Cast: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton Directed by: Olivia Wilde (I’d like to point to a film which I haven’t seen ma...
Cast: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
(I’d like to point to a film which I haven’t seen many people talk about in relation to this film, since it’s so similar in its tone and direction that it’s hard to not think of it: the film I’m talking about is Roman Polanski’s 2011 film Carange; both the films are chamber pieces, and feature four characters talking, and oftentimes yelling at each other. Sure, both of the films are polar opposites in what they’re trying to convey to the audience, but they feel eerily similar. Another film this feels eerily similar to, at least in terms of it’s cinematography, is Kristoffer Borgli’s 2026 film The Drama, which features a plot very similar to a scene in this film, albeit, it plays out very differently.)
The Invite can be best described a film about a failing marriage which also happens to be a sex-comedy, along the lines of Jay Roach’s The Roses (2025), and Judd Apatow’s This is 40 (2012), but what differentiates it from the other films mentioned is the depth, that the other films doesn’t possess to the extent that this does.
The chamber piece, which is a remake of an adaptation of Cesc Gay’s stage play Els veïns de dalt / Los vecinos de arriba, with a screenplay by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (the duo behind Celeste and Jesse Forever), achieves the tone it sets out to achieve. The film is at once funny and dramatic — something a lot of films struggle to achieve; and it’s been quite some time since I’ve been in a theatre where the audience burst into laughter in unison more often than not.
Olivia Wilde directs the hell out of the first half of the film, whilst the second half feels way more sombre, which contradicts what we’re led to believe the film is about. The cinematography, which works for both comedy and drama, is extremely reminiscent of American indie cinema and European arthouse cinema, which especially compliments the film greatly during its more sombre moments (the opening scene, the final scene), exemplifying every emotion we’re supposed to feel (the last shot of the film is a great example). This film is undoubtedly a return to form for director-actor Olivia Wilde, whose previous film (Don’t Worry Darling) felt oddly studio engineered, as opposed to her debut Booksmart (2019) and this.
The performances are what carry this film — especially in the latter half of the film. The performances are great all around, but Seth Rogen’s performance stands out: his comic timing (as has been proven many a time) is great but that’s not what the film focuses on as such, it is instead the more soulfulness of his performance that the film focuses on, proving once again that he’s undoubtedly one of the best (mainly) comic actors working today. Olivia Wilde’s performance is great as well, definitely a lot more subtle than Seth Rogen’s performance in terms of facial expressions (when the conversation gets sexual, her face becomes way more expressive: she looks extremely keen and excited while simultaneously repressing her desires). Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton as the “weird” couple are excellent. Penélope Cruz’s performance is restrained, certainly, but it adds to her character’s “appearance”; it would’ve been really interesting if we got to explore her character a little bit like we got to do with Edward Norton’s character, whose performance is fantastic as well. His comic timing is brilliant, and he delivers a exceptional (and quite sentimental) monologue with a lot of soul; this is clearly one of his best performances in recent memory.
The film primarily works due to the polemical performances and the great dialogues. The direction from Olivia Wilde helps further exemplify the repression that haunts the characters. The claustrophobic setting and the gorgeous composition of shots make this feel adequately intimate. The film is both excessively funny and, concurrently, extremely sombre, which it balances out perfectly.
Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.
By Ravit Mishra
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