---
title: "The Invite"
year: 2026
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-invite"
fi1m_id: "the-invite"
imdb_id: "tt14173636"
tmdb_id: 950028
wikidata_id: "Q134083296"
fi1m_score: 77
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 20
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:42.338049+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Invite (2026)

Directed by Olivia Wilde · 1h 47m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama, Romance

## Identity

The Invite

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-invite
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-invite
- **IMDb ID:** tt14173636
- **TMDB ID:** 950028
- **Wikidata ID:** Q134083296
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14173636/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/950028, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134083296

**Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 83 from 20 reviews

*In a sentence:* Four adults, one dinner, a proposition on the table, and the marriage underneath it is the thing nobody wants to touch

> Olivia Wilde puts two couples in one flat for one night and lets four good actors go at each other. It is funny, often sharply so, and Seth Rogen has never been better. It also feels like a play, and its middle sags.

## Synopsis

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are a married couple in San Francisco who have invited the neighbours to dinner. Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz) arrive with wine and no apparent inhibitions; Piña is a psychotherapist, Hawk is relaxed about most things, and the two of them are more at ease with each other than their hosts have been in some time. Over one evening in one flat the conversation moves from small talk to sex, and a proposition is put on the table that shows the hosts’ marriage in a light it has been avoiding. Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack from a Spanish stage play, directed by Wilde, and running 107 minutes.

## Review

Olivia Wilde’s third film as director is a dinner party. Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Wilde) have invited the neighbours over: Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who are glamorous, relaxed about sex and everything else, and rather better at being a couple than their hosts. The wine goes round, the talk gets looser, and before the evening is done a proposition is on the table that we will leave there. It is one flat, one night and four people, and it is good: funny, sharp about marriage, and carried by the best work Rogen has done. It also feels, more often than it should, like a play that has been filmed, and the middle stretch sags. We recommend it, with that said.

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack’s script comes from a Spanish stage play and has been moved to San Francisco. The joins hardly show. What Jones and McCormack do well is the grievance that has been rehearsed for years and comes out in a single sentence, and the film has a great many of these. People talk over each other, interrupt, correct each other’s anecdotes, and the laughs come from recognition as often as from jokes. We laughed a great deal in the first hour, and some of the lines stayed with us afterwards for less comfortable reasons. Almost all of it happens across a dining table and a sofa.

Wilde has learned to leave things alone. Adam Newport-Berra keeps the camera inside the flat and mostly at the height of someone sitting down, and he frames the four of them in twos and threes so that you can always see who is not being looked at, which in this film matters. Jade Healy’s flat looks like somewhere people live rather than a set for arguing in. Arianne Phillips dresses the neighbours for a better evening than the one their hosts have planned. Yorgos Mavropsaridis and Anthony Boys cut to the rhythm of the talk and hold on faces after the joke has landed. Devonté Hynes’s music is used sparingly, and the evening mostly runs on voices.

Rogen is the reason to see it. Joe is tired, self-involved and grumpy without ever being a monster, a man who stopped listening to his wife at about the point she stopped saying anything he wanted to hear. Rogen has played the amiable slob for a long time; this is the first time we have watched one and believed he had a mortgage and a bad back. He gets most of the laughs, and he gets them by looking put-upon while being, plainly, the problem. Norton plays Hawk as a man so at ease that the ease becomes a kind of aggression, and he is funny about it in a way that never asks for the laugh.

Cruz’s Piña is a psychotherapist, which the film uses as a joke and then as a weapon. For most of the evening she is warm, amused and slightly too interested. Late on she is given a long speech, and it stopped us. We had been laughing steadily for an hour and we stopped, and the quiet in the cinema went on for some while after she finished. Wilde has the sense to give the scene to the actor and step back, and the camera stays on Cruz for most of it.

The flaws are the ones the set-up invites. It feels like a play because it is one, and there are passages in the second half where the four of them are moved about the flat for no reason except to give the camera something new, and 107 minutes starts to feel longer than that. A couple of critics have called the whole thing calculated, and in places it is, though in most places it is alive. Wilde the director is better served than Wilde the actor: Angela is the one character whose grievances sound written rather than felt, and there are a few line readings where you can see the performer deciding what the scene is about.

Most critics have gone further than we will, and the pleasure of watching this cast explains why; we kept noticing the joins. Set against *Booksmart* and *Don’t Worry Darling*, this is the film where Wilde seems least anxious to impress. *Booksmart* had energy to spare; *Don’t Worry Darling* had a look and lost its nerve. *The Invite* has four people at a table for 107 minutes.

See it with someone you have been with for a long time, and do not discuss it on the way home. Or see it alone, which is safer.

*Fi1m score 77, published 9 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is The Invite worth watching?**

*The Invite* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys four good actors arguing across a dinner table, and we scored it 77. Seth Rogen has never been better, the script is sharp about long marriages, and Penélope Cruz has a late speech that stopped us. It feels like a filmed play and the middle sags, so viewers wanting action or movement should look elsewhere.

