Anna returns home after a stint in a mental hospital, but her recovery is jeopardized by her father's new girlfriend and ghastly visions of her dead mother.Anna returns home after a stint in a mental hospital, but her recovery is jeopardized by her father's new girlfriend and ghastly visions of her dead mother.Anna returns home after a stint in a mental hospital, but her recovery is jeopardized by her father's new girlfriend and ghastly visions of her dead mother.
- Awards
- 2 nominations total
Daniel Bristol
- Samuel
- (as Danny Bristol)
Alf Humphreys
- Priest
- (as Alfred E. Humphreys)
C.A. Fraser Bain
- Orderly
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
For my part, I find it excellent. I who usually hate horror movies, I really enjoyed The Uninvited, because it's not a horror movie, precisely. I would rather say that it's a thriller, particularly well done, which features Emily Browning, an amazing actress who plays well throughout the film. All the supporting roles are equally compelling, from the creepy stepmother to the protective sister and the ambiguous father.
But the real strenght of The Uninvited is its ending : completely unexpected, it is very well brought and remains logical with everything that has been showed to us previously, if we watch the whole thing again. A very nice surprise for me! 8/10.
But the real strenght of The Uninvited is its ending : completely unexpected, it is very well brought and remains logical with everything that has been showed to us previously, if we watch the whole thing again. A very nice surprise for me! 8/10.
What worked:
It's a beautifully shot and captured movie, with amazing natural space. The movie keeps its essence and mysterious till the end, which is a plus point, making it a watchable movie
What did not work
I must say the screenplay and narrative of the movie is weak, making it a dull watch because of the lack of substance. The movie is a simple thriller, with few thrills or exciting scenes. I would have loved the movie more if the movie had maintained the mood and climate of the movie. It's not a bad watch but an average watch
Final verdict: it's an okay time pass movie
While many people are just so put off by this film for many reasons, I was very surprised by how it actually turned out.
Although the original, "A Tale of Two Sisters", was an epic movie that delivered certain moods and feelings that this movie (and most other films to date) couldn't quite capture, this film was still just great.
One thing to understand was that this movie was completely westernized. Remakes such as "The Grudge" take place in Japan, but the main characters are replaced with an American or European cast, and sometimes the story just doesn't quite fit the way it should with that type of a cast. In this film, the "A Tale of Two Sisters" story is completely translated into an American setting, in the north in a small town. The characters are tweaked a little to accommodate the new setting, and so are some of the scenes and plot lines. This is where many fans of the original get upset and get their panties in a bunch.
If this film was truly remade true to the original, it would just be the original film itself being remade 5 years later with the same cast and same script. This film is honestly one of the best Asian-horror remakes that has been made in the past 3 or 4 years if not ever. The cast gives solid performances and there were little or no plot holes. There were actually less plot holes in this film than the original. Of course I liked the original more, but I'm just saying this film executed certain things that the first film didn't, just like the first film executed certain things this film didn't. They are meant to be similar but different, and that is what makes both of them worth seeing.
8.5/10
Although the original, "A Tale of Two Sisters", was an epic movie that delivered certain moods and feelings that this movie (and most other films to date) couldn't quite capture, this film was still just great.
One thing to understand was that this movie was completely westernized. Remakes such as "The Grudge" take place in Japan, but the main characters are replaced with an American or European cast, and sometimes the story just doesn't quite fit the way it should with that type of a cast. In this film, the "A Tale of Two Sisters" story is completely translated into an American setting, in the north in a small town. The characters are tweaked a little to accommodate the new setting, and so are some of the scenes and plot lines. This is where many fans of the original get upset and get their panties in a bunch.
If this film was truly remade true to the original, it would just be the original film itself being remade 5 years later with the same cast and same script. This film is honestly one of the best Asian-horror remakes that has been made in the past 3 or 4 years if not ever. The cast gives solid performances and there were little or no plot holes. There were actually less plot holes in this film than the original. Of course I liked the original more, but I'm just saying this film executed certain things that the first film didn't, just like the first film executed certain things this film didn't. They are meant to be similar but different, and that is what makes both of them worth seeing.
