A lot of us are just now getting fully back outside, yet there are a couple of upcoming films that will make you want to stay in the house. Searchlight Pictures’ The Menu and Sony Pictures’ The Invitation are two peculiar films that circle the same concept of mystery and mayhem.
The Menu follows couple, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), as they visit the exclusive restaurant Hawthorn on a remote island where militant top chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) prepares a lavish, killer meal. Everything is not what it seems, and that becomes more apparent as the multi-dish meal continues. Mark Mylod directs the pic written by scribes Seth Reiss and Will Tracy.
Watch the Official Teaser for ‘The Menu’
Starring Nathalie Emmanuel, Hugh Skinner, and Thomas Doherty, The Invitation centers on Evie (Emmanuel), a biracial woman on a journey to discover her ancestral roots. Her research leads her to find her cousin, Oliver (Skinner), who invites her to a wedding where all family members will be present. Through a series of nefarious events, the once innocent invitation becomes a blood-curdling nightmare for Evie.
Watch the Official Trailer for ‘The Invitation’
The Invitation is directed by Jessica M. Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay alongside Blair Butler.
From the looks of it, The Invitation is a vampire horror thriller, but the story has a similar cautionary tale as The Menu. Be careful who you entertain and be weary of invitations. It’s a paranoiac way to go about life and it certainly doesn’t promote the free-spirited optimism that most hoped for post-pandemic. Still, learning from others’ mistakes seems like the better option here, even if it’s through quote, unquote, fictional films.
The Invitation draws blood in theaters on Aug. 26. The Menu is expected to serve its dish on Nov. 18.
