Warning: This article contains spoilers about The Invitation.
The Invitation is another entry into vampire films inspired by Dracula lore, but it left three unanswered questions about its vampires. The film gives a more modern take on the classic literary novel and introduces some new wrinkles to the traditional vampire myths. Though ambitious, The Invitation leaves a few open-ended questions about the nature of its monsters.
Under the watchful eye of Sam Raimi, the film was initially titled The Bride. Raimi and co. left the project due to scheduling conflicts, ultimately leading to a title change under director Jessica M. Thompson. The Invitation pays homage to several horror classics and, according to the director, includes over 100 Easter eggs to classic horror that has come before. The film stars Nathalie Emmanuel as the lead character Evie, who discovers her long-lost relatives and takes them up on their invitation to visit them in the vampire countryside, only to discover things aren't what they seem.
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The vampire reveal in the movie is meant to be sort of a twist, despite marketing for the film prominently hinting at it. Most of The Invitation and its influences build up to Dracula-inspired Walter Deville's disclosure of the true nature of his elegant, gothic gathering, leaving only the film's final half hour to delve into vampiric lore. It is never outwardly confirmed that Walter Deville is Dracula. Still, the English setting of the gathering is taken from the novel, and he refers to himself as the "Son of the Dragon," a loose translation for the name given to Vlad The Impaler. While The Invitation does well to create a Get Out type of vibe, its rushed climax leaves some unanswered questions about how the vampires in the film came to be.
What's The History & Origin Of The Invitation's Vampires?
The Invitation looks to Bram Stoker to resurrect the classic depiction of the seductive undead creatures a decade after Twilight killed the modern vampire movie. The vampires in the film seem to share a similar history to those in the Dracula novel. Toward the film's end, Walter Deville hints that he is indeed the classic vampire based on the 15th-century ruler of Wallachia, Vlad III. This would make Deville almost 600 years old. His eldest bride, Viktoria, is 500 years old and his youngest bride, Lucy, is over 100. It is unknown if Deville is the progenitor of vampires, but he certainly wields a lot of power and influence over some of the world's elite families.
Why Are The Invitation's Vampires Unable To Leave The Castle?
During a dialogue between Evie and one of Dracula's brides, Lucy, it is disclosed that she doesn't get to travel much, alluding to speculation that she never leaves the castle grounds. The Invitation's vampires break many vampire traditions, evident by their ability to walk in daylight, so it is interesting that they either don't or can't leave their estate. In the novel, for Dracula to regenerate and keep his youthful appearance, he needed to rest in his particular Transylvanian dirt. Because of this, when he moved to England, he had several coffins filled with the unique soil spread out in different locations so that he could move freely. The film never touches on this, but since Thompson drew a lot of inspiration from the book, the difficulty of transporting the burial dirt likely prevented them from traveling to many places.
Why Does The Invitation's Dracula Need Three Brides?
Many portrayals of Dracula's brides show them as a fearsome trio. In The Invitation, there are explained and unexplained reasons why Deville needs three wives. For centuries, three wealthy families have served him, with each handling a portion of his business affairs. They offer a female of each of their bloodlines to become his vampire bride in exchange for protection and prosperity. After the death of Evie's ancestor, this duty is forcefully bestowed on her.
There also seems to be an unexplained supernatural reason that he needs three brides. Deville briefly explains that with three brides, they are at their most potent. This inclusion deviates from the traditional Dracula lore. To complete the ritual, they must drink from his blood, turning them into a half-vampire, only becoming a full-fledged vampire when he drinks from them. Dracula's vampire origins have always been a mystery, but The Invitation's take on turning humans into vampires is unique. Once Evie drinks from Deville, she gains his powers with seemingly none of the drawbacks. Despite being younger and inexperienced, she can fight on par with a weakened Dracula and his brides. When Deville is finally defeated, she does not perish like the other brides. Instead, she returns to human form. If a half-vampire is this powerful, it wouldn't make sense that Dracula would put himself in such a vulnerable position unless he was magically compelled.
The Invitation utilizes a tone similar to Get Out with a visual style rivaling Crimson Peak. Despite some well-placed classic horror homages, it unfortunately doesn't expand much on the origins of its villains. Instead, the audience is left to discern the true nature of the antagonists based on off-screen knowledge and timely Easter eggs.