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Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel, David Strathairn, Maya Massar ... see more see more... , Kevin McNulty , Jesse Moss , Natalie Charles

Filmmaking duo Thomas and Charles Guard make their feature directorial debuts as the co-directors of this remake of Kim Jee-woon's 2003 Korean film A Tale of Two Sisters. Produced by Asian horror rema... read more read more...ke king Roy Lee, The Uninvited tells the story of a young girl named Anna (Emily Browning), who was admitted into a mental hospital following the death of her biological mother. Returning home some time later, Anna is shocked to discover that her father (David Strathairn) has recently gotten engaged to Rachel (Elizabeth Banks), her mother's former nurse. Anna's suspicions about Rachel are soon confirmed when her mother reaches out from the beyond to deliver a stark warning, prompting the young girl and her sister (Arielle Kebbel) to try and convince their father that Rachel is not who she appears to be. As the situation in the once-peaceful household rapidly begins to deteriorate, Rachel's true colors finally begin boiling to the surface. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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52% liked it

637,434 ratings

Critics

31% liked it

125 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Charles Guard, Thomas Guard

Release Date: January 30, 2009

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DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009

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Stats: 14,106 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (14,106)

  • ceWEBrity
    August 29, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    What hurts more to watch: a bad movie, or a below-average adaptation of a great movie? The Uninvited is a cliched piece of PG-13 horror shit from start to finish, with the faintest glimmers of Tale of Two Sisters' strengths peppered in between it all. Perhaps the film's only insp... read moreired choice was the casting of Emily Browning, who seems to be making her Hollywood bread and butter by playing heroines of total absence. As a broken, withdrawn, vacant shell of a girl, she excels - I'm not sure how much Browning herself is actually contributing to her portrayal, or if we are simply seeing a very boring pretty girl imrpinted on celluloid, but she works out half-decently here. The ending is a mess, especially by the standards of its predecessor's far more intelligent and bitter conclusion, and it more or less wastes the rest of its strong cast. David Straithairn is a phantom; Elizabeth Banks, despite a thankless role and some unforgivably clumsy writing, actually pulls off a performance of some ambiguity here. Surprising work, but only within the frame of a thoroughly awful, unsurprising mess of a movie.
  • MidnightMadwoman
    April 10, 2011
    MidnightMadwoman
    Nothing happened. Then, after a time, nothing continued to happen. This movie is a really really slow build to a fairly novel twist ending. But I found myself sighing, tapping my foot and checking my watch while I was watching this movie, waiting for it to kick in. I really didn'... read moret give a toss about any of the characters in this movie, and I found the stupidity of the main character exasperating. Of course you're going to be dismissed as a crackpot when you say nonsensical things in a hysterical voice. Of course no one is going to know what you're talking about when you say something like "he's here". There were parts I found confusing as well; why were there ghosts coming out of the woodwork simply to scare Anna? Who was that dead, red-headed ten year old snarling whispered threats? None of these are answered by the end, by the way. This movie is like a collection of contemporary horror tropes badly stitched together.
  • Deano78
    April 3, 2011
    Deano78
    At last a very good suspenseful thriller in a similar mould to What lies beneath, The Number 23, Secret window. I wouldn't put this in the horror category although it has a few jumps along the way. A take on of a Korean film called A tale of two sisters. I really enjoyed this and... read more thought it was a well made film with a good cast. It has a nice twist towards the end, although suspicious minds might make it out? Overall a very enjoyable film. If you like this type of thriller go see it soon!
  • blacksheepboy
    August 30, 2010
    blacksheepboy
    A rare case of an American remake that is superior in quality to the original one. Here the tension is carefully carried out in a much more concise plot that wisely avoids the numerous twists of Kim Ji-Woon's story and presents a more compelling reason to get scared.
  • guaybanex
    May 22, 2010
    guaybanex
    Uninteresting, its one redeeming quality would not be so surprising if "Uninvited" was remotely interesting.
  • MizturY0da
    April 8, 2010
    MizturY0da
    While many people are just so put off by this film for many reasons, I was very surprised by how it actually turned out.

    Although the original, "A Tale of Two Sisters", was an epic movie that delivered certain moods and feelings that this movie (and most other films to date) cou... read moreldn't quite capture, this film was still just great.

