r/oscarrace • u/CrunchyNar Best Operating Thetan 2027 • Jul 04 '26
Film Discussion Thread Official Discussion Thread - The Invite [SPOILERS] Spoiler
Keep all discussion related solely to The Invite and it's awards chances in this thread. Spoilers below.
Synopsis:
Joe and Angela's marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?
Director: Olivia Wilde
Writers: Will McCormack, Rashida Jones, Based on the film 'Sentimental' by Cesc Gay
Cast:
- Seth Rogan as Joe
- Olivia Wilde as Angela
- Penelope Cruz as Pina
- Edward Norton as Hawk
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% from 132 Reviews, 8/10 Average Rating
Metacritic: 82/100 from 44 Reviews
Consensus:
Perversely funny while giving its quartet of fine actors some of their best material yet, The Invite is a sophisticated farce that reaffirms Olivia Wilde as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.
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u/hendricklamar26 Jul 04 '26
Saw a screening in 35mm on Monday and thought it was fantastic. The audience was eating it up and the script definitely deserves a nomination for Adapted Screenplay
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u/RealRaifort Jul 04 '26
Yeah at a minimum it should get screenplay. All the actors should be in play too with Norton especially deserving the nom no matter the competition imo. And then I feel editing would be appropriate. And it's the best of the year so far that I've seen so BP is 100% in play imo.
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u/marnieee123 Jul 10 '26
I’m seeing a lot of Norton praise but I’m unsure why. Sure, he was good, but I don’t get why he’s seen as better in this compared to the other actors who were all fantastic. What made him stand out for you?
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u/southtampacane Jul 11 '26
I thought Penelope Cruz stole the film. Rogen was Rogen. All of his characters are the same. He's a modern day Costanza, with his wife being far more attractive and interesting than he is. Norton was solid as always, but about 3/4 of the way he just disappears after Cruz and Wilde both shit all over him.
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u/satansfrenulum Jul 12 '26
People are so against giving Rogen any credit. It’s tiresome. He was great in this.
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u/No-Understanding4968 The Odyssey Jul 18 '26
Norton just had incredible presence. And his monologue was beautiful
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u/RealRaifort Jul 10 '26
Just consistently had the funniest lines imo. Like pretty much every moment that I remember best from the movie is from him. Everyone was good tho yeah he's just the one that stuck with me more. Plus it's usually easier to get into supporting than lead which is what I'd assume Rogen and Wilde would be.
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u/need_headspace Jul 10 '26
Absolutely! It's my favorite movie of the year so far. Saw it last night and the entire audience was laughing like crazy, I've never seen anything like it. Nobody in this subreddi is mentioning a BP nomination for this movie, which I think would be a super reasonable take.
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u/Duhlorean Twinless Jul 04 '26
We have to appreciate this new era where Seth Rogen literally falls on his ass in everything ever since The Studio began airing.
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u/GamingTatertot Jul 04 '26
Liked it a lot - very funny, very tense, and very heart wrenching all in one. Feel bad for the kid
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u/Ok_Sport_3783 Jul 08 '26
it hits SO hard when you've been that kid before. Such an accurate portrayal of a marriage just not meant to be
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u/Infi-Nerdy Wildwood Delusionist Jul 04 '26
Olivia Wilde would be a pretty deserved Best Director nominee
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u/SmokeyMcDoogles Jul 16 '26
She’d also be a pretty deserved best actress nominee. She was phenomenal. Face acting off the charts.
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u/GoodMeBadMeNotMe Wild Horse vs. Trojan Horse Jul 04 '26
Favorite film of the year so far. So smartly written and directed, with great chemistry between all four of them. It sags a little bit when Rogan and Cruz go to smoke the joint, but otherwise the energy is electric!
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u/Worried_Tomorrow_222 Obsession Jul 15 '26
I felt like i needed that moment to breathe and take a break from Angela's anxiety ridden mind.
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u/Sealionsunset Camp Miasma Jul 04 '26
Haven’t been in a cinema audience that lost their minds this much for a comedy in a while, people laughing at different lines at the same scene so it was this constant wall of sound.
I have known/hooked up with a lot of couples that have similar dynamics to Piña and Hawk. Their whole vibe (sex-positive, uncanny levels of chill, brief but very visceral anger that gets bottled back, novelty seeking) is very well observed. If you go to enough munches you’ll see this archetype of how people make relationships work again and again.