**How long is The Invite, and what is it rated?**

*The Invite* runs 1h 47m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film.

**Where can I watch The Invite in the US?**

*The Invite* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $19.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Invite, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Invite* is not violent or frightening, but it is an adult film about sex and marriage and carries a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the US. There is no fighting or horror; the discomfort comes from candid talk about sex and from a proposition put to a married couple. It is not for children, and most younger teenagers would find it dull rather than shocking.

**How does The Invite compare to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf??**

*The Invite* is the gentler, funnier evening; [*Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*](https://film.one/film/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf) is the original long night with the neighbours, and the older film draws real blood where the newer one draws laughs. Nichols keeps Albee's play almost whole and lets Burton and Taylor tear at each other for 131 minutes, and it is the stronger, harder film. Choose *The Invite* if you want to laugh, and Nichols if you have nowhere else to be.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **Little White Lies**, Savina Petkova (4/5/4): A star-driven chamber piece about a strained couple hosting their sexually adventurous neighbours for dinner, updating the partner-swap comedy. It delivers a roaring poly-rom-com where the joke lands on the monogamists. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-invite)
- **Radio Times**, Rosie Fletcher (5/5): A hilarious yet poignant study of marital dissolution, with Wilde and Rogen as the fraying hosts and Norton and Cruz as the glamorous, uninhibited neighbours. The razor-sharp script and four extraordinary lead performances drive the rich, keenly observed comedy. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-invite-review/)
- **The Times** (★★★★★): Olivia Wilde directs and stars in a side-splittingly funny sex comedy about a raunchy dinner party that turns into partner-swapping. It features dazzling zingers, personal excavation and an award-worthy lead performance from Wilde as the frustrated wife. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-is-award-worthy-in-her-dazzling-sex-comedy-p0l32z8kv)
- **Empire**, Alex Godfrey (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a very tense and funny comedy of manners that is also a sad, incisive study of a failing marriage. They single out the perfectly cast ensemble and the naturalism of the overlapping dialogue and improvised ripostes for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-invite/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Mark Olsen (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Wilde’s confident direction in exploring contemporary coupledom through a dinner party that goes entertainingly wrong or right. He singles out the strong ensemble work, especially from Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, and calls it one of her most cohesive films. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2026-06-25/la-et-invite-review-olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-penelope-cruz-edward-norton-a24)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the bravura dinner-party dramedy a film that keeps you laughing and never stops surprising, likening it to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? remade as vintage Woody Allen. He praises the script, direction, and the way the four actors connect and collide. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-1236640161/)
- **Evening Standard**, Maddy Mussen (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Wilde as a skilled director and calls the film truly great for its ending that reframes the story beautifully. They single out Penélope Cruz’s masterclass monologue for forcing serious soul-searching in audiences. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-invite-olivia-wilde-seth-rogan-review-b1288530.html)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The film is a four-way sex comedy of embarrassment adapted from a Spanish stageplay, with Seth Rogen providing levity and bite as the grumpy husband. It is intriguing, amusing and finally bizarrely moving in its satire of middle-class married life. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jun/30/the-invite-review-seth-rogen-olivia-wilde-penelope-cruz-edward-norton)
- **The New Yorker**, Justin Chang (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a witty relationship comedy in which an evening of refreshments and recriminations leads to an intriguing proposition among two couples. He highlights its tart, unflattering view of matrimony and its chamber-piece structure confined to one apartment. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/06/29/the-invite-movie-review)
- **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey (4/5): The Invite is a hilarious and frisky adult sex comedy about two couples unearthing secrets during one boozy night. Wilde's strongest directorial effort to date, it lets the stars shine in a swinger-party tale that is the next best thing to a stage production. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/07/03/invite-review-olivia-wilde/)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): Wilde's return to form is a daring, fall-off-your-chair funny sex comedy with a stellar cast finding alchemy in awkward neighbourly dynamics. It transplants a Spanish original to San Francisco with rich lineage references and sharp performances. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-invite-review-2026)
- **Vulture** (50/100, inferred): The chamber comedy has some solid laughs and strong individual performances but feels manufactured, baggy and tonally inconsistent, with characters that never quite cohere. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-invite-review-occasionally-funny-but-thats-about-it.html)
- **Film Comment**, Alana Pockros: The critic finds Wilde redeems herself with a witty and sincere exploration of the perils of heterosexual coupling and midlife marriage. She singles out the warm, endearing performance of Penélope Cruz as the psychotherapist neighbor who helps the central couple realize their problems go beyond sex. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/twos-a-crowd-the-invite-olivia-wilde-review/)
- **IndieWire**, Kate Erbland: Wilde delivers a crackling, wildly entertaining dinner-party comedy with unpredictable chemistry among the four leads that has plenty to say about marriage, love and life. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-1235174788/)
- **Sight and Sound**: Wilde's third feature is a contained marital sex comedy set in one apartment over one night, with strong ensemble interplay from Rogen, Cruz, Norton and Wilde herself. It aims for a bittersweet note but keeps stakes within the living room dynamic. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/invite-discomfort-served-olivia-wildes-bittersweet-sex-comedy)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The chamber piece is a smart, sophisticated adult entertainment that savages marriage with incisively acted ensemble work, especially from Seth Rogen, though it runs too long and occasionally feels theatrical. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-penelope-cruz-1236484375/)
- **The New York Times**, Alissa Wilkinson (Critic’s Pick): The critic finds the film a witty comedy about a millennial couple whose tense marriage receives a jolt from their neighbors during a dinner party. She singles out Seth Rogen’s revelatory performance for praise while noting occasional false notes in the script and Wilde’s portrayal. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/movies/the-invite-movie-review-seth-rogen-olivia-wilde.html)
- **Den of Geek**, David Crow (5/5): The critic calls it a shimmering dramedy for adults and a beguiling sex comedy that is the event of the summer. He singles out the luminous screenplay and excellent performances, especially Seth Rogen’s portrayal of a tired, self-involved husband. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-sex-comedy/)
- **The Wrap** (90/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as an uproarious, deeply felt and impeccably crafted chamber piece that is Wilde’s best directorial work to date. The whip-smart script and natural rhythm among the four lead performers are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-movie/)
- **Deadline**, Glenn Garner (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a whip-smart marital comedy that explores sex and relationships with raw and endearing honesty. Wilde and Rogen are singled out for nailing the comedic timing and lived-in tension of their bickering couple. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/01/the-invite-review-olivia-wilde-marital-comedy-sundance-1236690975/)
- **/Film**, Bill Bria (85/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a spectacular comeback for Wilde, a witty and emotional adult comedy with strong performances and direction that captures overlapping dialogue like Altman. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2087904/olivia-wilde-the-invite-dont-worry-darling-comeback-sundance/)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (8/10): The critic calls it a welcome return to form for Wilde after Don't Worry Darling, with the right tone for big laughs alongside emotional depth in a character-focused dramedy. They single out the fantastic four-person ensemble, especially Seth Rogen, and Wilde's skillful direction of the one-set premise. [Read](https://collider.com/the-invite-movie-review-seth-rogen-olivia-wilde-edward-norton-penelope-cruz-sundance/)
- **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Wilde's assured direction, gorgeous framing, and the film's timeless quality and craft in its chamber play setup about two couples' dinner party gone awry. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-invite-2026-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)
- **NME**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic praises it as a shrewd, savage and frequently hilarious take on coupledom that is wincingly accurate. He singles out the wonderfully written piece and the four actors at the top of their game in a contained setting. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-invite-review-olivie-wilde-seth-rogen-3954633)
- **The Playlist**, Marshall Shaffer (C): The critic finds the film overly calculated and lacking organic substance despite its talented cast and crew; it feels like prestige filmmaking without the depth. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/the-invite-review-rsvp-maybe-to-olivia-wildes-scaled-down-directorial-comeback-bid-sundance-20260126/)

