Even as a remake, it’s a delight to see how well a film like The Invite comes together. Matching a game cast with a sharp script and the right kind of direction allows for a really good time under the circumstances established by the premise. There’s plenty of fun to be had here, and that’s not without understanding that some deeper themes can and will emerge to add some additional layers to what could easily feel like an enjoyable trifle. And honestly, while A24 is thankfully in a place where it is now releasing its more commercially minded films wide pretty much right away, one would think a film like this could easily find an audience amongst those looking for a good night out with a comedy.
Set on one long night in a San Francisco apartment building, Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde star as Joe and Angela. They are a married couple who have been fighting quite a bit as of late, but are also hosting a dinner with their neighbors a window across from them. To be clear, it’s Angela who has invited them over. At the same time, Joe resents the idea, as he is constantly annoyed by how loud these neighbors are during sex. The neighbors in question are Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton). Once they arrive, we begin to learn a lot more about each of these characters, including some key information that could really change how everyone interacts with each other after this night ends.
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The film has been adapted from the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs by writers Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, with Wilde coming on to direct. Following Don’t Worry Darling, an ambitious, if flawed, attempt to play in a much larger sandbox than her debut directorial effort, Booksmart, this finds the director/co-star back in smaller territory. That said, there’s a very strong display of understanding how to keep this one location interesting thanks to the blocking, where to put the camera, what angles to make great use of, and how to build comedic and dramatic tension by way of the characters involved in various dialogue scenes and the building pressure naturally coming from this event. Sure, it’s not about being flashy in terms of the direction, but one can’t deny what Wilde is bringing directorially.
With that in mind, breaking things down by character, Wilde may also be giving her best performance here. Just looking through her filmography and noting the parts where she really stuck out as a performer, Drinking Buddies and the upcoming I Want Your Sex are strong efforts as well, but I really responded to Wilde’s efforts at playing an insecure woman wanting to impress her neighbors whom she clearly sees as cool adults she only aspires to age into being more like. This allows some dramatic beats to play well, while the comedic ones hit even harder. There’s an early running joke revolving around how hard her character worked to make a soufflé, and each time it comes up, it’s hilarious. Meanwhile, how she interacts with the rest of the cast speaks to what great sparring abilities she has in an effort to keep up while venting various frustrations. It’s great work.
Her character’s better half, in the form of Seth Rogen, is also quite effective here. Even if I’d say he’s the weakest of the four in this particular set (he’s been the strongest in other movies/TV shows), the key to what makes him work is how consistently great I feel Rogen is at establishing chemistry with anybody. Whether he’s joking with them, arguing, or calling them out, there’s a delivery of words that Rogen excels at when it comes to making it feel very off the cuff while also allowing his scene partner(s) to respond accordingly and quite effectively. Also, given the heavy lifting Rogen has to do by the end, this is a nice display of what he can offer for this kind of story.
Looking at the other couple, Norton is having a lot of fun underplaying his role. Given the things we learn about Hawk, it’s a choice that makes a lot of sense given how over-the-top it could be played. Instead, we have a guy who speaks softly and chimes in when he feels appropriate. This, in turn, leads to plenty of nice bits of comedy involving Norton’s efforts, which feel akin to all the work he’s been doing with We Anderson for the past decade and change, yet with more adult themes to lock into.
Cruz is the one to really look at. While she’s obviously an acting legend when it comes to her work with Pedro Almodovar, it feels like it’s been an inconsistent road for her when it comes to her English-language performances. The Invite is her best work in an American film since her Oscar-winning turn in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It makes a lot of sense, given how much The Invite feels indebted to Allen’s work. Regardless, Cruz is having so much fun here; not because she’s playing another fiery role, but because of the way she’s using her energy to entice everyone around her in different ways. She’s a very cool presence here, and it’s clearly standing out to the others. Where the film goes with her character has some wild responses as well, but Cruz does plenty to have fun with everything thrown her way.
Getting into the sorts of turns in this story is unnecessary. All that matters is how we get to see specific types deal with relationships, curiosity, sex, and commitment. The fortunate thing is that each of the actors is in fine form to contend with what the story’s up to, and Wilde does a terrific job holding it all together via her direction. That should be plenty of good reasons for why to accept the invitation to this very entertaining comedy.
The Invite opens in theaters on June 26, 2027.
