The Invitation (2022)

A young woman is imprisoned in a room in a large stately home, later revealed to be New Carfax Abbey. She escapes and, despite the search party's pleas, hangs herself from the staircase.

In present-day New York City, struggling artist Evelyn "Evie" Jackson works for a catering business alongside her best friend Grace. Following her mother's death, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers a distant cousin in England, Oliver Alexander. When they meet, Oliver tells her of the scandal surrounding her great-grandmother, Emmaline, who had a secret child with a Black footman.

Oliver invites Evie to a family wedding in England. She travels to Whitby and arrives at New Carfax Abbey, where she meets the manor's owner, Walter De Ville; Mrs. Swift, a longtime maid; and De Ville's devoted butler, "Mr. Field". She also meets the Alexander family and the maids of honor, friendly Lucy and condescending Viktoria.

Evie and Walter develop a mutual attraction, while several housemaids mysteriously disappear after being attacked by an unseen force under Mr. Field's supervision. One night, Evie sees an apparition in her bedroom. The following day, she enters Walter's office and discovers that he has been researching her. She confronts him and threatens to leave, but they reconcile and have sex.

At the family's rehearsal dinner, Evie expects to meet the bride and groom. Instead, Walter announces that he and Evie will marry. Mr. Field then slits a maid's throat and serves her blood in wine glasses to Walter, Lucy, and Viktoria, revealing that they are vampires. Walter explains that the Alexanders are one of three families that have each supplied a woman to become his wife for centuries, receiving protection and wealth in return. Viktoria, Lucy, and Emmaline were his previous wives. Emmaline eventually killed herself, tormented by her guilt over killing humans and the loss of her lover, Evie's great-grandfather, and their infant son. Unable to find another suitable woman in the family, the Alexanders tracked down Evie.

Imprisoned in the cellar, Evie is visited by Lucy and Viktoria. Viktoria reveals that she was the apparition and shows Evie Dee, a maid imprisoned after disappearing days earlier. Viktoria locks Evie in a coffin, but Mrs. Swift, who was friends with Emmaline, frees her.

Evie hides in an ice house on the estate grounds, where she discovers the murdered maids and Mrs. Swift's body. Mr. Field has killed Mrs. Swift. Evie escapes into town and seeks help from an elderly couple, who identify themselves as Jonathan and Mina Harker. They work for De Ville and render Evie unconscious. She awakens to find De Ville feeding on Imogen, another maid, and learns that he is Dracula.

Dracula forces Evie to marry him, with Dee bound beside the altar as a sacrifice. As they exchange vows, Evie bites Dracula's arm and drinks his blood, transforming into a vampire. She sets the wedding chapel alight and stabs him in the heart, causing him to age rapidly, before escaping with Dee. Viktoria ambushes Evie, but Lucy intervenes. During their fight, Lucy impales both herself and Viktoria on a spear, reducing them to ashes.

Mr. Field attacks Evie, but she overpowers and kills him. Dracula then seizes her by the throat. Evie severs his wrist to break free and kicks him into the flames, killing him. His death strips her of her powers, restoring her human form. She escapes as the manor burns.

Two weeks later, in London, Evie and Grace track down Oliver, who is preparing to flee after bribing the police. Having discovered his role in deceiving Evie and facilitating the vampires' murders, they intend to kill him.