Olivia Wilde’s latest directorial effort hits uncomfortably close to home. A24’s R-rated relationship dramedy “The Invite” — which stars Seth Rogen and Wilde as a married couple on the brink of collapse when their much cooler (not to mention smokin’ hot) neighbors pay a visit — has officially made its streaming debut on HBO Max. Part situational comedy and part cringe-inducing relationship thriller, it turns a casual evening of wine and neighborly conversation into a gauntlet of awkwardness and marital dysfunction that will crack you up before tearing your heart out.
I saw “The Invite” in theaters to see if it really was as great as all my friends said it was, and I’m happy to say that it does live up to the hype. I’ve been a huge fan of Olivia Wilde’s movies since the phenomenal coming-of-age comedy “Booksmart,” so when I saw her third directorial effort (and easily her best yet) just landed on HBO Max, it was the perfect excuse to yap about it.
“The Invite” is a remake of the 2020 Spanish comedy “The People Upstairs,” which was such a hit that it spawned adaptations in several countries, including Russia, South Korea and Italy. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack’s screenplay is sharp and refreshingly honest despite working from a pretty firmly established blueprint.
Now that it’s on HBO Max, “The Invite” deserves a spot on your watchlist if you’re looking for a sharp but substantial dramedy to watch. Not sold yet? Here’s everything you need to know about why “The Invite” should make your next movie night.
What is ‘The Invite’ about?
For a comedy, “The Invite” feels like an endurance test in social awkwardness. Married couple Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are at each other’s throats from the moment we first meet them, fighting over a last-minute dinner party Joe swears he was kept in the dark about. His rapid-fire complaining about everything under the sun — from lingering back pain to nitpicking Angela’s menu choices and the impractical foldable bicycle she talked him into buying — establish him as a bitter shell of the man she fell in love with.
When their devastatingly suave upstairs neighbors, Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), drop by for dinner, the need for everything to go perfectly kicks Angela’s anxiety into high gear. She claims the invite was a Hail Mary for the noise from their recent renovations, but Joe has something else top of mind. In his usual passive-aggressive fashion, he wants Piña and Hawk to apologize for keeping him up with their inconsiderately noisy and uninhibited sex. Sex that the couple has talked about a normal number of times, mind you.
Once the wine gets flowing and a joint gets passed around, the evening takes some unexpected (but notably not unwelcome) turns, coaxing the bickering couple’s most intimate desires to the surface until it becomes impossible to ignore the cracks in their relationship any longer.
A smarter (and hornier) version of ‘The Break Up’
When I was watching “The Invite” in theaters, I couldn’t help but think about another entirely too real domestic disaster comedy: Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston’s “The Break Up.” Both find humor in the messy reality of long-term partnerships, but while “The Break Up” leans into familiar rom-com territory, “The Invite” feels like a smarter, more grown-up version of the same conceit. One that finds a ton of humor in the awkwardness of a sexless marriage suddenly thrust under a microscope.
Much of “The Invite’s” comedy comes from the electric chemistry between its four leads. Rogen plays the ironic outsider who alternates between puncturing the escalating absurdity with knowing jokes and bursts of outrage. His grounded wit balances perfectly against Wilde’s particular brand of neuroticism. She’s adorably frazzled, clearly barely holding it together, and when propositioned with a foursome, the first question out of her mouth is “what would the procedural protocol be?” She’s so flustered after kissing a woman that she blurts out “namaste” — truly a disaster bisexual after my own heart.
While Piña and Hawk remain effortlessly composed and self-assured, Angela and Joe are sweaty and increasingly mortified by how lame they seem in comparison. As endearing as I found Wilde’s character, Cruz really stole the show for me. Her magnetism draws you in just as it does Angela and Joe as she keeps up a breezy banter in the face of one social screw-up after another. She watches them like a cat playing with its food, calling out Joe for staring at her tits in the elevator while showing no hesitation to hit on them both. Flirting in movies can often feel contrived and stilted, but “The Invite” has some of the most natural chemistry I’ve seen in a while.
As a sex therapist, Piña practically has X-ray vision into the real problems fueling the couple’s constant bickering, and her monologue near the end outlining as much is one of the movie’s most mesmerizing moments. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her up for Best Supporting Actress this award season.
Stream ‘The Invite’ on HBO Max now
“The Invite” takes a while to find its rhythm, but sharp dialogue and artistically composed shots keep the pace moving along. Wilde’s direction keeps the camera close and claustrophobic within the apartment, turning a single-location set into a pressure cooker of social awkwardness that’ll leave your skin crawling. A surprisingly heartfelt emotional ending caps things off beautifully, offering a spark of hope amid the flood of relationship cynicism.
I’m far from the only one singing “The Invite’s” praises. It’s currently at a near-perfect 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus reading: “Perversely funny while giving its quartet of fine actors some of their best material yet, The Invite is a sophisticated farce that reaffirms Olivia Wilde as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.”
Now that it’s streaming on HBO Max, my hope is even more folks will enjoy this perfectly orchestrated dissection of relationships. With “The Invite,” Wilde’s combined the hallmarks of a situational comedy with suspense and nuanced characters that make the comedic moments land all that much more. I’m going to continue eating up every movie she makes, and encourage y’all to do the same.
Watch“The Invite” on HBO Maxnow
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