[1][2] The film stars Mo'Nique as a recently widowed writer Emma Leeden, who details the loss of her family in her new book Invasion.

Emma originally agrees to this because she doesn't believe in mediums nor in the ability to speak to the dead; however, when Sky starts giving her information that no one should know, she becomes visibly agitated.

Sharai Bohannon from Dread Central gave the film 3 of 5 stars praising Mo'Nique's performance, but criticized the action and the second half of the movie writing: "It's a predictable time that refuses to go through any of the more interesting doors it opens.

"[8] Amari Allah from Wherever I Look also praised Mo'Nique's performance but named it B-Movie Horror ovarall writing: "The Reading isn't something to be slotted with the likes of Smile, Barbarian, or the potential classics we got in 2022 theatrically.

It's just a movie with a simple setup, characters who are given a quick sob story, and then the twist hits, and you're watching a bunch of teens you barely know anything about run from someone with a gun, or a knife, with them having no means to escape.