Chaotic & Charismatic: Nadia Conners' Directorial Debut 'The Uninvited' (2025)

THE UNINVITED (2025)

One night in the Hollywood Hills, Rose and Sammy's party is interrupted by an unexpected stranger.  As drinks flow and secrets spill, ambition and identity clash in a sharp, unhinged look at a world obsessed with youth and fame.

‘The Uninvited’ is a busy and quick witted drama which follows the trials and tribulations of being human. This feature is a character story, it heavily relies on the likability of its characters and the talent of the cast, luckily the cast is stacked with charisma and memorability. ‘The Uninvited’ is a simplistic story, minimal in its approach but loud in its metaphors and meaning; the film interjects themes of aging, regret, desire and loneliness in amongst the surrounding chaos. Touching on the complexities of motherhood, self discovery and gender roles along with the ongoing battle each character has with their identity. 

Rose is the centre of the chaos, through the course of this feature she is forced to confront herself and reflect of her decisions. It is as though her past is colliding with her present and it pushes her into an emotional spiral to consider what her future might look like. Rose and her uninvited, unexpected guest, Helen, are almost mirrors of one another. The abrupt arrival of Helen is frustrating at first but she quickly becomes a catalyst for Rose and her guests to look at themselves more critically. I personally loved the analogy of Helen being the angel Clarence, she did act as an unexplainable, unpredictable guide for each character’s journey through the party. 

An interesting directorial debut from Nadia Conners, she paces the film with care. Controlling the chaos of the party whilst lingering in intimate moments just long enough to learn more about our characters and their dynamics with one another. The film builds tension in the most subtle ways, layering conflicts between characters only to watch it all come crashing down moments later. I found the film to be moving in the simplest of ways, reminding us to enjoy every moment of life because before you know it, it’s gone. 

As i’ve said, the cast were genuinely enticing and each delivered minimalistic, realistic performances that brought humour and believability to every word. Elizabeth Reaser was effortless in the role of overwhelmed, under-appreciated mother. She moved through the night with the utmost elegance and managed to weave through the drama that followed her. Walton Goggins gave a compelling performance, his character moved through the night anxiously but attempting to keep up appearances. He kept his emotional slowly boiling to the surface throughout until he untimely exploded at the end, I found his performance to be one of the most gripping throughout. Lastly but certainly not least, Pedro Pascal stepping into the role of mysterious love interest was something I didn’t know I needed. He was enigmatic and stole the attention every time he was on screen. I was invested in the outcome of the evening, I was waiting to see how the drama unfolded and where the night would take me.  

The film does have several light hearted moments but more than anything, it was a slow paced drama filled with intricately written dialogue and realistic conversations between characters. ‘The Uninvited’ keeps you on your toes and ultimately was an interesting glimpse into the Hollywood high life, pieced together with an abundance of chemistry and charisma from its cast, set within the beautiful backdrop of Los Angeles.

Thank you to Foton Pictures for sharing 'The Uninvited' with Film Probe.

Probe Points

★★★☆☆