A sharp, very funny domestic pressure-cooker that turns a dinner party into a marriage autopsy. The appeal is the mix of escalating comic chaos, strong ensemble chemistry, and a surprisingly sincere look at resentment, desire, and the fragile work of staying together.
86% ★★★★☆ (13,536)
The Invite
Where to watch: In Theaters
Movie · Drama · Comedy · R
2026 · 1h 47m · ★ 86% (14K)
It'll be fun.
Director: Olivia Wilde
Starring: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton
Overview
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?
Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, very funny domestic pressure-cooker that turns a dinner party into a marriage autopsy. The appeal is the mix of escalating comic chaos, strong ensemble chemistry, and a surprisingly sincere look at resentment, desire, and the fragile work of staying together.
Best for
Viewers who like relationship comedies with real emotional bite
Fans of tightly staged, dialogue-driven ensemble films
People who enjoy dinner-party disasters and social discomfort
Audiences looking for a funny movie that still lands a gut punch
Skip if
You want broad, low-stakes comedy only
You dislike cringe humor and escalating interpersonal tension
You prefer plot-heavy thrillers over character-driven chamber pieces
You’re not interested in marriage/relationship drama
Overview
The Invite plays like a polished social grenade: a dinner party that starts as a test of civility and ends up exposing everything the hosts have been avoiding. It’s built on timing, performance, and the kind of escalating discomfort that makes every new line feel like it could either save the night or destroy it.
Worth noting
What stands out most is how funny it is without losing sight of the emotional damage underneath. The cast seems to be in perfect sync, and the script’s rhythm gives the movie a real snap; it knows when to let a joke breathe and when to cut straight to the bruise.
Bottom line
Olivia Wilde’s direction gives the whole thing a confident, controlled energy. Even when the movie gets messy, it feels intentional, and that balance between chaos and precision is what makes it work. It’s the kind of comedy that invites laughter first and then quietly asks what, exactly, everyone is laughing to avoid.
Top Letterboxd reviews
davidehrlich (4★) · 2087 likes
huge respect to Olivia Wilde — i haven't seen a rebound this satisfying and unexpected since Mitchell Robinson grabbed that missed free throw at the end of game 5. great movie, like if Seth Rogen gave the most uncomfortably relatable performance of his life in a peak Mike Nichols comedy. So fucking funny, Wilde directs the shit out of it, divorce rates are about to spike along the coasts. Ed Norton should play Larry Bird in a mediocre TIFF drama about the three years he spent coaching the Pacers. this is my first and last basketball-coded log.
Sean Fennessey · 1524 likes
The best use of Edward Norton in decades.
David Sims (3.5★) · 884 likes
I like any movie that's about how being near Penelope Cruz is a category 5 emotional hurricane
jonathan fujii (4.5★) · 795 likes
Crazy how EVERYONE understood the assignment
Kit Lazer (5★) · 774 likes
Olivia Wilde delivers direction so strong and a performance so good that she got a standing ovation at Sundance. That’s not a thing at Sundance! It’s not Cannes. It’s too cold here for that nonsense. I agonized for about 37 seconds about whether this was a 5 star or a 4 1/2 star picture and then I remembered nothing could matter less. I can say I loved this movie. The entire theater erupted in laughter more times than I could… more
A warm, observant relationship comedy about loneliness, intimacy, and second chances.
Themes
marriage in crisis, dinner party chaos, emotional infidelity, social discomfort, relationship comedy, domestic tension, class and status anxiety, ensemble dynamics