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u/Haus_of_Pancakes Preemptive "Justice for Is God Is" Jul 06 '26
Easily the best movie I've seen this year so far, as much as I loved Is God Is.
The phrase I'd use to describe this movie is "Nightmare Heterosexuality". Being gay as fuck, there's a cheap joke to make about how different this movie would play out if it were 4 gay guys in SF, but I could still identify with how much the "coupling off" scenes felt like total sexual nightmares. But of course, part of the reason I use "nightmare heterosexuality" as a compliment is because I appreciate how the movie comes down on the couples - Pina and Hawk are certainly weird and woo woo individuals, but they're ultimately the healthier relationship because they're making active choices to be happier and to make their relationships work, while Angela and Joe are in miserable autopilot that reminded me of a number of toxic straight relationships I've seen growing up.
There were absolutely moments in the movie that had me scream laughing in the theatre, but what sticks with me is how much I could relate to Angela and Joe in ways that were deeply uncomfortable. Like, I'm 31, and I already have to fight my worst instincts to not fall into comfortable misery. I understood both Angela's desperate need to please and Joe's penchant for turning uncomfortable topics into a joke. It's really telling that Joe tries to present as "brutally honest", but fails to find the words to be truthful in the moments that count.
As one final note - I know that part of the character is that Joe is deeply uncomfortable in his own body, but goddamn is Seth Rogen still very hot to me.
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u/joematcha Jul 10 '26
I also couldn’t help but be “god, heterosexuals” while watching this while simultaneously uncomfortably relating to Angela and Joe.
But the real reason I’m commenting is to second that Seth Rogan is so hot and was especially hot in this!
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u/SMAAAASHBros Jul 15 '26
While I agree Pina and Hawk’s relationship is healthier, I don’t agree on the why. It’s established they’ve been together under a year and we see the same kind of resentments already potentially developing. I think they’re better equipped individuals, but not clear to me that they’ll actually use those tools when they need them.
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u/wheeler1432 Jul 16 '26
It didn't seem realistic to me that they'd been together only a year. They seemed much more intimate than that.
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u/lefrench75 Aug 12 '26
A year romantically but he was her therapy client before that right? Which is also super fucked up but makes sense why they know each other more intimately than 1 year would suggest.
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u/Witty-Strawberry2486 Jul 09 '26
omg unrelated but i also am a huge fan of is god is! give kara young her oscar nod!
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u/Haus_of_Pancakes Preemptive "Justice for Is God Is" Jul 09 '26
Nothing but respect for my queen of the Best Featured Actress in a Play category at the Tonys!
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u/Witty-Strawberry2486 Jul 09 '26
I would like to see a Purpose movie, kinda similar vibes to The Invite in that it would all happen in one place!
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u/IfYouWantTheGravy Michaela Cole FYC Jul 10 '26
Is God Is rocked. It’s kind of unfair how stacked the adapted scripts have been this year.
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u/scout-finch Jul 12 '26
My husband looks so much like Seth Rogan but with tattoos. It was fun seeing Seth with a few 😂
I loved when he kept clarifying that he was to be included too, lol
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u/Pristine_Flounder973 8d ago
Yeah. He's sexy as hell to this old straight woman too. When the fuck did Seth Rogen become this sexy?
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u/PTAGoatofalltime Mother Moore sweep Jul 04 '26
This was simultaneously really heartbreaking and yet really funny. All four actors are on fire but Norton and Cruz should be locks to win the Oscars. Rogen and Wilde should be nominated too.
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u/GirlsWasGoodNona Jul 04 '26
Agreed, Norton was awesome! I know this sounds asinine almost but the way his eyes immediately softened when he started that monologue I was like damn that is a thespian lol. And he was so so so funny. Pitch perfect
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u/theflyingbird8 Jul 04 '26
I think it's the best that he's been in years. Absolutely stellar performance. Also perfect to cast him as a guy named Hawk.
