Olivia Wilde is back in the director’s seat and stars in one of the lead roles in her new relationship drama, The Invite.
This marks Wilde’s third feature after the tumultuous release of 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling, which suffered from a dramatic press tour and disappointing narrative choices.
However, four years later in 2026, Wilde has made a career-defining comeback with a relationship drama that is full of comedy and nuance.
Film News Blitz writer Olivia Davies delivers her review.
What is ‘The Invite’ about?
‘The Invite’ stars Wilde herself, alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penélope Cruz, as the four couple up for a dinner party that brings out their vulnerabilities and desires.
Wilde and Rogen star as married couple Angela and Joe, who seem to have quite a rocky relationship as they constantly bicker back and forth over having their neighbours over for dinner.
Joe has an ulterior motive in finally confronting Pina (Cruz) and Hawk (Norton) over the raunchy noises they can hear in their apartment, but Angela is desperately trying to make a connection by getting to know her neighbours.
However, what seems like a neutral concept turns into an awkward nightmare that may end up rekindling their marriage spark or lighting the match that burns it all down.
Stellar performances
The Invite is what is called a ‘bottle film’, with it only being shot in one location for the majority of the film’s runtime.
There is a brief montage in the first five minutes showing Rogen’s commute from work, but 99% of the film takes place in Angela and Joe’s apartment in San Francisco.
This one-location film feels very play-like in this regard, and it can be a hard choice to pull off without making the film feel stagnant and stuffy.
However, The Invite is steered by 4 stellar performances that may all be career-defining in their own right – particularly Rogen and Norton’s.
Joe is sarcastic and bitter, which is conveyed through Rogen’s self-deprecating humour and over-the-top dramatics. Whilst his wife Angela is frantic and uptight, which is delivered through Wilde’s social awkwardness and fragility.
Piña and Hawk are pictured as the more loose and progressive couple whose antics, which involve slipping into talking in Spanish in front of their hosts, come off as delightfully silly.
Cruz is great at portraying Piña as a suave and confident modern woman, but Norton’s performance is probably my favourite in the film because of how subtle it is.
Comedy gold
Another standout feature in The Invite is the combination of its strong screenplay and Wilde’s creative direction.
This film is a full-blown comedy, and I found myself and most of the cinema laughing at the couple’s many antics and the rapid descent into pure chaos.
The comedy is snippy, with sharp cuts that show the erratic embarrassment felt by each character as Piña and Hawk unpeel Angela’s and Joe’s stuffy natures to reveal their unspoken desires.
One couple’s awkwardness versus another’s transparency combines to ramp up the film’s tension and culminates in an explosive reveal in the second half of the film which should feel like a breath of relief.
However, this film never loosens its grip on the audience, and you’ll constantly hear yourself shrieking with delight and horror with what is unfolding.
Each character feels like an over-the-top caricature that feels like it’s taken out of a comedy sketch. But elevating their traits in this way makes for a hilarious time which is grounded by realism but is never too scared to ramp up everything to 11.
A vulnerable side
As I said before, The Invite is a nail-biting, cringing experience from start to finish – in the best way possible.
But that doesn’t mean it is without its emotional notes and character vulnerability.
Whilst I loved the film’s messy humour, I was anticipating an emotional payoff that would either result in Angela’s and Joe’s marriage dissolving or beginning anew, as Pina’s character rightfully said, “Either way, this relationship is dead.”
I liked the conclusion of The Invite, but I also felt the emotional descent into the conclusion felt a bit tacked on. With a film that is so over the top, it’s difficult to come back down to listen to a heartfelt message.
It’s an overall tricky balance to pull off, but Wilde did it well. Each character has their own baggage and revelations that landed surprisingly well. I especially loved Hawk’s speech about his name.
Overall thoughts
I was pleasantly shocked when I left The Invite only to reflect on a hilariously emotional drama comedy that hit all the highs and lows that relationships bring.
Each performer brought their A game, and it really made the film shine. It’s a conversation-heavy film shot in one apartment, but I never felt like I was trapped within its four walls, only trapped in the turmoil of these characters.
Wilde has really found her footing with The Invite, both as a director and a lead actress. I can’t wait to see more from her in the future.
Rating: 8/10
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