The picture is a sleek production with acceptable budget and packs genuine chills , suspense , tension , and shocks , it's a terror-thriller very exciting . It deals with a teen named Anna Rydell(Emily Browning) , after spending a stint in a mental institution, return to the home of their father , a famous writer named Steve (David Strathairn) who is now living with her late mother's nurse, Rachel Summer (Elizabeth Banks) and both Anna and her older sister Alex (Arielle Kebel) think Rachel was responsible for her mummy's death in a seaside house blow up the year before . Once there, in addition to dealing with their stepmother's obsessive and cruel ways . Soon after her arrival , Anna also starts to receive warnings from her late ghost mother and three interfering children who affects her recovery . The Alex's sanity is also jeopardized thanks to her unbalanced stepmother , and aloof father . Another night Anna goes to sleep, she hears noises and the door to her bedroom creakily opens and meets the ghost . Terrified, she runs out of her room and tells her sister that someone has come into her room . Alex and Anna set out to look for proofs to demonstrate that Rachel is the killer.

This eerie movie produced by the successful director/producer Ivan Reitman displays terror, shocks, hard-edged drama , plot twists and creepy images . The story come to life in a wonderful fashion, giving it a haunting ominous atmosphere that often seems to mimic the tense relations between the members of the family . While the look is suitable atmospheric and scary , the argument stretches plausibility to the breaking point in a surprising finale . The film is an American remake of successful Korean film titled ¨A tale of two sisters¨ by Ji Woon Kim . It also contains the usual spooky phantoms of pale complexion from Japanese stories directed by Takashi Mike and Hideo Nakata as ¨The Grudge ¨ , ¨ The ring ¨ and ¨ Dark water ¨ . The direction is incredibly good , production design by Andrew Menzies , the cinematography by Daniel Landin , lighting, and especially the soundtrack by expert on terror scores Christopher Young , all are captivating. The motion picture is well directed by the Guard brothers , Charles and Thomas who create a powerful character study that blends chills , thrills , suspense and psychological drama in a cleverly devised plot that certainly offers more than the usual terror film . This is a frightening , psychological thriller, and familiar drama , all at their best that will appeal to horror buffs . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching .

Calculating which film to watch next? If you're like me, you could've watched two movies after comparing all the reviews. Play this one. It works!

SPOILER ALERTS INSIDE??? I honestly don't think so. Better safe than sorry. Now gather 'round, and read the review:

"The Uninvited" intentionally leads the viewer down the path of what seems to be the predictable late, late-nite cable channel "B"-movie. No boogie men eat kids. No little CGI demons crawl from the woodwork leading the way for SuperSlimJinn, i.e., it's horror without the expensive toys. The distraction of predictability is intentional and works beautifully, as it completely up-ends the viewer's expectations.

It's a gratifying psychological horror movie with supernatural guest stars. The closest to a spoiler you're going to get is that it might share plot points associated with "Sixth Sense," and "Shutter Island." If M. Night Shyamalan or Martin Scorsese were at the helm of "The Uninvited," would it have been a better movie? A blockbuster?... Hmm. Doubtful. It is the plainness and low budget that actually improves the film. The cinematography is commendable, but, for this story, it has all that's needed: a young teenager "Anna," nothing less; nothing more.

Characters included in tonight's viewing: Steven (David Stratham), Steven is the once proud husband and father of two daughters, an older teenage daughter Alexa (Arielle Kebbel) and her younger sister, Anna (Emily Brown), a teenager in the making. Steve is the epitome of the perceived American icon. Upper middle-class, beautiful home on the lake, boathouse, wife and two kids. Everyone in the U. S. lives like this (lol).

