“The Invitation” (** out of four) was a pallid horror thriller about a young woman (Nathalie Emmanuel) captivated by a prince charming (Thomas Doherty) but begins to uncover a sinister and gothic conspiracy is present that tears away at the fabric of her sanity. Sincere performance from Emmanuel keeps this on track for at least a little while but drab pacing and hokey scares make this an invitation well worth declining. Yet another ripoff of “The Shining” that can’t hold a candle.