The Uninvited is a remake of a Korean horror film whose translated title means “A Tale of Two Sisters”.  Usually Hollywood remakes of Asian horror films lose a lot of the tension and suspense of the originals.  Having never seen the original Korean flick, I can’t really comment on it. I can say that The Uninvited, although a bit formulaic at times, manages to maintain a strong amount of tension and uncertainty throughout the film.

The story begins with teenaged Anna (Emily Browning) being released from a mental institution for a suicide attempt.  She is picked up by her father and brought home to the family’s lake house. We then learn that the cause of her suicide attempt was the fact that she lost her sick mother in a horrible fire months earlier.  Anna’s happy homecoming is short lived, as she soon finds out that her mother’s former caregiver, Rachel, (Elizabeth Banks) has since moved in and become engaged to her father. Anna’s older sister Alex (Arrielle Kibbel) goes on to update Anna on all of the latest suspicious happenings since she has left. To make matters worse, the sisters begin to suspect Rachel for other murders that have happened a few years back.  Then to top everything off, the house seems to be inhabited by a ghost who seems to be trying to tell Anna something.  Can’t a girl just come home from the looney bin and kick back for a little while anymore??

Browning is convincing as the fragile Anna. She does a great job of keeping the viewer guessing as to just how mentally stable she really is.  Kibbel is decent as the older sister Alex, although her role is a bit more limited and she doesn’t have as much heavy acting as Anna’s character. Elizabeth Banks is excellent as the cruel stepmother. While mostly known for her comedic roles, Banks is great here in this film. She really conveys the sinister motives of the stepmother and you really believe that she is capable of evil.  I was surprised by her acting range with this film. While its not exactly oscar material, it is a far cry from her usual roles and she pulled it off without a hitch.

Although the plot may seem like a convoluted mess, it actually unfolds quite nicely.  Some of the twist are pretty predictable, especially for fans of the genre, while others will definitely catch most people by surprise.  The movie has a good blend of “jump out of your seat” scares and eerie creepy imagery that sticks in your mind long after the credits roll. All in all, this is a great horror movie to keep you entertained for a couple hours.