Uncork’d Entertainment Presents
THE DINNER PARTY
Genre: Horror
Director: Miles Doleac
Cast: Mike Mayhall, Jeremy London, Alli Hart, Bill Sage, Lindsay Anne Williams, and Kmallie McCuin
Studio: Uncork‘d Entertainment
Runtime: 115 minutes
Release Date: On VOD June 5, 2020
Rated: Not Rated
Reviewer’s Rating
I’m a simple person when it comes to films. When I hear about a movie whose core idea is that the wealthy elite are evil creeps, I must see it. So, of course, when I found out about The Dinner Party, co-written and directed by Miles Doleac, is one such film, I felt obligated to watch.
Playwright Jeff Duncan (Mike Mayhall) and his wife Haley (Alli Hart) are invited to a dinner party from renowned surgeon Carmine Braun (Bill Sage) who’s hosting at his mansion. Under the assumption Carmine will fund his new play, Jeff insists that they attend. There the couple meets Carmine’s wide assortment of eccentric friends like new age Sadie (Lindsay Anne Williams), and famed novelist Agatha (Kamille McCuin). As the night goes on, Jeff and Haley soon realize this group has far more sinister intentions than they could ever have imagined.
There are definite influences of recent films, such as Ready or Not and Get Out, when it comes to the tonality and themes of the privileged class taking advantage of those they view beneath them. While not as nuanced or hard-hitting as I would like, The Dinner Party is a solid choice for horror fans, if you can forgive the stumbles.
The film has all the subtlety of a freight train when it comes to the satire. Carmine and his friends are one-percenters, and Doleac’s screenplay, which he co-wrote with Michael Donovon Horn, makes no qualms with how awful they are because of their ability to do whatever they want because of their wealth. Every evil act they commit in the latter half of The Dinner Party is dripping with this theme adding a layer to the chaos that’s necessary. It makes the events feel earned and not for shock. While this highlight doesn’t say anything new about those who are privileged, it’s enjoyable to watch unfold nonetheless.
The bluntness with the themes is a double-edged sword. It’s most apparent with what The Dinner Party has to say about the cycle of abuse. As the film progresses, we learn more about Haley and her past with her abusive step-father (Jeremy London) highlighting the parallels of their relationship with the one she has with her husband. Among some of the guests, we also learn some of their traumatic pasts and how the horrors they endured correlates to their evil actions of today.
I wish the revelations of the guests’ past were handled better. While being straightforward can work with these types of plots, it feels not only ham-fisted but starts to teeter on to the verge of being exploitive in a sense that I don’t believe Doleac had intended. The argument could be made that it is a horror film and who cares if something is exploitive as long as it disturbs you. Possibly a valid point; however, it doesn’t come across as vexing but more of a desperate attempt to frighten. We don’t need to be shown multiple flashbacks of Haley’s step-father being abusive towards her in order to be terrified.
I did enjoy the smaller scale of The Dinner Party. The entire film takes place within the confines of the mansion, and a decent sized portion of the movie takes place at the dinner table. With minimal jump-scares, which is always much appreciated in a horror film due to how much I hate them, Doleac instead uses a creeping sense of dread to build the tension.
He spends the first half consistently building, using characters’ dialogue, and some smooth camerawork, to put you in a sense of unease. You know the axe is going to drop but Doleac makes you watch as he slowly sharpens it before it comes down.
I wish he had gone in a different direction with the performances. Hart easily shines playing Haley; she easily has the most depth, with equal parts fragility and strength which makes me want to see her tackle a meatier role in a character-driven film. The rest of the performances are not necessarily bad, in a traditional sense, but tonally, some are off-kilter from the rest of the film and cast. Their performances come across as cartoonish, complete with over-dramatic delivery of lines using very theatrical accents.
These characterizations don’t fully mesh with the style of the rest of the film which makes it difficult to take them seriously; something you don’t want considering the grotesque acts they commit during the final act of the movie.
Despite the missteps, I did enjoy The Dinner Party. I can see it developing a bit of a cult following in the future. Maybe give it a watch next time you and your friends get together for a dinner party of your own…whenever that will be. (Thanks COVID-19).
Uncork’d Entertainment – THE DINNER PARTY – Official Trailer and Behind the Scenes
The Dinner Party – Behind the Scenes #1
The Dinner Party – Behind the Scenes #2
For more on Uncork’d Entertainment visit: https://www.uncorkedentertainment.com
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Dustin Kogler
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