We've all been in that situation. Having a bit of a get together and you're stuck with people who just don't realise that they should have left. Or maybe people have had a bit of a get together and you are the one who has outstayed your welcome. Either way, Who Invited Them is about guests who stick around long enough to have some fun, but fun that isn't the kind intended by the party hosts.
Ryan Hansen and Melissa Tang play Adam and Margo, the couple throwing a housewarming party that they also hope will allow them to make a good impression with the boss. Well, to be precise, Adam hopes to also make a good impression with his boss. Margo doesn't really care. The party winds to a natural conclusion, and then Adam and Margo encounter Tom (Timothy Granaderos) and Sasha (Perry Mattfeld), a couple who may not have actually been invited to the party. It turns out that Tom and Sasha are neighbours, but it also starts to become apparent that they're more interested in playing games than being your typical houseguests.
The feature debut from writer-director Duncan Birmingham, this is a film that allows him to show just how much he is capable of without trying to overdo things. It's visually simple, but stylish, and most of the main scenes just involve four people in one location. Thankfully, Birmingham lays a very strong foundation, with his writing and cast, and the script and performances work to distract viewers from any potential limitations.
Hansen and Tang are both fun, reacting in a way that allows for them to be believable while also being blinkered enough to keep the plot moving along, and Granaderos and Mattfeld are, well, they're also both fun. There are a few other actors appearing now and again, but it's generally a fun quartet, with two people being a bit more innocent and oblivious to the change in tone while the others smile politely as they twist the knife and try to cause more friction.
Maybe not as thrilling as some might hope for, Who Invited Them is a genuinely great dark comedy that doesn't forget how to add some tension to the proceedings. The 81-minute runtime fairly flies by, nothing feels as if it is being twisted to cheat the audience, and the ending is unexpectedly brilliant, especially as it comes along after a number of moments that most viewers will have predicted from near the very beginning.
Who invited them? It doesn't really matter when they end up being the highlight of your evening.
8/10
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