The Uninvited (2009)

Anna Ivers returns home to her sister Alex after a stint in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother. Her dismay quickly turns to horror when she is visited by ghastly visions of her dead mother.

Directors:

Charles Guard (as The Guard Brothers), Thomas Guard (as The Guard Brothers)

Writers:

Craig Rosenberg (screenplay), Doug Miro (screenplay)

Stars:

Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks

2 nominations.

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 | female protagonist | 2000s | 1980s | 

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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 [Australia] Official site [France]

Country:

USA Canada Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Apparition

Filming Locations:

Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,325,824 (USA) (30 January 2009)

Gross:

$28,573,173 (USA) (27 March 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Cold Spring Pictures, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

DTS SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A variation of clever camera angles and forced perspective helped maintain the illusion Elizabeth Banks was several inches taller than Emily Browning who in reality is only two inches shorter.

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Goofs

Pay close attention to the bags of groceries and the box of supplies that Matt delivers to the dock. Although the bags are apparently full and the box contains some heavy looking items, it's obvious by the way the girls easily lift and toss them around that they indeed contain nothing but empty boxes, bottles, etc.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

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Soundtracks

Green Haze
Written by Miles Davis
Performed by Miles Davis
Courtesy of Concord Music Group, Inc.

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good

A lot of people seem to be judging this movie by the trailer alone, but I was lucky enough to see an advance screening today, and I have to say that the movie was not what I expected. Sure, some of the obvious plot points in the trailer are there, but overall, the movie was really quite good. Suspenseful, scary at the right moments, with a hint of a flavor you don't see in most movies.

I'm not going to say much about it, but take my word for it that I thought it was really well done. It's not perfect, but it definitely does well for itself. Don't just judge a book by its cover, nor a movie simply by its trailer.

Yes, it may be a remake, but it's a good remake. I give it: 8/10.