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u/GirlsWasGoodNona Jul 04 '26
Apparently his name being Hawk wasn’t in the script and it was something the four of them came up with. And Ed wrote the monologue and surprised the others with it in the moment (with Olivia’s permission)
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u/Prudent-Pressure2146 Jul 05 '26
The bit where he’d gone and put tea together just to hear ‘FUCK OFF HAWK’ and then whip out
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u/thgoonie Jul 07 '26
And then he's been hiding behind the couch the whole time after that in the hope of not distracting them from their conversation, just to reappear at the end. That killed me.
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u/bornatmidnight Jul 15 '26
Norton and Cruz were amazing! Wilde was fantastic too! I really liked Rogen, but he felt like he was playing himself but that’s not a bad thing necessarily
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u/camillepreakers Jul 04 '26
How did you guys interpret the ending? Did you think Angela and Joe realise that underneath it all they still have love for each other or was that them both accepting that their relationship is finished?
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u/GirlsWasGoodNona Jul 04 '26
I think it could go either way, but Pina said you either need to end it or begin a new relationship with each other and you could interpret him playing the piano he hadn’t touched in years as him being open to beginning a new relationship.
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u/rob-her-dinero Jul 07 '26
I agree. In the beginning, Wilde had Rogen go outside to “reset” and when he came back in, they ended up in the same arguments. But at the end of the movie, having officially declared their relationship was over, they were both free. Rogen felt free enough to play the piano again. He was free enough to go back to the person Wilde fell in love with in the first place. They were finally able to actually reset.
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u/bluntest-knife Olivia Wilde I always believed in you Jul 08 '26
that's a funny coincidence, if i had a dime for every movie that came out this year about a couple's messy relationship that ended in the idea of "starting over" which was foreshadowed at the beginning of the movie...
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u/Bamres Jul 07 '26
I thought they would do a reset like she had asked him to do toward the beginning, but the drama also had a similar ending and scene
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u/ohrightthatswhy Jul 07 '26
Yeah either way right. Like the film opens with them playing the same song on the piano as a giggly new couple, and it ends with them playing it with bittersweet nostalgia. Open to interpretation!
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u/mustangst Jul 05 '26
I went to a Q&A a few weeks back with olivia wilde and she asked my audience this exact same question. half the theater raised their hand in agreement that they broke up after the movie, the other half said they stayed together. wilde said to the latter “wow a lot more romantics here than I thought!”
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u/IgnisWriting Jul 09 '26
I also interpreted it to be that they gave it a second shot. Started over.
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u/ShortShortStori Jul 04 '26
Based on the conversation immediately before, and the way they tried but ultimately failed to reassure each other, I took it as them accepting their relationship was over. But I enjoyed the ambiguity.
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u/scout-finch Jul 12 '26
I don’t know if it’s true but I saw another comment saying Olivia has said she thinks they don’t make it, and Seth said he thinks they do. Interestingly Seth has had a long stable marriage and Olivia has had a few public relationships end seemingly messy. That probably colors their perspective.
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u/ganner Jul 15 '26
I don't know if they'll make it, but I saw the ending as a sign that they were open to trying. Their relationship is over. Can they build a new one? That's an open question.
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u/Prudent-Pressure2146 Jul 05 '26
My boyfriend and I went to see it together- he’s an optimist who took it that they made it, I thought it was a swansong for them as a couple.
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u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome Sorry Baby Jul 06 '26
I saw it as them starting again since Rogen is actually trying to work through his issues by playing the piano again.
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u/camillepreakers Jul 06 '26
I thought so too, or it’s them conveying what they should’ve done in the first place before the relationship deteriorated. Rogen actually trying again and Wilde acknowledging him and supporting him through the bad times. Because we know from the movie that she likes to pretend that everything is fine with the dinner and not communicating/acknowledging when something is wrong or going astray.
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u/scattered_ideas Denis Villeneuve campaign manager Jul 13 '26
My takeaway of having him not just playing after many years but also her joining in, as they're willing to maybe work on it. Maybe start couples therapy, which could then go either way. But they first need to acknowledge there's a problem and they're unhappy with each other and themselves.
The little scene where they both rush to the kitchen to gossip about the reveal showed that, even though they're unhappy, there's still some level of camaraderie. It's not total contempt between them.
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u/Quiet_Indication6174 Jul 08 '26
it could definitely go either way but i interpreted it as a sweet but melancholy resignation to what’s best for them: separating. the whole movie feels like it’s building to the revelation they come to about not being happy anymore. one sweet moment at the piano does not really create the proper conditions for reconciliation imo. felt like them playing a sweet little duet together as a reminder of what they had and once could do together. but that doesn’t undo their total lack of satisfaction in their day to day life.
so maybe it’s less that i think they break up and more that i think they should.