    One thing to understand was that this movie was completely westernized. Remakes such as "The Grudge" take place in Japan, but the main characters are replaced with an American or European cast, and sometimes the story just doesn't quite fit the way it should with that type of a cast. In this film, the "A Tale of Two Sisters" story is completely translated into an American setting, in the north in a small town. The characters are tweaked a little to accommodate the new setting, and so are some of the scenes and plot lines. This is where many fans of the original get upset and get their panties in a bunch.

    If this film was truly remade true to the original, it would just be the original film itself being remade 5 years later with the same cast and same script. This film is honestly one of the best Asian-horror remakes that has been made in the past 3 or 4 years if not ever. The cast gives solid performances and there were little or no plot holes. There were actually less plot holes in this film than the original. Of course I liked the original more, but I'm just saying this film executed certain things that the first film didn't, just like the first film executed certain things this film didn't. They are meant to be similar but different, and that is what makes both of them worth seeing.
  • deano
    March 13, 2010
    deano
    It shocked me what I saw in the ending - creepy and intense thriller. This is a remake of the 2003 South Korean horror film A Tale of Two Sisters that what I already seen it is a familiar, but very different culture.
    The cinematography is impressive, and setting is remark... read moreable too, as the entire film unfolds in the confines of a beautiful, large New England home that sits perched on the side of the rocky ocean cliffs, a location that gives plenty of space for creepy action to unfold.
    And the cast: Emily Browning plays the leading role as the curious and quiet younger sister, playing her role perfectly with the face of an angel. Arielle Kebbel is also good as her older, party-loving (but serious) sister, who aids her in the uncovering of Rachael's past. Rachael herself, the devilish stepmother figure is played by Elizabeth Banks (whom I have seen mainly do comedy work), and manages to be threatening and elusive despite her good looks.
  • paulsandberg
    January 23, 2010
    paulsandberg
    As far as the rickety horror genre goes, this one fits right in, and actually rises above most B type films. Not saying that the acting was anything to write home about, or some of the plot points (which only make a certain sense in retrospect - after the big plot twist) not inn... read moreane without the clarity that the twist brings).

    Starting out with the odd beach scene (which I'm sure made many a viewer think of just about every teen slasher film ever made) I felt that I was in very well tred territory thoughout (though the "dreams" aspect made some of the cardboard acting and script tollerable - as if labeling it all "as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl").

    There were some nice visual touches along the way, but I simply couldn't really stay invested in the story line, as the "teen" angle just made it seem like another weak B film attempt at something grander - not shocking enough to be a "thriller", and certainly not chilling enough to be a horror film (although the early scene with the dead mother coming into the heroine's room was indeed creepy).

    That this film only makes a certain sense after the surprise twist ending does not let you forgive that before the twist you were convinced that you were watching a by-the-numbers mediocre thriller.
  • arashxak
    January 15, 2010
    arashxak
    A tale of two friggin' annoying sisters, Never liked the original but at least it had a good cast & tolerable characters, Browning & Kebbel are annoying and simply can't act
  • 3niR
    December 27, 2009
    3niR
    Loved it.

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
May 13, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

An effective blend of thriller and horror. Full Review

Wesley Morris
January 30, 2009
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

The Uninvited is a mess of styles and stolen ideas, including a plot twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan roll his eyes and dialogue straight from a CW scene generator. Full Review

Stephen Farber
January 30, 2009
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter

In truth it's just a gimmicky thriller that doesn't play fair with the audience.

Kara Nesvig
January 30, 2009
Kara Nesvig, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Cheap thrills and a gimmicky twist at the climax keep The Uninvited in the realm of the subpar horror movie. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
January 30, 2009
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

What can I tell you about The Uninvited that you haven't already heard about every other instantly forgettable horror flick? Full Review

Kyle Smith
January 30, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The story line is more crafted than it at first appears, but a big finish doesn't always make up for everything that came before. Until then, The Uninvited is basically 80 minutes of things jumping ou... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
January 30, 2009
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

Although the movie's best moments are pilfered, at least the Guards know whom to steal from (I'd bet The Shining is still in their DVD player). True, there's nothing new here for veteran horror fans.

Steven Rea
January 30, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A teenager's resistance to her father's new girlfriend provides the emotional underpinnings for The Uninvited, a spooky, if narcotic, psychological thriller adapted from a 2003 K-horror suspenser. Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
January 30, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

A horror-thriller that's neither horrifying nor thrilling. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
January 30, 2009
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

The Uninvited won't make anyone forget The Shining, but it's a nice throwback to the days when scary movies featured pretty good actors, a plot that holds together and a couple of creepy-looking ghost... Full Review

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