven, brings her back home in an isolated mansion nearby the coast. Anna finds that her mother's former nurse, Rachel Summers, is her stepmother now. Anna meets her beloved sister, Alex, swimming in the sea. She discovers that Steven has not delivered the letters and CDs that Alex had sent to her. As time moves on, Anna is haunted by ghosts and she believes that Rachel killed her mother. Alex and Anna decide to look for evidences to prove that Rachel is the murderer and Anna discovers the truth about the fire in the boat house.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | boathouse | name on door | hanging a picture | diner | 

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Taglines:

Can you believe what you see?

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, thematic material, sexual content, language and teen drinking

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [au] Official site [fr]

Country:

USA Canada Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Tale of Two Sisters

Filming Locations:

Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£343,378 (UK) (24 April 2009)

Gross:

£927,501 (UK) (8 May 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Cold Spring Pictures, MacDonald/Parkes Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Emily Browning originally auditioned for the role of Alex.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, the bell is tied to mom's left hand. Later, in discussions and flashbacks, it's tied to her right hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Matt: I love you... I have a condom.

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

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Soundtracks

"The Songs That We Sing"
Written by Jarvis Cocker, Jean-Benoît Dunckel (as Jean Dunckel-Barbier), Nicolas Godin and Neil Hannon
Performed by Charlotte Gainsbourg
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. / Vice Music, Inc. / Because Music
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Clever Psycho-Drama

This was a pretty good fright flick. It kept the viewer engaged right up to the ending and while it seemed somewhat formulaic in terms of plot development and things that go bump in the night, it had plenty of scary moments and more than served its purpose, which was a few hours of entertainment.

Most of the movie deals with the relationship of sisters Anna and Alex with Rachel, the girlfriend of their father. Anna thinks Rachel murdered their late mother and possibly was behind some earlier unsolved murders. However, Anna was recently released from a mental institution and has some emotional issues that raises more suspicions about her than about Rachel. On the other hand, Rachel has some questionable aspects about her past that don't seem quite right. This guessing game continues until the dramatic ending.

The screenplay was very good, the cinematography captured the rocky coastline of Maine nicely, and the film was helped by good performances from Elizabeth Banks as Rachel, David Strathairn as the father, and Emily Browning as Anna.

This was a good horror movie well worth checking out.