'The Invite': A Dinner Party You Won't Forget

PHOTO: A24

After the rather divisive response that the film Don’t Worry Darling received upon its release, I seriously doubted that we would ever get another feature from its director, Olivia Wilde. Considering the media frenzy that surrounded the film back in 2022 and its less than stellar reception, it felt like studios wouldn’t want to deal with Wilde. It didn’t help that most of the stories that surfaced around this time cast her in an unfavorable light, so it felt like she would at least be in Director Jail for a bit. I was disappointed at this possibility as I love her debut feature, Booksmart, and I think she is a very capable director in general. In fact, very few of my issues with Don’t Worry Darling have anything to do with her direction. But thankfully, Wilde has been given another opportunity to get in the Director’s Chair, and she absolutely knocks it out of the park.

Her third feature, The Invite, is a more back-to-basics affair, taking place in one location over the course of one night, and featuring a four person cast. It is rather simple in its premise, but it allows Wilde to get in touch with her craft and tell a story that is funny, heartbreaking, and more powerful than one might imagine. Aided in part by an exceptional screenplay from Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, this is a major bounce back for Wilde and one of the most impressive films I’ve seen so far this year.

Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen) have been married for several years and have found themself in a rut. They fight constantly, can’t seem to agree on anything, and are generally unhappy. One day, Joe comes home to find that Angela has invited a neighboring couple, Hawk and Pina (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz, respectively) to their apartment for dinner that night. When Hawk and Pina arrive, it leads to an uncomfortable, yet eye-opening evening for both couples, starting a conversation that forces them to re-examine their relationships and consider other possibilities.

The film is dialogue driven to the point where it could have easily felt more like a stageplay, but thankfully the dialogue itself is sharp and Wilde’s direction keeps it from feeling too stagey. There is a strong rhythm and urgency throughout that gives the film a great flow, and keeps the viewer locked in from start to finish. The film is a remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs, but I haven’t seen that film at the time of writing so I can’t compare the two. However, I do think that Will McCormack and Rashida Jones still deserve some kudos as this is a serious contender for the best screenplay of the year. It is simple in premise, but has enough going on below the surface to make the viewer engage with its commentary on modern relationships. Beyond that, it is wildly funny and tightly constructed. Some of this may have been lifted from the original, but it doesn’t make it any less effective.

Olivia Wilde certainly makes a big impression with this film, both as an actor and a director. Wilde has always been a performer that I have thought is just fine for the most part, but she easily gives the best performance I’ve seen from her here. Part of the magic of the film is that all four main performances are excellent and that each actor brings a different energy to the table. Wilde’s is a more high-strung and harried one, and it fits into the mix quite well. Her direction is also quite strong, as so many of the creative choices she makes are striking and she truly knows how to use the camera. This film makes a strong case for her as a filmmaker, and is one heck of a rebound from her last feature. 

Probably my favorite performance of the film comes from Seth Rogen, as he shows his strengths as both a comedic and a dramatic actor here. It’s no secret that Rogen excels in comedy, but I have long held that he is more well-rounded than most people give him credit for. There is a sadness and some frustration that underline his performance, and he plays the bluntness of his character very well while tapping into some of the qualities that make him such a magnetic presence on screen. The film also makes great use of reaction shots of him, which made the theater erupt with laughter in the screening I attended. It is a strong showcase of his talent, and arguably one of my favorite performances he’s ever given.

As for the other duo at the film’s core, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton are quite excellent and just as game as Wilde and Rogen are. Cruz has that effortless charm and coolness that she has demonstrated many times before, giving off an allure that is impossible to resist. She also got a few big laughs from me, which was a nice surprise. Norton is an actor that I seem to go through peaks and valleys with, as certain performances feel too actory to me while others are incredibly precise. His turn here falls into the latter camp, as he feels more natural than he usually does and has an affability to him that we don’t always get from him. Cruz and Norton fit into the film perfectly, and the cast as a whole complements each other so well. All four of them give stellar performances here and really impressed me throughout the film. 

The Invite is a smaller film, but it has plenty to say. It is incisive and often hilarious, featuring some of the strongest writing, directing, and acting I’ve seen this year. It is the type of film we don’t see much of these days, and I am so glad that it got made. If the response from my screening is any indication, this film has the potential to resonate with many viewers, and may even lead them to consider their own relationships. This film is easily among the cream of the crop for the early part of 2026, and could very well end up among the best of the whole year when all is said and done. If nothing else, The Invite is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in recent memory and is a triumph for everyone involved.

Rating: 4.5/5