USA 2026
Opening July 30, 2026

Directed by: Olivia Wilde
Writing credits: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones, Cesc Gay
Principal actors: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogan, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton

“One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.”

This famous Oscar Wilde quote opens the film, quietly setting the tone for what unfolds over its 107-minute runtime. Adapted from a stage play by Cesc Gay, Olivia Wilde's third feature as a director is an intimate, sharply observed look at modern marriage and the trials and tribulations that come with long-term commitment.

We first meet Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) in their beautiful San Francisco apartment. Joe returns home after work to find Angela frantically preparing an elaborate charcuterie board for guests. Alongside Joe, we discover they're entertaining their upstairs neighbors, Hawk and Piña, played with effortless charm by Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz.

Their arrival interrupts a tense argument already in progress. Joe had completely forgotten they were coming over, much to Angela's frustration, and he also neglected to pick up the wine. The awkwardness of hosting relative strangers is immediately palpable, especially as Hawk points it out within moments of arriving. From the outset, there's a lingering sense that this seemingly ordinary dinner party is about to turn Joe and Angela's lives upside down.

Without giving away the premise, The Invite never strays far from its theatrical roots. Much like Roman Polanski's Carnage (2011), it relies almost entirely on its exceptional cast to build tension through dialogue. We learn that Piña is a therapist in the mold of Esther Perel, who also served as a consultant on the film, and her observations become central to the evening's increasingly uncomfortable conversations.

There are genuine laugh-out-loud moments balanced with scenes that make you cringe or recognize pieces of your own relationships in Joe and Angela's marriage. Meanwhile, Hawk and Piña, who have only been together for a year and are still very much in the honeymoon phase, offer an interesting contrast as they navigate a relationship that's passionate but still lacking true intimacy and understanding.

From start to finish, I was completely captivated, almost as though I were watching a thriller. It's a bold, witty, and emotionally honest examination of marriage that lingers long after the credits roll, leaving you to reflect on the questions it raises about love, sex, and what it really means to know your partner. (Erin H.)

ANOTHER OPINION BY MARINELL H.

In Olivia Wilde’s third feature directorial foray she raises the bar for comedy-drama whiplash. The multi-award-winning cast and production teams deliver a pitch-perfect invitation to a laugh-out-loud-cum-unsettling dinner party. Providing the raw outline is Cesc Gay’s Spanish 2020 film, Sentimental (The People Upstairs), tailored long-time collaborating screenwriters Rashida Jones and Will McCormack to meet American vernacular requirements, adding biting innuendos, knock-down attitude, and customized tomfoolery.

Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogan) are stuck. Their mundane lifestyle is lackluster, and any communication often consists of mostly bickering skirmishes and/or pointed sarcasm. Joe’s barely through the front door and exhausted, when Angela reminds him what he forgot: the new upstairs neighbors are invited—due any minute—and he was to buy the wine on his way home. (He is not in the mood for company.) The tightly wound Angela snaps at Joe while rushing around doing final prep work. Their contentious, barbed discussion about the elusive couple overhead is interrupted by the doorbell. Whoops!

Enter Piña (Penélope Cruz) with her irresistible Spanish flan and a winsome Hawk (Edward Norton). They are friendly, observant, candid, and very open about everything. Likewise, Joe and Angela realize their front door is not thick enough. Hawk appreciates and encourages Joe’s honesty, as is Piña appreciative of Angela’s fascination with orgasms. The shaky start smooths over and is gaining momentum, until it erupts under most unusual circumstances. 

The script scratches and picks at each character’s quirks, actions, weak points and how that interplay affects others. Central issues are the nature of and honesty in relationships, particularly long-term ones, and commitment. Wilde with Jones and McCormack used the screenplay as a blueprint; the all-star cast improvised and tailored for their characters. Devonté Hynes’s score, with string instruments riffs and a dash of Ravel's Boléro underlines and/or adds exclamation points to different scenes. Adam Newport-Berra shot on location in San Francisco, California, over four weeks, Anthony Boys and Yorgos Mavropsaridis’s editing aptly camouflage the confines of the apartment, and Wilde looks dowdy compliments of the costume/wardrobe department. This is one invitation you want to accept as it zigzags through the gauntlet of human foibles furnishing lots of conversation starters for your next dinner party. 107 minutes