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In stylish but pretentiously artsy drama "The Uninvited" Hollywood agent Walton Goggins (always good) & ex-actress wife Elizabeth Reaser (outstanding) host a party for guests including actors Pedro Pascal (Reaser's first love who supposedly oozes charm - tho Pascal doesn't convey that) & Goggins' main client Rufus Sewell (with actress gf Eva Di Dominici). As domestic issues unfold (particularly between Goggins & Reaser) elderly Lois Smith pitches up with her dementia apparently convincing her she lives there. What writer / director Nadia Conners intended with it all in her second film is unclear even after the credits roll. It's quite nice to look at, but ultimately meh.

This film was not what I was expecting. I walked into a comedy and left with my heart in a thousand pieces. Not many films have moved me to tears on that many levels - it was a balanced exchange of wit and woe. Despite being set in the Hollywood Hills, the tensions and conflicts, especially around identify and relationships will resonate deeply with many.

The nuances in the storytelling leave you with a lot to unpack and it's one of those films you could see multiple times and still find something new and revealing about the characters. Elizabeth Reaser (Rose) and Lois Smith (Helen) are brillant in bringing to life two women with shared experiences of loss and of being lost.

It will stay with me for a while this one.

When you want to critique Hollywood, you have to do it intimately and not in a gigantic and obscene way like the budgets of summer movies: The Uninvited is a play to keep you close and engaged thanks to a beautifully staged sequence of almost thriller-like setups to surprise you. There are no superheroes, mass murderers, or lovers running through airports, but real people who feel like all of us.

All the characters are charming until real-life problems catch up with them to show that they are vulnerable humans, where there will always be hope. But will everything be too late? That's what each spectator will have to judge.

Beautifully written and acted. Every detail is perfect. Truly amazing performances by every actor. Lois Smith gives an Academy award worthy performance and steals the show. Walter Goggins is uncomfortable and anxious and funny and lovable all at the same time. This is one of the best performances I've seen from Pedro Pascal. I love him in everything, but this role felt so natural for him. I felt every moment of Elizabeth Reaser's pain annd moments of joy. All of the characters are complex and intriguing. The story has many surprises in what appears to be a straightforward movie about a party. I cried and laughed and wished it was longer. We are not.

I can see why many already famous actors would want to be part of this movie. A balanced comedy drama; uses a Hollywood environment to set up a surprisingly great movie. The script is so well distilled that manages to be dense while feeling familiar, no matter your circumstances. Lois Smith is a total blast ... just think of it, as she seems to be 95 years old; she is one of probably two main characters in this movie, and she takes you for a ride ... you don't know what to expect from her! Her body language is so expressive ... her state of mind may switch from gone to utterly present in a nanosecond. Elizabeth is brilliant as well; as she understands and embraces this strange presence while balancing her myriad or roles as host / wife / mother and coach. Three well recognizable male actors play roles most men can identify with ... the worried husband, the creative / God like ... the non vibant ... no time to feel, etc. Loved every character in this movie; which is a way of saying that writer / director is unusually talented.