FILM REVIEW 2025
The uninvited
dir. Nadia Conners
Writer/Director:
Nadia Conners
Starring:
Walton Goggins, Lois Smith, Rufus Sewell, Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Reaser, Eva De Dominici
Release Date:
09 May 2025
Certificate:
15
April, 28, 2025
★★★★★
Whether we like to admit it or not, we live in a post-pandemic era. Every aspect of our current lives is guided by the two years we had to stop, take stock, and try to navigate these lives sans the drama. For a short time we got to stop and recharge, appreciate the small things, and cut out all the negative noise that surrounded us. And though the pandemic might be a long-distant memory, Nadia Conners' star-filled debut film The Uninvited beautifully captures the struggle we still face in this post-pandemic world.
Rose, Elizabeth Reaser, is an actress, wife, and mother who, barely in her 40s, can’t land a role playing the mother of a 6-year-old. Her husband Sammy, Walter Goggins, a talent manager, is equally facing some home truths, and it’s his hope that the party he’s throwing for his A-list client Gerald, Rufus Sewell, will trigger his creative resurgence. Hedging his bets, Sammy also invites Lucien, Pablo Pascal, an actor whom he and Rose have history with. As the party is about to start, an unexpected guest, Helen Lois Smith, brings some gentle introspection that gives Sammy and Rose a moment to breathe.
It’s important not to get too caught up in the Hollywood aspect of The Uninvited; it is juicy. For outsiders, trying to understand the inner workings of Hollywood is hard, and I am sure even those who live there find it challenging to traverse the power dynamics. The audience appreciates that Sammy and Rose are at a crossroads in their lives; they’ve both aged out of an industry that they seem to have given their lives to. It is a cruel reality now facing them; what do/can they do? Sammy and Rose are struggling to connect whilst trying to maintain a lifestyle that’s passing them by. What they’re not appreciating is what they actually have, their home. A home isn’t just a place to live; it’s a place to forge memories that are going to last a lifetime.
Being part of the film industry can be a drug, and throughout Conner's script, you see elements of the addictiveness of the industry and how it can be suffocating. And yet Conners' addition of Helen and the Spirit Photographer (more on him later) offers the couple a way out. Rose’s attentiveness to Helen is delicate, caring, and genuine. Helen is a sign that Rose seems to appreciate but doesn’t really understand. Sammy, though, is so caught up in himself that he’s blind to anything else around him. This is wonderfully captured later on in a scene with Sammy and Gerald in the former’s son’s bathroom.
"Helen feels this sadness whilst the final embers of her fragile memory remind her of the beauty and joy she once had."
In having the film set in a single space, it grounds the drama and adds a wonderful sense of authenticity that’s engaging. It also opens up a much more organic approach to the storytelling and gives weight to Conner's narrative. The fickle nature of Hollywood is as well known to film audiences as the rules of sports are to the fans. There are tonnes of films and TV shows that explore the underbelly of Hollywood and the bitter reality that those who are in the thick of it face. But now I am hoping you’re going to stay with more of this bit. I think Conners is using the Hollywood trope as a misdirection, as the core of her film is about the house itself.
There is a pull that this ‘30s Spanish-style Hollywood Hills house has that’s captivating. Conners' approach to her storytelling has meant she’s been able to create a film that has a great deal of compassion, even with such complex people. We never lose sight of the humanity, confusion, disappointment, and fear that are etched on the faces of her characters. I was struck by the significance of the Spirit photographer, Michael Panes, and the role he played throughout the evening. It’s a novelty for sure, one that is likely not out of place at a Hollywood party, but I felt that the spirit photographer had a much more meaningful role that evening. He’s there capturing the aura of the guests as well as the host. And though I won’t get into the scientific viability of the practice, it is used to explore people's wellness, emotional state, or their energy levels, which brings us back to the house and Helen.
The beauty of their house seems to be lost on the couple who, like almost all those in Hollywood, use their home as a prop to celebrate their success with the hope of landing more opportunities. Helen changes this for Rose at least, and even in the mix of a party they don’t need, Rose opens her home to someone who really needed it. Throughout all of Helen’s conversations with Rose, she’s remembering the love, fun, happiness, and life that was in this house. Even the sounds of laughter from the party outside can’t hide the fact that this is a sad house. This isn’t a house that’s really lived in. Helen feels this sadness whilst the final embers of her fragile memory remind her of the beauty and joy she once had.
Conners has made a film that is thoughtfully written, funny, heartfelt and richly observed, adding a unique perspective on ageing, life, and trying to start over. It’s the starting over that is never easy, as it implies we’ve failed, somehow, when in reality all we really need is a reset and a chance to realign our priorities and what we need and want in this life. Conners also highlights the reality of friendship and loyalty in Hollywood, which seems especially cruel. The chemistry between Reaser, Goggins, Sewell, and Pascal is incredibly realistic, and you fully believe their theatre backstory, which adds even greater authenticity to the characters. But for me it was the relationship between Reaser and Smith that captures the heart of Conner's film. Rose finds her humanity that’s been squashed and suppressed by the industry, and it’s through these conversations with Helen that Rose is able to connect with Dalia, Eva De Dominici, and stops seeing her as competition. The emotional punch is heartbreaking.