8.5/10
The Uninvited (2009) is a movie that I recently watched on HBOMAX. The storyline follows a traumatized young lady who returns home from a psychological institution for the first time since her mom dramatically died and her dad remarried. She returns home to a hostile relationship with her stepmother, run ins with the ghost of her mom and a sister that just doesn't give an damn. Things get worse as more and more ghosts from her past return.
This movie is codirected by Charles and Thomas Guard, who also codirected Round about Five, and stars Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Arielle Kebbel (Grudge 2), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), David Strathairn (The Firm) and Jesse Moss (Tucker and Dale vs Evil).
This is one of those movies where you wanted a little more from it. The cast is really good and everyone delivers a solid performance. The ladies in the cast are gorgeous. The plot has some good twists and turns. The end is clever and was pretty smart. My only complaint is the horror elements are limited and the jump scares were cheesy.
Overall, with a story this good if they could have ratcheted up the horror elements this could have been a gem. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.
This movie is codirected by Charles and Thomas Guard, who also codirected Round about Five, and stars Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Arielle Kebbel (Grudge 2), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), David Strathairn (The Firm) and Jesse Moss (Tucker and Dale vs Evil).
This is one of those movies where you wanted a little more from it. The cast is really good and everyone delivers a solid performance. The ladies in the cast are gorgeous. The plot has some good twists and turns. The end is clever and was pretty smart. My only complaint is the horror elements are limited and the jump scares were cheesy.
Overall, with a story this good if they could have ratcheted up the horror elements this could have been a gem. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.
The Uninvited (2009) delivers a solid 7 out of 10 as a horror-thriller with a captivating atmosphere and a few solid scares. It centers around Anna (Emily Browning), who returns home from a psychiatric facility to find her father entangled with a new girlfriend, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks), who appears suspiciously intent on keeping Anna and her sister, Alex, at bay. This movie is loosely based on the South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters, and while it doesn't quite achieve the psychological depth of its inspiration, it offers enough twists to keep viewers engaged.
What works well for The Uninvited is its moody, eerie vibe; the setting and cinematography effectively build tension, drawing audiences into Anna's perception and keeping them guessing about who to trust. Emily Browning gives a compelling performance, and Elizabeth Banks shines in her layered role, adding a disturbing edge to her character. The tension builds consistently toward an unexpected twist that's clever, even if it won't shock seasoned horror fans.
However, The Uninvited sometimes stumbles with pacing, and parts of the plot feel a bit predictable. It's more of a slow-burn psychological mystery than a jump-scare horror, which may disappoint those looking for a more intense experience. The movie ultimately succeeds as a suspenseful, entertaining thriller but lacks the depth and originality to make it truly memorable.
If you're in the mood for an atmospheric thriller with a few haunting twists, The Uninvited is worth a watch-even if it might not be the most groundbreaking horror flick you'll see.
What works well for The Uninvited is its moody, eerie vibe; the setting and cinematography effectively build tension, drawing audiences into Anna's perception and keeping them guessing about who to trust. Emily Browning gives a compelling performance, and Elizabeth Banks shines in her layered role, adding a disturbing edge to her character. The tension builds consistently toward an unexpected twist that's clever, even if it won't shock seasoned horror fans.
However, The Uninvited sometimes stumbles with pacing, and parts of the plot feel a bit predictable. It's more of a slow-burn psychological mystery than a jump-scare horror, which may disappoint those looking for a more intense experience. The movie ultimately succeeds as a suspenseful, entertaining thriller but lacks the depth and originality to make it truly memorable.
If you're in the mood for an atmospheric thriller with a few haunting twists, The Uninvited is worth a watch-even if it might not be the most groundbreaking horror flick you'll see.
Did you know
- TriviaThe film was originally intended to have the same name as the original film, A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), before it was changed to The Uninvited.
- GoofsThe graves on the headstones of the Wright children have the death date as 1986, but later when the girls are looking at the computer, Alex says the story is from 1996.
- Quotes
Dr. Silberling: We survive by remembering. But sometimes we survive by forgetting.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Informers/The Soloist/Tyson (2009)
- SoundtracksMy Party
Written by Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill and Matthew Followill
Performed by Kings of Leon
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- La maldición de las hermanas
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $28,596,818
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,325,824
- Feb 1, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $41,633,384
- Runtime1 hour 27 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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