The White Lotus star Walton Goggins is returning to a screen near you in the upcoming indie drama, The Uninvited. Written and directed by filmmaker and his real-life partner Nadia Conners, Goggins stars as a Hollywood agent in this single-location ensemble film where he navigates through a chaotic night of secrecy, mystery, and self-reflection. The Uninvited opens this Friday, April 18th, at the Laemmle Monica Film Center.

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Running a tight 97 minutes long, The Uninvited takes place over the course of one night at the Hollywood Hills home of couple Sammy (Goggins) and Rose (Elizabeth Reaser). As they prepare to host a party, we see cracks in their relationship’s foundation. Sammy and Rose bicker in what seems like routine fashion; subtle battles over career insecurities and motherhood woes rear their ugly head. They’ve reached the point in their relationship where now, even the smallest inconvenience is cause for resentment. Through fairly on-the-nose dialogue, Sammy makes it clear that they are going through a rough patch. If they can get through the night unscathed, it would be a giant step in the right direction for their future together.

Watch The Uninvited trailer here.

Despite best efforts, Rose is quickly distracted by a stranger who has found herself in their home. The older woman, Helen (Lois Smith), is not well; sick, and confused. Rose decides it’s best to stay with Helen until her family comes to get her. Meanwhile, at the party, Sammy confides in a friend a bombshell of a secret: he lost his job and is desperate to get back on track. To complicate matters further, Rose’s ex-boyfriend Lucien (Pedro Pascal) shows up, reminding her of a romanticized alternate reality where they would be married with children. The past and present collide, leaving Rose in the middle to confront her insecurities, loneliness, and deteriorating marriage.

Art Imitates Life?

Rumors of Goggins and Conners’ personal lives aside, the script feels authentic, seemingly alluding to complicated aspects of their relationship off-screen. Sammy admits to infidelity, which causes Rose to reflect on her place in their shared future together. It’s a touching, if not sobering, moment in the film that takes courage to express publicly. Despite this vulnerability, however, The Uninvited seems to lack an overall sense of grit and memorability. It doesn’t quite get under the surface the way it needs to for the audience to fully empathize with Rose’s cathartic emotional climax. And while it is lightly comedic, it skews more towards uncomfortably tense.

Takeaway

The Uninvited is a tight-knit ensemble that gains momentum from the very talented performers on screen. While it may not be everyone’s most notable work, it offers a unique perspective into the lives of people who seem to have it all when in reality, they’re fighting to keep it together.