THE INVITE - - A Return to Form

Review by Adam Donato

Olivia Wilde parlayed her successful acting career into a position behind the camera with 2019’s Booksmart, which was a surprise hit. It was a Superbad type coming of age high school movie, but for the girls. After the pandemic, Wilde’s career took a complete left turn when she directed the hollywood shit show that was Don’t Worry Darling. A movie with behind the scenes drama that is more compelling than the movie itself. Not to mention the mixed reviews didn’t help. The Invite is Wilde’s opportunity to put herself back in good graces as she directs and stars this dramedy. She brings in some heavy hitters too as the story has Wilde and her husband, Seth Rogen, host their interesting neighbors, played by Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz, for a double date night in. Is The Invite just what the doctor ordered for Olivia Wilde?

The Invite is a laugh riot of a movie with some serious emotional pull. The movie explores the hardships of adult relationships in a way that feels honest and relatable. The whole movie takes place at this one location and only contains these four characters. It really feels like a play in that it’s mainly dialogue and performance based. This allows Wilde to keep things simple as she’s almost making a bottle episode. The movie is very brisk at just over a hundred minutes and it’s one of those that is so enjoyable to hang out in that you almost wish it was longer. The movie ends at a logical place, but you almost want to continue forward with these characters to explore more of the aftermath of the situation that’s depicted. That being said, it is better to end the hangout too early rather than let it go on too long.

The performances all around are the highlight here. Wilde delivers her best performance in years. The rest of the cast kind of just does their stereotypical thing, but Wilde really impresses her. Her character is so funny, while also being so sympathetic as she desperately tries to hold this evening together. Arguably the best Wilde has ever been. The movie opens with the classic Seth Rogen laugh and that’s indicative of the rest of the performance. It has been interesting to see him try to point his comedic talents in a more dramatic direction. He was excellent in The Fabelmans, but The Invite is arguably his best attempt at a substantive dramatic performance specifically as a lead. He’s as funny as ever, but with this added pessimism that drives the entire offputting nature of the story. Edward Norton is excellent as this almost nauseating nice guy. His pretentious moments, like his constant attempts to speak Spanish, are some of the funniest stuff in the movie. The most acclaimed of the group is clearly the Oscar winning Penelope Cruz and she clearly has the most commanding presence in the movie. While the other three spend time running around like chickens with their heads cut off, she holds so much power within the situation. This is the most commercial and accessible movie that she’s done in years and is the most interesting casting decision of the bunch.

It’s too early in Wilde’s directing career to definitively diagnose her with things, but the picture is starting to come together. Booksmart is good, but succeeds within the format of the type of movie it's trying to be. Whereas Don’t Worry Darling is a much more ambitious almost blockbuster type film that attempts much larger themes. The Invite succeeds in its lack of ambition. We’re just hanging out in a room riffing with a collection of great actors as this basic, yet compelling topic is explored. It just feels like the ultimate path that is chosen doesn’t bear the most bountiful return. Everything is wrapped up almost too conveniently and it feels like the themes become more general, instead of pushing the boundaries of the subject. The Invite masquerades as a risque film, but isn't nearly as provocative as it thinks it is. It just feels like it’s missing that extra punch in the third act to truly seal the deal with this narrative. Wilde’s movies are developing a pattern of being surface level, which is keeping her closer to the likes of Elizabeth Banks rather than a Celine Song or Chloe Zhao.

There’s not many summer movies like The Invite. It feels like an awards season hopeful that’s trying to get a head start. A very likable and mature movie for adults to enjoy at the cinemas. Wilde’s is striding into the right direction and she has a cast of pros to help her along the way. This movie will occupy a similar role in the summer lineup as Materialists, which carved out a pretty nice box office slice for itself considering its budget. While it looks pretty at the midyear, once awards season rolls around, it’s likely to be demoted to that almost realm that movies like Is This Thing On? and Jay Kelly occupied last year. Still, The Invite is a laugh a minute type of dramedy that is a good alternative to all the bombastic blockbusters this summer.

The Invite delivers to theaters July 10th!

Rating: 4/5