Director: Miles Doleac
Writer: Miles Doleac, Michael Donovan Horn (Screenplay)
Starring: Jeremy London, Bill Sage, Sawandi Wilson, Ritchie Montgomery, Sherri Eakin, Miles Doleac, Alli Hart
Plot: A budding playwright and his wife attend a dinner party hosted by wealthy, cultural elites, who have promised to bankroll the writer’s latest play to Broadway, but, in fact, have darker designs in mind for the couple.
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Eccentrically Enjoyable
Story: The Dinner Party starts as a playwright Jeff (Mayhall) and his wife Haley (Hart) head to an eccentric Carmine (Sage) who is hosting a dinner party for them to secure funding for Jeff’s latest play. As the guest fill the table, we have Sebastian (Wilson), Vincent (Doleac), Sadie (Williams) and Agatha (McCuin) making this a roundtable art fans.
As the party begins the speak of the occult takes over, with the hosts of the party showing the real reason for the invitation offer to Jeff and Haley.
Thoughts on The Dinner Party
Characters – Carmine is the host of the party, he prepares the dinner, with his reputation being the reason why Jeff accepts the offer, along with his other host from the elite society with their own secrets. Haley is the wife that has grown up with tragic childhood and told to remain in her place during the dinner, she soon finds herself needing to fight for her life when the hosts plans become clear. Sebastian, Sadie, Vincent and Agatha all have their own part to play in the night, each gets their own method of worship for the ceremony.
Performances – Alli Hart as the victim of night does show strength in moments of the film, the uncomfortable feeling through many situations in the film too, with a final act performance that could compete with Samara Weaving in Ready or Not. When it comes to the party hosts, Bill Sage, Sawandi Wilson, Lindsay Anne Williams, Miles Doleac and Kamille McCuin thrive in their eccentric roles.
Story – The story here follows a couple that get an exclusive invitation to dinner party in hopes of securing funding for a new play, when the night takes a turn, it becomes clear the hosts had other plans for the night. This is a story that might well take a little longer than it needs to, to get going, with the eccentric nature of the hosts coming to life, but once the motivation happens, we get a final act that could easily be put in any list with ‘You’re Next’ or ‘Ready or Not’
Horror – The horror in the film comes from the true motivation of the hosts, each one has their own twisted fantasy to follow in the ritual.
Settings – The film uses the one house as the main location, each room has its own theme, which helps show the different traits the characters have.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are great with the blood splatter coming on strong through the film.
Scene of the Movie – The final supper.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The cop is too cliché.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that isn’t afraid to hold anything back, it has an excellent final act that saves the slower start.
Overall: Fun Horror.
