Oscar Wilde once famously said, “One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry.” That quote sets the tone in A24’s new comedy “The Invite.”
Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde (no relation to the aforementioned Wilde) star as Joe and Angela, a seemingly-miserable married couple living in an old San Francisco apartment building who welcome their newish unmarried neighbors Hawk and Pína (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) for dinner.
The dynamics are clear from the jump: Joe and Angela can’t help but lob passive-aggressive jabs at each other while Hawk and Pína make their intimacy obvious (the walls aren’t exactly soundproof, if you catch my drift…). It’s only a matter of time before tensions erupt — to hilarious results.
Joe, a former musician turned pot-smoking associate music teacher, is tired and unfulfilled and Angela, a former artist-turned-stay-at-home mom, is on edge and demanding. Meanwhile, Hawk, an eccentric firefighter, and his seductive Spanish girlfriend Piña, reveal to their unhappy neighbors how exactly they keep life spicy — and offer Joe and Angela an invitation of their own.
Adapted from the 2020 Spanish film “The People Upstairs” (which was adapted from Cesc Gay’s play), “The Invite” maintains the intimacy of a staged production. Wilde, marking her third go in the director’s chair following 2019’s “Booksmart” and 2022’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” brilliantly fuels anxiety, making the audience feel like they, too, have a seat at the table.
“The Invite” draws clear inspiration from classics like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice,” combining mounting angst from intimate relationships with biting humor. Rashida Jones, who is normally in front of the camera, and Will McCormack co-wrote an extremely sharp and witty screenplay packed with so many zingers that it was difficult to hear some due to laughter that broke out from the previous zinger. That rarely happens nowadays.
‘POWER BALLAD’ REVIEW: PAUL RUDD, NICK JONAS DELIVER CROWD-PLEASING MUSIC DRAMEDY
Rogen does his reliable goofy shtick that’s helped make him a household name for nearly 20 years. Wilde is perfectly fine on camera but seems to excel more behind the camera in this instance. It’s Cruz and Norton, however, that bring this comedy to the next level. Cruz has a natural power of commanding attention no matter what role she plays, almost putting viewers under her trance — especially here. Norton’s Hawk, meanwhile, is so bizarre as a person and Norton’s pitch-perfect delivery only exemplifies his talents as an actor.
“The Invite” is a raunchy, laugh-out-loud comedy that we don’t often get to see like we used to. Rogen, Wilde, Cruz and Norton are absolutely electric on-screen together, making this movie worth a night out for some adult fun this summer.
“The Invite” is rated R for sexual material, language throughout, and drug use. Running time: 1 hour, 47 minutes. In select theaters now; wide release July 10, 2026.