The Invitation came to theaters as an update of the Dracula mythos, one which exposes the sexist and classist undertones of a wealthy vampire lord being served by immortal women. However, while the political debate at the core of The Invitation cannot be ignored, the movie also reimagines the rules of vampirism to make the creatures deadlier than usual. So, when the time comes for protagonist Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) to face the bloodsucking monsters, there are a lot of supernatural elements to keep track of. So, now that we all been ensnared by the delights of The Invitation‘s Gothic tale, it’s time to talk about that explosive ending, what it means, and where Evie’s story might be going next.
In The Invitation, Evie learns she is a long-lost ancestor of a prosperous English family who made their fortune through real estate. Evie worries that her family is made up of oligarchs, but they are all kind and hospitable and have paid for her to come over for a wedding in the UK. Over the course of the weekend, Evie begins to develop feelings for her freshly discovered family and feels as though things are going in the right direction for her when she begins to flirt with Walter De Ville, the owner of the mansion where the wedding is scheduled to take place (Thomas Doherty). Evie seems to have had a connection with Walter from the start, and she is free to imagine a future.
Walter tricks Evie into agreeing to a marriage proposal, and it’s then that she learns the truth about his host and her family. It comes out that Walter is truly the most recognisable vampire to have ever walked the Earth, Dracula, the Son of the Dragon. The Alexanders, one of the three families sworn to serve Dracula in return for his protection and a fair share of the wealth the vampire amassed over many years, are Evie’s kin. Each family is required to offer one of their women as Dracula’s wife as part of the agreement.
The Alexanders were unable to give birth to a woman, shattering the family’s link with Dracula, ever since Evie’s grandmother committed herself because she was unable to continue consuming the blood of innocents. The family can now finally fulfil their promise to Dracula and give him her hand thanks to Evie’s presence. Being members of the two other families governed by the vampire ruler, Viktoria (Stephanie Corneliussen) and Lucy (Alana Boden) are already Dracula’s wives.
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Evie bites Dracula’s arm, consumes his blood, and transforms into a vampire during their wedding ceremony. Dracula believes she has finally come to terms with her fate, but this is all a lie. Evie strikes Dracula, lighting the church on fire, and stabbing the vampire king in the heart as soon as she becomes empowered by Dracula’s blood, but before she spills her own blood.
Viktoria quickly attacks Evie when she makes an attempt to flee. Viktoria has been a vampire for 500 years and is accustomed to her authority; she doesn’t want to relinquish her illustrious status. She thus chooses to use her own claws to murder Evie in order to defend Dracula. It’s fortunate for Evie that Lucy, the younger bride, doesn’t share her sentiments. When Lucy and Viktoria physically pounce on each other’s necks, it briefly appears as though the more experienced vampire is in the lead. But in order to impale Viktoria and herself upon the spear of a huge Saint George statue, Lucy gives her own life.
Dracula returns to attack Evie after the deaths of the two vampire brides. The vampire can’t even maintain his human appearances due to the energy depletion caused by the chest stab. The creature pursues Evie by climbing walls and ceilings until it eventually grabs her neck and poses a threat to suffocate her undead corpse. Dracula is pushed into the flames that is consuming the manor after Evie kicks him in the groyne as a final option. Evie’s vampire characteristics vanish as the vampire screams in agony. Evie is back to being human, Dracula is dead, and the cycle of death is finally stopped. But is it?
The families who supported Dracula for years survived the wedding undamaged despite the fact that he is no longer alive. The wealth of these families was amassed in return for the innocents’ blood, and Evie cannot bear the idea of letting them live their lives without atoning for their transgressions. So, after killing Dracula, Evie determines it is her duty to find and bring the vampire’s servants to justice.
The Invitation’s final scene shows Evie and her closest friend Grace (Courtney Taylor) pursuing Oliver (Hugh Skinner). The cousin of Evie is evading capture by doing whatever available action. However, Evie is unable to let her cousin go, so the two women plan to visit him with a baseball bat. The film’s overarching theme is reflected in the cathartic ending, as members of the underclass resolve to track down those who make a living by taking advantage of the disadvantaged. Old money derives from suffering, and those who benefit from it today must still have responsibility for the people they assist in oppressing.
