Awkward Dinner Parties and Marital Drama Make Olivia Wilde's New Comedy 'The Invite' a Must-Watch

Directed by Olivia Wilde, The Invite centers on Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Wilde), a millennial couple grappling with middle age, relationship struggles, and a growing disconnect. The screenplay, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, follows Joe, a former rock star who now works as a music teacher and is dissatisfied with his current life.

This project follows Wilde's previous directorial effort, Don't Worry Darling.

The plot is set in motion when Joe returns home to discover that Angela has invited their upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penélope Cruz), a bohemian therapist and Hawk (Edward Norton), an ex-firefighter, over for a gathering. While Angela's public intention is to apologize for the noise caused by their apartment renovation, a resentful and passive-aggressive Joe has a different agenda: he intends to confront the couple for keeping him awake with their loud intimacy.

As the evening unfolds, the contrast between the two couples drives the narrative tension. Piña and Hawk project cosmopolitan confidence, frequently slipping into Spanish. In comparison, Angela and Joe appear sweaty and uptight. The conversation ultimately shifts in unexpected directions when the discussion shifts to s--, leading to several unexpected twists.

The film is a loud, theatrical comedy that opens with a musical score pacing the early dialogue, before fading out. While the sudden shifts in mood can feel forced, Seth Rogen's performance grounds the absurdity. Playing a sarcastic outsider, Rogen uses his signature comedic timing and distinct laugh to make the wild plot twists work.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian draws comparisons between the film and classic comedies that use the “four main characters interacting in a single location” trope.

“The Invite resembles Roman Polanski’s four-hander Carnage from 2011, adapted from Yasmina Reza’s stageplay – or indeed Francis Veber’s play and film Le Dîner de Cons, remade as Dinner for Schmucks with Steve Carell.”

“Maybe there’s something about bourgeois people being embarrassed over dinner that has a certain exportable appeal. The Invite is funny … and Rogen is on top of his game,” he added.

The film currently holds a 95% approval rating on both the Tomatometer and the Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, based on hundreds of critic and audience reviews praising its cast and storyline.

“The movie’s flaws and shortcomings aren’t just tolerable, they can be endearing – like those of a partner in a lasting marriage – and perhaps even revealing, considering the proximity between Wilde and her character,” wrote one reviewer.

A second one added, “The filmmakers and fully committed cast never shy from how bad things have gotten between Joe and Angela, but they find the sweet spot in so much sourness, while the slashing-strings score by Devonté Hynes sets the playfully-knives-out tone perfectly.”

Another commentator quipped, “The Invite is funny, smart, and emotionally sharp. It doesn’t nail every moment, but it comes close enough that the flaws barely show while you’re watching.”

“While the comedy is excellent (hyperbolic but vulnerable at its core), there is even more value in The Invite​'s remedial humor and a shared attempt to not only make the contradictions of hetero-monogamy more palatable, but pleasurable,” read another review.