‘ ‘ ‘ In many ways, ‘The Uninvited’ is just like a new step-parent ‘mdash; irritating and… ‘ ‘ ‘ In many ways, ‘The Uninvited’ is just like a new step-parent ‘mdash; irritating and awkward at first, but slowly gains acceptance through a few moments of real quality. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Uninvited,’ a remake of Korean horror film ‘Changhwa Hongryon’ by Kim Jee-Woon, follows the pixie-like Anna (Emily Browning) as she returns home after a significant stay at a mental institution, catalyzed by a suicide attempt following the accidental fiery death of her mother. Anna comes home to her father and his new girlfriend, Rachael (Elizabeth Banks) ‘mdash; her dead mother’s nurse. Plagued with portentous visions of her mother, suspicions mount about Rachael’s role in her mother’s ‘accident,’ and with angsty sister Alex (Arielle Kebbel), Anna attempts to stop Rachael’s scheme. ‘ ‘ ‘ Without revealing too much, ‘The Uninvited’ contains a plot twist of a magnitude (and lack of subtlety) that would make M. Night Shyamalan proud. ‘ ‘ ‘ While this twist is so significant that it more or less erases the relevance of a good part of the film’s beginning, the first hour of ‘The Uninvited’ is so plagued by cliche and bad dialogue that eradicating it from the minds of viewers only helps the film. However, as with most Shyamalan-style twists, it also largely eradicates the agency of the characters in the film and, along with liberal use of scary ‘visions’ rather than actual plot development, irreparably negates any potential poignancy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Uninvited’ does have a few redeeming qualities. While the dialogue written for Banks is beyond atrocious ‘mdash; among some of the most hackneyed, bludgeoning and thinly-veiled threats ever written ‘mdash; she somehow delivers it so that it’s not completely laughable. ‘ ‘ ‘ This is no small feat, and a lesser actress would have easily allowed the film to devolve into ridiculousness. Additionally, while the dream visions are largely ineffective with regards to the plot, the imagery in them is surprisingly powerful and, along with generally good cinematography throughout the film, at least make ‘The Uninvited’ visually appealing. ‘ ‘ ‘ Unfortunately, the bad ultimately outweighs the good. Browning has very little screen presence and doesn’t quite transmit anything other than being small and weak. This also feeds into Anna’s total lack of agency, causing a great deal of frustration with her seeming inability to solve any of the obstacles she encounters. ‘ ‘ ‘ The dream-visions are far too frequent, quickly graduating from interesting plot device to massive storytelling crutch. ‘ ‘ ‘ In addition, beyond its agency-erasure effect, the plot twist itself is laughable in retrospect, a creature of enormous coincidence and suspension of disbelief. This is especially disappointing because Jee-Wong’s source film employed a masterful use of subtlety in both the usage of the dream-visions ‘mdash; keeping their veracity and importance vague’ ‘mdash; and in the revelation of the ‘truth’ behind the film. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The Uninvited’ instead destroys any ambiguity in both areas, further distancing the audience from any involvement in the film. ‘ ‘ ‘ Perhaps the best moments in the film are those when the gimmicks of the film fall to the wayside and the grounded emotional tensions rise. Small scenes between Rachael and Anna intended to simply move the plot along unintentionally occupy the throne of the most chilling and effective in the film, partly thanks to Banks’ impressive performance, but mostly because they are the few moments in ‘The Uninvited’ that evoke empathy and fear. ‘ ‘ ‘ There is certainly a place for surrealism and psychological catastrophe in horror ‘mdash; both concepts are terrifying in the confusion and uncertainty they evoke in those of us living in a more incongruous reality, and many amazing films have used them to great effect ‘mdash; but a lack of finesse voids them of any terror. ‘ ‘ ‘ It is too bad that ‘The Uninvited’ is so dependent on its climactic revelation, because the elements and resources for a truly impressive horror film are present here. Banks alone seemed capable of carrying the film, had she been allowed to. Ultimately, it is the film’s unbearable reliance on the factor of surprise that ultimately brings it down and is only made worse by the lack of any need for it.