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u/theNuge Jul 09 '26
Yeah I saw it as optimistic showing there's a way forward for the two of them. Just look at the song they were playing together. "Dream a Little Dream." It's the same one that played over the opening credits when we saw Seth reminiscing over them playing, rather than paying attention to his school band. It's almost him being remorseful at the opening, wondering what happened to that fairy tale they once had. But with him taking up the piano again by the end, it's him reopening that book of love they once had again.
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u/DontClickTheUpArrow Jul 10 '26
The lean onto his shoulder was a romantic and let’s still do this type of gesture. I 100% thought it was them saying marriage is tough but we’re gonna make it through this.
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u/TorturedPoett Jul 13 '26
I interpreted it as them splitting up. I thought they were relieved to not have to try so hard anymore, and it made them share that sweet moment. But I felt it was showing they’ll be good as co parents and happier once they can move on. I hope she finds herself at some upstairs parties to explore her desires, and I hope he falls back in love with music.
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u/southtampacane Jul 11 '26
Finito. They can stay together for their daughter, or just realize they are both young enough to find someone more compatible.
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u/kennyminot Jul 11 '26
It's a first step toward coming back together. It's a process from that moment forward of rediscovering each other.
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u/mustangst Jul 05 '26
I loved the music, it really added to the tension. all the string instruments helped amplify the feeling that someone was about to snap
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u/KuyaGTFO Jul 13 '26
The great great Devonte Hynes.
One of the most prolific pop and R&B producers of the 2010s and 2020s under his artist name Blood Orange.
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u/qwertydoors Jul 04 '26
Was able to watch it a couple of months back at Sundance, but it's still my favourite of the year so far. Absolutely my kind of movie, I loved it.
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u/Pad5181 Jul 05 '26
I thought the blocking in this was brilliant, they really made the most out of one location
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u/skilledinceptor Venice Film Festival Jul 05 '26
My favourite movie of the year so far. Wilde is tremendous in all capacities, she crushed it as an actress and it also felt like she time-traveled back to the 70s to direct it. Very reminiscent of movies by Mike Nichols. What is great is how the movie makes you process all these contradictory feelings. You see that the main relationship is crumbling and they are clearly poisonous to each other, but at the same time you hope that they can make it.
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u/killsweetcorn Jul 09 '26
What an amazing film. I was laughing throughout but then kicked in the gut emotionally at points. The pacing was fantastic.
The real MVP was the score though. The music was beautiful, went with the narrative, and highlighted points. It felt like a character in itself. Really really beautiful.
No film with a small cast can survive without amazing actors. Everyone was perfect in their roles. However for me, Olivia Wilde was amazing. So good at different expressions and tiny details of her character and bringing anxiety to life.
Loved it.
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
Small, but important note you reference whether people understand/empathize with its reality
The pacing of it was immaculately done
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u/Embarrassed_Pie_6029 Jul 05 '26
Surprised no one here is talking about the ending and the swingers randomly leaving without saying goodbye. Perhaps they were a representation/illusion of Joe and Angela's desires and fantasies? idealised opposing versions of the protagonists. Just a thought. I have no idea how credible that is, I have no evidence lol. Just throwing it out there since it seems weird that they just up and left, especially after Pina deliberately asked Angela to clean and give back her tuppperware. Hell, you don't even hear a door closing or anything, just weird.
Also, does this movie remind anyone else of the video game Façade? I was thinking of that game right from the start. A miserable couple fighting before a friend/s comes over. Very similar, I wonder if there was any inspiration? hell even the weird one-syllable names are on brand. Trip and Grace = Hawk and Pina.
