(The following contains spoilers for The Invite (2026))
A24’s The Invite is second-hand embarrassment on steroids as Olivia Wilde delivers one of the most uncomfortable theater experiences and labels it a “comedy.” The label undermines the drama entirely in the same way Secretary (2002) similarly delivers a far more cerebral experience than a viewer might expect. On the surface, the film talks about a sexless marriage being shaken up by a shocking proposition, when it is really about feeling seen in a relationship. The narrative explores the complicated nature of long-term relationships and their capacity to disintegrate when people stop prioritizing emotional intimacy.
The film follows Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogan), a couple who have clearly grown apart, hosting a dinner party with the couple who live in the unit above them, Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton). Angela is an anxious and high-strung stay-at-home mom, while Joe is miserable, stuck working as a music teacher during the day after failing to make it big. Piña is a domineering vegan psychotherapist, and Hawk is an arrogant retired fireman. Angela goes above and beyond, decorating the apartment and curating an elaborate dinner to impress the guests while it is clear that Joe is entirely resistant to them coming over. He goes on to complain that he has been extremely frustrated by hearing the couple have sex, so much so that he plans to confront them about the noise, to which Angela pleads for him to be civil when they arrive. Throughout the night, everyone becomes closer, exploring the depth of their respective relationships and aggressively stress-testing them through a series of confessions. The dinner devolves, and the pair admit that they know their sexual exploits can be heard and ask if they would like to swing with them.
Angela is repeatedly dismissive of Joe and steamrolls over him regardless of what he has to say. From the beginning, she definitively gaslights him as she insists she informed him of the dinner plans the day prior, which is later proven to be a blatant lie. He complains about work, he complains about his back, and she is clearly past the point of caring, hand-waving his pain time and time again.
Joe is depressed and angry about what his life has become, dissatisfied with his place in the world and unwilling to appreciate what he has or change it. Angela tries to use therapy techniques to de-escalate fights; Joe stonewalls; every day looks the same. He fails to compliment his wife’s efforts even once, stating he doesn’t know what she does all day, underscoring the amount of emotional and physical labor she performs that goes unnoticed.
While Joe is a talented musician, he refuses to indulge in it even as a hobby because it reminds him of his own shortcomings: an insecurity that plagues him in all aspects of his life. He is protective of his piano and doesn’t allow anyone to hear the music he was once so proud of. It becomes clear that it isn’t about not being able to make music professionally; it is about how small and insignificant he feels, as if his talents mean nothing without widespread recognition. Joe says that none of his students care about music, but fails to recognize it is because they can tell that HE doesn’t care about the music; he sees the job as beneath him and the outcomes as inconsequential.
Angela completed an art degree but has since put it on the back burner to pour her creativity into being a mother and homemaker; embellishing their space with renovations and interior design, finding fulfillment in the power she has to shape her surroundings. She swoons when Hawk compliments the rug she purchased, overjoyed that someone had appreciated her attention to detail for once.
Both of them simply crave attention. They want to be wanted and fail to have their needs met by their partner, as she is actively “surviving off of crumbs,” as Piña describes it. Tensions rise when Hawk reveals that Angela routinely allows him to see her naked through the window; a ritual that allows her to experience feeling desired. Similarly, when Piña expresses interest in Joe, he feels euphoric as he believes her attention validates his very existence.
The upstairs neighbors’ incessant intimacy juxtaposes the dead bedroom beneath them as they’ve gotten used to simply living beside one another. Over the course of the evening, Joe goes from being unable to welcome them into his home or allow them to touch his piano to being willing to partner swap with two people who are essentially strangers to them. Ultimately, the film isn’t really about Piña and Hawk, but the feelings of inadequacy and desperation they inspire within Angela and Joe.
The Invite isn’t really about sex, but instead about intimacy. It is about the bids for connection that get ignored, the effort that goes unnoticed, and the love that gets lost when complacency sets in. Angela tries to involve him in her world; she wants his opinions on the color they should paint the walls, she wants to hear his music, and above all, she wishes that they were still in love.
However, it is entirely possible that I’ve spent too much time mulling over a film starring Seth Rogan, a man I have never taken seriously ever.
The film ends with an awkward goodbye as the evening falls apart and they acknowledge that their marriage might be over. Angela is distraught but hears music in the other room; Joe is playing the piano, demonstrating that he is open to starting over and opening himself up to her once more.
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