‘The Invite’ Review Thread

I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.

Rotten Tomatoes: Fresh

Critics Consensus: N/A

Metacritic: 78 (17 Reviews)

Sample Reviews:

Alex Godfrey, Empire Magazine 4/5 – On the surface, this is a very tense and very funny comedy of manners. Underneath all that, though, is a sad, incisive, brilliantly drawn study of a failing marriage.

Jacob Oller, AV Club B- – The Invite provides plenty of familiar relationship comedy, but it’s director-star Olivia Wilde’s tight, warm control of her ensemble that keeps the awkwardly horny dinner party moving forward through its clunkier courses.

Philip De Semlyen, Time Out 4/5 – Wilde’s latest slots into a rich lineage of hilariously awkward sex comedies. With a stellar cast finding alchemy in their contrasting styles, it’s daringly close to the bone and frequently fall-off-your-chair funny.

David Fear, Rolling Stone – It’s the sort of one-location, star-driven ensemble piece that could have merely been a theatrical exercise, and somehow manages to avoid being either stagy or stodgy. Even more impressive is how the actors sync up their own unique performance styles.

Nicolas Rapold, Sight & Sound – Sometimes it’s diverting enough to see four stars at work for an evening, which is exactly what The Invite did on a Saturday night at Sundance’s Eccles Theatre and perhaps other rooms in future.

Taylor Williams, Slant Magazine 2.5/4 – By the time The Invite burrows into the heart of its main characters and reveals the scope of their regrets and longings, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t strike a chord of genuine emotion.

Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal – The script by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (based on a 2020 Spanish film) is an increasingly high-stakes farce that turns surprisingly poignant in its more low-key third act.

Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post 4/4 – A sophisticated, snappy, seductive and stupendously funny film about a long-married couple who are in way over their heads.

Tim Grierson, Screen International – The film struggles to juggle its combination of rage and humour, satire and sadness, but the game performances mostly help gloss over the material’s familiarity.

Adam Chitwood, TheWrap – An uproarious, deeply felt and impeccably crafted chamber piece that not only serves as Wilde’s best directorial work to date, but solidifies her as a major talent both in front of and behind the camera.

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture – The Invite goes to some odd places, but with each new turn in these relationships, the picture loses steam, perhaps because they’ve never come across as real people and these emotional twists don’t feel fully earned.

Benjamin Lee, Guardian 4/5 – It seems that the chance to watch a genuinely funny and uncommonly intelligent comedy for adults is an invite we have all been waiting for.

Nick Schager, The Daily Beast – A hysterical, insightful, and ultimately moving portrait of the difficulties of keeping long-term relationships alive.

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter – After the disproportionate bashing Wilde took on Don’t Worry Darling, her new movie should silence the doubters. At this point it’s hard to deny she’s the real deal as a director.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety – [Lives up to expectations] in a way that’s so original, so brimming with surprise, so fresh and up-to-the-minute in its perceptions of how relationships work (or don’t), that you watch it in a state of rapt immersion and delight.

Kate Erbland, IndieWire B+ – Wilde’s expressive face and big eyes tap into a Lucille Ball elasticity; the film would be funny enough if it was only its director turning in such a hilarious performance, but she’s hardly alone in this endeavour.

SYNOPSIS:

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. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?

CAST:

• Seth Rogen as Joe
• Olivia Wilde as Angela
• Penélope Cruz as Pína
• Edward Norton as Hawk

DIRECTED BY: Olivia Wilde

SCREENPLAY BY: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones

BASED ON THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS BY: Cesc Gay

PRODUCED BY: Ben Browning, Megan Ellison, David Permut

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alex Astrachan, Chelsea Barnard, Glen Basner, Patrick Chu, Shayne Fiske Goldner, Saul Germaine, Andy Kim, Elizabeth Niles, Alex G. Scott

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Adam Newport-Berra

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Jade Healy

EDITED BY: Anthony Boys, Yorgos Mavropsaridis

COSTUME DESIGNER: Arianne Phillips

MUSIC BY: Devonté Hynes

RUNTIME: 107 Minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2026 (Limited) / July 10, 2026 (Wide)