Olivia Wilde is, and bear with me here, currently moving like American rock band Steely Dan circa 1972 to 1974 with the release of their first three albums. Acclaimed for their debut effort, Can’t Buy a Thrill (her first movie, Booksmart), tough go around with their second, Countdown to Ecstacy (her sophomore release, Don’t Worry Darling), and back on target with their third, Pretzel Logic (her most recent work, The Invite).
This latest instalment in Wilde’s directorial catalogue is a grown-up comedy for the ages, taking four of the most watchable performers working today (Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz and Olivia Wilde herself) and dropping them right into the centre of a taboo comedy that’s as funny as it is real and confrontational about the realities of navigating adulthood, parental hardships, and the sex lives of those over a certain age. Specifically tackling the issues that oftentimes come with long-standing marriages in a manner that makes it all feel a little too real — providing some moments of real movie magic that feel as if a camera has been snuck in to a real-world home.
The performers involved are platformed by the Rashida Jones and Will McCormack-penned screenplay to provide some of their most effective performances in years — perhaps even decades. Wilde’s work behind the camera at no point hinders her work in front of it — it may even inform it with her precise understanding of her characters needs — whilst Cruz’s movie star looks, seductive yet stern performance style and charming personality sees her slot seamlessly in to this psychosexual comedy-thriller. Norton proves his fastball is still as quick as ever with a home run of a performance in a role more challenging than he’s seen in quite some time, and Rogen, who might just be the movie’s biggest standout, has never been funnier. Everything he’s doing is truly magic. He’s batting 100%.
The film’s greatest success, though, lies in its ability to raise to the surface some uncomfortable conversations that we, in the real world, simply just don’t want to have. Are we really happy? Are we still right for each other? Do you still find me attractive? All questions that are tackled across the film’s 107 minute runtime — ultimately reaching an incredibly moving conclusion that might just spark some conversations in a few households…
But despite its touching and visceral climax, The Invite is, more than anything else, an incredibly fun time at the movies. The aforementioned Seth Rogen is pure comedy gold, with each new punchline delivered by the comedic star getting funnier and funnier as we go along, whilst the absurdity of the twists and turns that the story take land wonderfully on target to create a subversive romp that entertains like nothing else 2026 has supplied as of yet — all before delivering a fatal gut punch right when your guard is totally down.
Rogen aside, Wilde’s grip on where she wants the camera to be, how she wants it to move, and how she wants her actors to position themselves within the frame is so strong that you completely forget that we haven’t changed location in over 90 minutes, such is the liveliness of what’s unfolding on screen. The tension is just so unbelievably palpable between these four individuals, and the camera — which is often still, almost hidden — gives us the feeling that perhaps we shouldn’t be there. We’re seeing something we’re not supposed to. The sort of thing that we all know goes on behind closed doors, but wouldn’t dare to speak on, and the single location aspect of the film makes this forbidden fruit all the sweeter — unfolding like we, the audience, are all crowded around a secret peephole staring straight into the barrel of this adult affair.
Ultimately, The Invite is an experience unlike any other thus far this year. The film’s synopsis suggests that: “It’ll be fun.”, and whilst that may only be true for roughly 80% of the runtime, the remaining 20 is amongst the most profound and thought-provoking of the year. A brilliant, entertaining and adult comedy that feels like a throwback to a bygone subgenre that got lost along the way.