‘Who Invited Them’ Review Witty Horror Comedy Introduces the Neighbors from Hell – Bloody Disgusting

Buying your first home can be daunting to say the least. In addition to worrying about how much your new home is going to cost, you also wonder what your new neighbors will be like and if your kids will be able to make friends in the neighborhood. You might also want to make sure your new house doesnt have a bizarre, murderous history, just to be safe.

These are some of the things Adam, played by Ryan Hansen (Friday the 13th, Veronica Mars), and Margo, played by Melissa Tang (The Kominsky Method), are faced with when they move into their first home in the horror comedy Who Invited Them. Written and directed by Duncan Birmingham in his feature film debut, Who Invited Them agilely alternates between being unnerving and hilarious, thanks to witty writing and a remarkably entertaining cast.

Adam and Margo are understandably nervous about moving into their new home and decide to invite all their friends to a housewarming party almost immediately after moving in. Before the party, the couple sends their young son Dylan to a sleepover at their friend Teenys (Tipper Newton) house. Adam and Margo arent exactly party animals, so offering signature drinks no one is really interested in, along with Adams need to play DJ, causes the party to be extremely tame. By the end of the night, Adam and Margo can tell the party has been a bit of a downer and are looking forward to their guests going home. Relieved to finally be alone, its obvious that Adam and Margo are pondering the fact that maybe their life isnt quite as exciting as they would like it to be. So, theyre more than a little surprised when an attractive couple theyve never seen before casually comes out of the bathroom, laughing and saying they lost track of time.

The couple introduce themselves as the neighbors Tom, played animatedly by Timothy Granaderos (T@gged, Untitled Horror Movie), and Sasha, seductively played by Perry Mattfeld (In the Dark, Shameless). Wealthy, good-looking, and free-spirited, Tom and Sasha appear to be everything Adam and Margo wish they could be. Despite the fact that Adam and Margo cant quite figure out how the couple ended up at their housewarming party, soon Margo is doing lines of cocaine with Sasha, while Adam and Tom have drinks and get to know each other, maybe a little too well and a bit outside Adams comfort zone.

Who Invited Them is fast-paced and so much fun; it feels a lot like having a good time at a party and being disappointed when its over. Timothy Granaderos and Perry Mattfeld skillfully steal every single scene theyre in and are a delight to watch as Tom and Sasha slowly appear to become more menacing, while still convincing Adam and Margo to open up to them. Adam shares with Tom that their new home has a tragic history involving a murder-suicide, which has sketchy details. The catch is that Margo isnt aware of the houses history and Adam would prefer to keep it that way, so he swears Tom to secrecy. Ryan Hansen and Melissa Tang are marvelous as the unassuming Adam and Margo, who begin to wonder if Tom and Sasha are as perfect as they appear to be. Unfortunately, the doubts that begin creeping into Adam and Margos minds are overshadowed by Tom and Sashas allure, due to perfect comedic timing and provocative performances from Granaderos and Mattfeld.

With a clever script and a brilliant cast, as the mystery of Tom and Sashas identities unfolds, Who Invited Them will leave the audience wondering if the couple is really more sinister than they appear or if theyre just extraordinarily cool. In the end, youre left with the possibility that Adam and Margo moved into the wrong neighborhood or maybe they just wish their lives were a bit more exciting. Either way, from beginning to end, Who Invited Them is a blast, a party you wont want to be over, and an impressive directorial debut.

Who Invited Them will premiere on Shudder on September 1st.

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'Who Invited Them' Review Witty Horror Comedy Introduces the Neighbors from Hell - Bloody Disgusting

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero