There is an old saying that “guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.”

In The Invite, the guests begin to smell after the first twenty minutes. Fortunately, for us, the odor is pure comedic gold!

7:42●●● 95%

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For months, I eagerly anticipated this film after hearing the enthusiastic buzz surrounding its Sundance Film Festival premiere. At last, I had the opportunity to see it with a New York test audience, and it more than lived up to the hype. From the opening scenes to the closing credits, the theater erupted in near-constant laughter. I was certainly doing my part, laughing at nearly every sarcastic comeback, passive-aggressive jab, awkward physical gag, and wonderfully intelligent exchange.

Artfully—and playfully—directed by Olivia Wilde, The Invite revolves around a deceptively simple premise: two couples sharing dinner. What follows is an evening filled with outrageous R-rated dialogue, much of it centered on sex, relationships, and the uncomfortable truths that often accompany both. Adapted from Cesc Gay’s acclaimed Spanish play and film Sentimental, the screenplay by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack expertly blends laugh-out-loud comedy with genuine emotional insight.

Marital dissatisfaction, monogamy, alternative lifestyles, menopause, aging, and midlife regret all become fair game, yet the film never loses its wit or humanity.

Almost the entire story unfolds inside a spacious San Francisco apartment, and the setting becomes a character in its own right. The production design feels remarkably authentic—less like a movie set than a home that has been lovingly lived in and perhaps just a bit over-renovated. Every room feels believable. (For the record, the couple’s teenage daughter is conveniently away at a sleepover, sparing her—and us—from what would surely have been years of therapy.)

The story begins with Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen), a long-married couple whose casual bickering suggests they could argue over the weather if given enough time. Their evening takes an unexpected turn when Angela’s invited guests arrive: Hawk (Edward Norton) and Pina (Penélope Cruz), an attractive, unconventional, and far more sexually liberated couple whose presence immediately disrupts the evening's fragile equilibrium.

The chemistry among the four leads is exceptional. What impressed me most is how generous each performance feels. None of the actors tries to dominate the film or steal scenes. Instead, they continually elevate one another, creating an ensemble performance that feels effortless and remarkably natural. Every conversation crackles because each actor listens as well as speaks. For me, however, the film’s greatest triumph is its screenplay. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack have crafted dialogue that is consistently funny while tackling subjects that many films either oversimplify or avoid altogether. They understand that the most memorable comedy often grows out of uncomfortable truths, and that laughter is sometimes the easiest way to confront life’s biggest questions. I would not be surprised to see this screenplay receive significant attention during awards season.

Final Verdict: A

There is remarkably little to criticize here. Some viewers may wish the film had ventured even further into provocative territory or leaned more heavily into its sexual premise. But I suspect that would miss the point.

Grade: A

Plot 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?