Spoilers were told there would be cake.

Home invasion plots are a bit of a wildcard for horror films. It’s very hard to define them as a single genre as they don’t all follow the same patterns. So unfortunately that doesn’t tell you much. It is mostly a bottle movie – it happens mostly in one location. Actually I think it would’ve worked better if it had stuck solely to staying put. You’ve probably guess where I’m leaning on this one.

Who Invited Them (2022) was written and directed by Duncan Birmingham. Adam (Ryan Hansen) and Margo (Melissa Tang) are having a housewarming party at their new digs. Their friends are in awe as how they’ve been able to afford such a luxurious home. There’s a subplot with their kid having a sleepover at their friends’ place but honestly it hardly matters. The plot thickens once the mysterious young couple of Tom (Timothy Granaderos) and Sasha (Perry Mattfeld) remain behind, turning to be complete strangers and party crashers with a bit of an edgy sense of humour and a talent to stir up trouble.

I think there was something to be said if the plot had stuck inside the house. I will give props for Timothy Granaderos performance as the sinister Tom, which is considerably edgier than the rest of the cast. On the other hand, the characters of Adam and Margo are not particularly engaging as a couple or on their own. I don’t want to single their performers, I just think they’re just written so flatly suburban that I couldn’t really care for their fate. Add the entire wealthy setting and any trace of interest or care on my part is gone.

I guess that the entire suburbanites meet serial killers angle is supposed to have a darkly comical angle. I didn’t see a shadow of comedy, dark or otherwise in the execution. Gore is rather sparse, making the horror rely more on the reveal. The subplot of the kid being at a sleepover with friends merges at the end when Teeny (Tipper Newton) drives over. That results in a coincidence that I guess was supposed to be semi-comical. I just found it random and disconnected. Overall I think the main thread gets lost the moment the dots are supposed to connect.

Not recommended. I know, shocker. The tone is all over the place. There’s something to be said about the cringy tension between the homeowner couple and the sinister antagonists, but it’s dispelled for the last act. On the other hand, I only learned this was supposed to have a dark comedy edge that is either too dull or non-existent for my senses. Perhaps your mileage might vary or perhaps it plainly loses focus as it limps to a flat ending. Not worth a watch in my opinion.

That will do for now.