#seth rogen

[alcinemaoggi]

🎬 #TheInviteIlPiacereTuttoNostro

Il matrimonio di Joe e Angela è ormai logorato dalla routine, ma quando invitano a cena i loro enigmatici vicini di casa, una coppia affascinante e spregiudicata, la serata – e la loro relazione – prenderà una piega inaspettata.

Al Cinema Oggi https://www.cinemaoggi.com/film.php?slug=the-invite-950028

[xsc4tt3rbr41nz]

The Invite (2026) dir. Olivia Wilde

In typical marital comedies, the "bickering couple" trope often reduces the wife to a nagging buzzkill and the husband to a loveable, if negligent, slacker. The Invite fundamentally upends this dynamic by rooting Angela's frantic energy in a devastating lack of self-esteem. She's exhausted from carrying the emotional labour of her husband - who has weaponised his own failures as a musician.

Olivia Wilde frames Angela against wide doorways and empty kitchen counters, visually emphasising her isolation even when her husband is in the next room. Mimicking the vulnerability and nervous eccentricities of classic Keaton, Wilde plays Angela as a woman desperate to redecorate her apartment because she can no longer fix her life, and marriage.

What makes the storytelling so refreshing from a woman's perspective is that Piña and Angela are never pitted against one another. There is no cheap catfighting or jealousy over their respective partners. Instead, the narrative treats Piña's sexual openness not as an object for the male gaze, but more of a mirror for Angela's own suppressed desires. When the neighbours drop their explosive proposition - an invitation to swap partners for sex - the comedy doesn't stem from prudish shock, but from the raw, exposed nerves of what it means for a woman to voice what she actually wants.

If there is a flaw in the film's perspective, it's that the narrative occasionally centres Joe's midlife malaise at the expense of deeper dives into Angela's identity outside of her marriage. We learn an immense amount about Joe's failed rock career, while Angela's internal world is sometimes left to be deciphered through subtext and plot reveals.

But besides that, this was a really great adult comedy.

[b-beard]

THE INTERVIEW (2014) — Aaron and Dave

[cloudwardhoe]

I saw The Invite!

And I really enjoyed it! It was well done and well acted, and because it all takes place during one night and basically in one setting, it really could have been a play, and for some reason those type of movies usually really hit with me. The performances were great. I’m not usually a Seth Rogan fan, but he can be very funny and he brought a humor to the role that kept the character from being too unlikable. Also the wardrobe department knew exactly what they were doing with him. I also loved Olivia Wildes performance; she was able to pull off this painfully awkward insecurity, which is impressive because she’s Olivia Wilde. Part of me wishes she had cast someone else though. Like did she pull it off? Yes. Can really beautiful people be insecure and awkward? Yes. Is it a little annoying to watch? Yes.

Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton were also both great. Ed’s performance in particular I enjoyed, the character was probably the most subtle, entertaining but also a little annoying.

Honestly I liked the movie so much it makes me want to finally watch Don’t Worry Darling. I know the message of the movie gets a little muddled but I really like this and Book Smart, I think people just wanted to hate on Olivia.

Recommend for fans of the cast or if you’re looking for a good adult comedy that’s very character driven.

[screenzealots]

A sharply written and deeply compassionate relationship drama that blends uncomfortable comedy with emotional honesty.

"The Invite"

[showmeyouricons]

[hystericalfeminist]

Damn, Ms. Wilde. You deserve a mountain of bouquets.

Beginning with an Oscar Wilde felt delightfully cheeky, especially since the director is another Wilde.

Great script but it really is elevated by the actors who glide between comedy and serious drama with smooth elegance. The pacing of the dialogue is like a symphony coming together.

Sadé was a great touch.

Yet again, things really don't go well for a Wilde housewife who has a man go down on her.

Seth Rogen is so good at portraying resentment.

Counting the days till The Invite drops on streaming so that I can have a GIF of Edward Norton (Hawk) popping up from behind a sofa.

How do you make Esther Perel even cooler than she already is? Have Penelope Cruz play her.

Were Pina and Hawk figments of Angela and Joe's imagination? Why did they disappear, despite Pina implying she would only leave once she got her casserole back?

Basically, great fun and definitely one of the best watches of the year so far.

[chinchillasorchildren]

Films of 2026: The Invite (dir. Olivia Wilde)

(4/5)