The Invitation Director Jessica M. Thompson on Bringing the Gothic Romance to Life

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Despite being deadly, bloodthirsty monsters, vampire movies often feature heaping helpings of romance, as the appeal of eternal life also comes with the possibility of endless love, both of which are featured in the new film The Invitation. While the film is sure to have more unsettling elements, it embraces a gothic cinematic spirit, more akin to projects from Hammer Films than to ghastly interpretations of the creatures. This meant director Jessica M. Thompson had to deliver not only the more frightful elements of the monsters, but also find ways to make them endearing and appealing. The Invitation lands in theaters on August 26th.

"I think I may have a werewolf movie for you that does lean into romance, but no, I agree," Thompson shared with ComicBook.com when discussing the trend of vampire movies featuring love stories. "I think it's something humans have been obsessed with -- vampires -- since the dawn of time. It's in almost every ancient culture that there's something about them, and there are stories about people falling in love with them. I think it's because they look so much like us and also, in the day, they emulate the better version of us. They're better-looking, they're stronger than us, they can outwit us. I think there's something very alluring about that, but also something dangerous. I think that's what romance is and what, also, horror is. It's that borderline of tension."

In the film, after the death of her mother and having no other known relatives, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) takes a DNA test...and discovers a long-lost cousin she never knew she had. Invited by her newfound family to a lavish wedding in the English countryside, she's at first seduced by the sexy aristocrat host but is soon thrust into a nightmare of survival as she uncovers twisted secrets in her family's history and the disturbing intentions behind their generosity.

The film borrows elements from a number of famous vampire stories, yet remixes them while also injecting plenty of fresh elements to make for an altogether unique experience. Thompson went on to note that vampires aren't the only creatures she'd like the opportunity to reinvent for a current audience.

"There is a werewolf script that I have in development, but can't speak too much about that one," Thompson teased of future projects. "Another kind of spiritual being is fairies, but not in the way that we see them in these weak, Tinkerbell ways. I really love the wood nymphs and the more horrific fairies of the past. That's actually how fairies existed. So I would really love to explore that world. But I really think there's so many incredible ancient monsters in the world that still haven't had their time on the big screen and on the small screen. I think there's still a wealth to explore. I've always wanted to make a Medusa [movie] as well ... A woman with snakes in her hair? I'm here for it."

The Invitation hits theaters on August 26th. 

Are you looking forward to the movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars! 

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