Though it’s going to make many people uncomfortable, The Invite is one of the best films of the year.
The Invite brings us into the apartment of Joe and Angela (Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde), a couple whose marriage is on thin ice. Exhausted from work, Joe is furious to hear that his wife has invited Hawk and Pina (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz), their enigmatic neighbours from upstairs, to a dinner party tonight. But Hawk and Pina’s arrival makes for far from an enjoyable evening. As the duo’s presence incites conflict between Joe and Angela, the conversation potentially re-ignites the spark that they’ve been missing (or threatens to burn it all down).
As the third feature directed by Wilde, Invite positively sizzles from start to finish. Unleashed upon each other with the ferocity of a one-act play, Cruz, Norton, Rogen and Wilde play off one another with furious passion (and passionless fury). Every line of dialogue feels coated in either barbed wire or quiet seduction as the foursome feel each other in polite dominance. Norton brings a mysterious chaos to Hawk that makes him both likeable but also feeling indescribably out of reach. Meanwhile, Cruz adds a sultry element to the room yet still offers a compassionate soul that keeps their dynamic feeling genuine. And, of course, as Angela, Wilde burns with repression from every conceivable angle. Endlessly disappointed with her life, she yearns for any sense of joy in her life whether it’s sexual or emotional.
However, I simply cannot speak more highly or Rogen’s performance. As Joe, Rogen provides more than comedic relief. While his awkward banter may bring levity to the room, it’s his quieter moments that ground the film. Through the simplest of glances, Rogen manages to communicate the brokenness of faded dreams and lost love. He wants to find joy but feels completely lost. It’s an utterly marvelous performance that deserves recognition come awards season.
And Wilde ensures that the setting continues to ramp up the tension. With strong lines surrounding each character, every room feels like an inescapable prison. Despite moving around the apartment, there simply are few (if any) rooms that feel… safe. (One could make the argument about Joe’s ‘office’ serves as a form of sanctuary yet the room carries such a burden to him that even there is weighed down by a sense of unease. It’s a phenomenal use of space that make the evening feel unnervingly endless in the best of ways.
Much will likely be made of the film’s frank discussion of sexuality. With The Invite, Eric McCormick and Rashida Jone’s sparkling script rips up any taboos surrounding sexual pleasure, offering one of the most honest and open conversations about the topic that we’ve seen in years.
And that’s a great thing.
After all, this is a film that wants to lean into the awkwardness surrounding one of humanity’s most genuine acts, creating space to genuinely talk about its power and importance. McCormack and Jones aren’t ashamed of our human need for sexual pleasure and attack the topic with authenticity and candor. It’s meant to open the lines of communication, not shut them down. (Though, it will undoubtedly make for some incredibly challenging conversations for couples on the ride home from the theatre.)
But what makes this Invite so powerful is that it isn’t only about sex. In truth, it’s really a film about honesty and what happens when intimacy on any level leaves the room. For some, the proof of that close connection comes in the form of sexuality. But, for others, it comes in the realization that relationships live and die outside the bedroom as well. Without saying too much, both couples have their own struggles that need to be overcome and the proverbial ‘invite’ becomes a mask that allows them to ignore their deepest fears and darkest truths… until it can’t any longer.
It’s not always easy. It doesn’t always have a happy ending. But it does feel genuine.
Fueled by that raw intensity, The Invite becomes something fascinating and very special. This is a film that may not be for everyone but feels accessible to anyone. Wilde has tapped into the chaos of relationships, wrestled it to the ground and asked it to share its deepest secrets. Even if it’s uncomfortable to do so.
The Invite is available in select theatres on Friday, July 3rd, 2026 and opens wide on July 10th, 2026