Our pal Steve sees his life shattered after a large fuel container for a whole-house generator explodes violently. Steve deals with the loss through the kindness with benefits provided by his wife's caretaker, Rachel (Elizabeth Banks). "With benefits" doesn't always imply intimacy - but, in this case, it does imply exactly - that. Remember, it's an implication: nothing of a prurient nature is ever shown. Safe for kids who don't live in a box

Steve's wife had been suffering from an incurable malady that left her bed-ridden and in need of constant care. Rachel was hired to help take care of Steve's wife several days a week. Steve came home to find his wife had been consumed by a fire. The cause was listed as a faulty gas vakve that powered a household generator. Needless to say, he was likely distraught (this all happened before reel one was loaded in the camera, i.e., "backstory").

Technically, Rachel's gig was finished. No more bed-ridden Mrs. Steve - no more job for Rachel. However, the kind-hearted(?) and quite stunning Rachel chooses to visit Steve three to four times a week to help him assuage his guilt, build up his strength, find meaning in life... perhaps increase his libido... It isn't long before Steve becomes enamored with the younger Rachel despite losing his wife to the fire several months earlier. I'm not judging!

Rachel (Banks) and Steve soon become too close for comfort for Anna (Emily Brown), Steve's youngest daughter and the center of focus throughout the film. It is believed that this untimely relationship and other is what caused Steve's youngest daughter to attempt suicide by slitting her wrists. Though it might add a few review stars for horror fans to who just cannot get enough of self-administered exsanguination, we don't see this, nor do we need to.

We meet young Anna after her post trauma rehabilitation and recovery. This is one of two characters the story ultimately focuses on: the doe-eyed young teenager... What we see, what we hear, and what we believe, are filtered through the mind of Anna. The second character? Rachel, of course. She is the interloper - but... is she the uninvited? Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games, et al), is a very capable actress. Her role as Rachel had to be tailored to be the Rachel the way Anna sees her.

This may be why some reviewers might say there weren't adequate character arcs for the rest of the family. Again, the majority of the film is seen and interpreted through the eyes and mind of Anna, something that should become crystal clear in the latter scenes.

Returning home to the Steve and Rachel show wasn't the homecoming Anna anticipated. Rachel tosses the idea out for a homecoming party or some other sort of transparent ploy to prove "I'm your awesome new mom!" That never works. Anna is indifferent until she notices the interior of the kitchen has been remodeled.

Anna is dismayed that the extensive remodeling took away the "essence" and memories of Anna's mother, including a chalkboard attached to the kitchen wall. Asking where all of her mother's furnishings and belongings are, Rachel tells her they are in the attic. Nothing scary happens in attics, right? Right?

Later, Anna and Alexa talk about the infamous chalkboard. It was like mom's giant iPad. They laughed at their mother's terrible handwriting that listing chores and scheduled events for the day.

It isn't long before Anna makes a bold statement to Rachel by replacing the chalkboard, hammering a partial hole through the drywall. Two women, years apart in age, have met their match. Who will prevail?

Anna, with help from her older sister, Alexa, use their own research from clues left by her burned and charred apparition of a mother, begin piecing together a story that seems to prove that Rachel isn't who she says she is. Tracing back medical licenses Some of these clues are expressed to Anna by an unknown young freckle-faced girl with long red hair, Who is she? Why is she there one second, gone the next? All In good time...

If I continue, I'll ultimately write a synopsis of the film.

The bottom line is simple. All that I wrote is what you will see. You might even try to predict the ending. You won't. Procedural is predictable, unless it's "The Uninvited."

"The Uninvited," is a great watch on two levels. Adults and teens will pick up on clues and, if observant, find out early on that things aren't always what they appear to be. It's a fun and at times frightening film.

The PG-13 crowd has seen more blood and gore on video game commercials. If the kids want a good scary movie, this one will satisfy. It's nothing close to a meat cleaver, gallons of squirting blood slasher flick. It's about fear... and that fear is contagious!

You could've watched half the movie already! No more reviews. Select "The Uninvited," invite your loved ones (or your cat/dog/) to the couch - and hit PLAY.

See you at the movies...