Invitation to a Murder – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Invitation to a Murder

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2023

28%

WISE Score

5.2

IMDb

A murder mystery so bad that 83% of Rotten Tomatoes audiences wished they'd been the ones murdered instead.

5.2/10

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Invitation to a Murder

movie

PG-13, 2023

28%

WISE Score

5.2

IMDb

A murder mystery so bad that 83% of Rotten Tomatoes audiences wished they'd been the ones murdered instead.

5.2

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5.2/10

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, I'm going to level with you: this movie is bad. Like, really bad. A 17% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, 2.1 out of 5 on Letterboxd—these are numbers that scream 'skip me.'

The premise is pure Agatha Christie knockoff: billionaire, island, murder, detective. But based on the universal audience rejection, the execution is apparently about as smooth as a cheese grater. Even if your teen loves mysteries, there are approximately 10,000 better options (Knives Out, Glass Onion, literally any actual Agatha Christie adaptation).

The WISE scores are low across the board because while there's nothing egregiously harmful here, there's also nothing good. It's not enriching if it's boring. It's not imaginative if it's derivative and poorly done. And the 'watchability penalty' is real—this 2023 release already feels dead on arrival.

Unless you're conducting a film studies experiment on how to tank a murder mystery, give this invitation a hard pass.

Age Fit

CSM says 13+, which tracks for a murder mystery with death themes but no graphic content. That said, even teens will likely find this boring—it's really only for die-hard mystery completists or masochists.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Murder mystery premise with death as central plot element. Lacks positive relationship modeling or kindness themes—focused on deception and malicious plotting. Tone is likely dark given the genre, though without graphic violence based on CSM's age-13 rating. Not emotionally uplifting content.

Imaginative

Whodunit mystery setup is a well-worn genre trope (Agatha Christie vibes). The 'billionaire invites strangers to island' premise is derivative rather than original. With abysmal audience scores (17% RT, 2.1/5 Letterboxd), execution likely lacks creative spark or clever twists. Doesn't inspire exploration or creative expression—just passive viewing of a poorly-executed formula.

Safe

CSM rates it 13+, suggesting moderate content concerns. Murder mystery inherently involves death and likely some tension/suspense. No MPAA rating available to confirm specific content warnings. The 'malicious plot' and death elements mean younger viewers could find it disturbing. Not gratuitously violent based on available data, but death is the central story driver.

Enriching

Mystery-solving could theoretically build deductive reasoning, but catastrophically low ratings (17% audience, 5.2/10 IMDb, 2.1/5 Letterboxd) suggest poor execution that won't engage viewers enough to provide cognitive benefits. No awards or critical recognition. Likely forgettable rather than thought-provoking. Entertainment value appears minimal based on universal audience rejection.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

If your teen is obsessed with Knives Out and has literally run out of every other whodunit on the planet, this... exists
Could spark discussions about what makes a mystery work vs. fall flat—a masterclass in what NOT to do
At least it's only 90-ish minutes, so your suffering will be time-boxed

⚠

What to Watch For

Murder and death are central to the plot—not graphic based on the 13+ rating, but still the whole point
With a 17% audience score, prepare for wooden acting, predictable twists, and general tedium
Your teen might tap out halfway through and you cannot blame them

Conversation Starters

"What makes a good mystery actually mysterious? Why didn't this one work?"
"If you were writing this, what would you change about the plot?"
"Have you seen any mystery movies that did this island-gathering thing better?"

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