## Details

- **Director:** Olivia Wilde
- **Director:** Olivia Wilde
- **Screenplay:** Rashida Jones, Will McCormack
- **Cinematography:** Adam Newport-Berra
- **Editor:** Yorgos Mavropsaridis, Ant Boys
- **Music:** Dev Hynes
- **Production design:** Jade Healy
- **Costume design:** Arianne Phillips
- **Producer:** David Permut, Megan Ellison, Ben Browning
- **Cast:** Seth Rogen as Joe; Olivia Wilde as Angela; Penélope Cruz as Piña; Edward Norton as Hawk; Skip Howland as Doorman (uncredited); Mel Powell as Bartender (uncredited); Rachel Thurow as Subway Goer (uncredited); Mario Valdez as Subway Goer (uncredited)
- **Runtime:** 1h 47m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 10 July 2026
- **Genres:** Comedy, Drama, Romance
- **Budget:** $12 million
- **Box office:** $56 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nelkiuezJxg

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $19.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $24.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BR, CA, DE, GB, MX, NZ, PL, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1966), Fi1m 86: The original long night with the neighbours; Burton and Taylor draw actual blood. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/whos-afraid-of-virginia-woolf.md)
- *Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice* (1969): The swinging-sixties version, where two couples talk themselves into it and out again.
- *Perfect Strangers* (2016): An Italian dinner party undone by mobile phones; same table, nastier secrets.
- *Carnage* (2011): Polanski locks two couples in a flat over a playground fight; nobody leaves well.
- *The Party* (2017): Sally Potter’s London gathering in black and white; short, sour and quick on its feet.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-invite