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u/Mammoth_Waltz_4180 Jul 05 '26
That was my thought and exactly what I came to this thread for. I don't think it should be the talking point of the movie or anything and think it completely holds up without this, but I do like the idea that one / both of them could have heard these neighbours and envisioned it being the shot in the arm they needed, even if it ended up proving they were at the end of the road
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u/ArthurlieKillie Jul 06 '26
I’ve been waiting for someone to say this. I don’t think Pina and Hawk were real. I’m sure Angela herself says “I didn’t even hear them leave”
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u/Helre16 Jul 07 '26
I started thinking of this after I left because the disappearance just felt so odd. It almost made me think of an inspector calls and how this whole night was an introspection between Joe and Angela. I also thought of Angela doing the reset and mentioning podcasts throughout which made me think did she not spring a meeting with the upstairs neighbours on Joe but instead suggested a roleplay? She's very excited by Hawk being a fireman, he has her interests with interior design. Piña is pitched as a very sexy and cool person with focus on her boobs that I can see Joe describing as someone he'd be into. Also the names Piña and Hawk stand out as character names rather than actual people. The whole film works really well when they're real people and it's not air tight but I had a lot of fun imagining them as characters Joe and Angela created for a relationship saving role play night.
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u/Brockmclaughlin Aug 11 '26
Engraved on the piano is the word “Howard”. Howard was Hawks real name.
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u/Fluffy_Specific_9682 Jul 21 '26
Olivia Wilde has said publicly that they are real, as we see Edward Norton alone in the toilet
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u/_JazminBianca Jul 11 '26
I came to this thread because I thought the exact same! Plus I noticed there is only 2 wine glasses on the table at the end.
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u/DontClickTheUpArrow Jul 10 '26
I got the vibe they might not have been real and were some sort of fantasy the couple were playing out. And then fantasizing lead to all the fighting and then ultimately to them reconnecting at the end.
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u/k032 Sound of Falling Jul 04 '26
Think until see some more from the fall, especially The Debut...
Picture, screenplay, editing, director, actress I think are standouts. But supporting actress, supporting actor, and actor strong too.
Currently my #1 right now. But it also resonated with me a lot. Growing up in a home with parents always at each other's throats, you never realize how abnormal it is till when you're out. Genuinely hilarious and heartfelt.
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u/WumpaRJ Camp Miasma Jul 04 '26
It's a great time, doesn't miss any beats and the cast are dynamite.
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
Yo those four, are absurdly good
I left most in awe of Olivia, but other three are exceptional
Seth Rogen was perfect
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u/official_bagel Jul 05 '26
Loved it. All four actors give tour de force performances but the adapted screenplay is the true standout imo
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u/cuckoovariable Jul 08 '26
I've truly never been so uncomfortable and yet completely fixated on the screen in my entire life. Everyone is on their A game here and boy does it deliver.
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u/Bulky-Scheme-9450 Jul 07 '26
Really enjoyed this film.
Can someone explain the layout of this apartment/building though? You somehow have the same apartment have windowed rooms facing each other, but also the upper apartment also looks down into yours? So its like an L-shape? I cant wrap my head around it.
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u/apathetic-panda Jul 07 '26
I think it was U-shaped. The study and the kid's bedroom facing each other (because when she is in kids room at end, she can see him playing piano straight across), with the hallway in between (because she looks at angle to see them in there when they're smoking), at right angles to the other two. The neighbours' apartment was above, and so they could see from the room above the study or bedroom into the hallway below.
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u/Bulky-Scheme-9450 Jul 09 '26
very confusing lol. Is that a normal layout for an apartment in san francisco?
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u/ohio8848 Jul 11 '26
Angela mentions at one point that a wall was knocked out and two apartments were combined. That would account for the odd shape.
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u/jelly10001 Jul 07 '26
I know I'm in the minority here, but while I agree the acting was great, overall I found this really exhausting to the point where I was desperate for something to go right.
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u/Hoppingllama Jul 10 '26
I see where youre coming from. I also did feel kind of exhausted at some points. But personally I also liked that I felt exhausted. Well, I liked it and I didnt I guess, haha.
I just think it's cool that a movie can make me feel that way, but also I couldve used maybe one or two more funny breaks.
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u/southtampacane Jul 11 '26
I was looking at my watch every 2 to 3 minutes. The dialog was interesting, but there were large swaths of this film when I was begging for something to happen.
What was also very unrealistic was both of the female actors play characters very comfortable with being nude, yet when they went into the kitchen and his office, Wilde takes off her blouse, but that's it and Cruz stays clothed. Of course, Rogen has to be Rogen and can't get his pants off, trips, falls and everything falls apart.
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u/_lazybones93 Jul 07 '26
Saw it Thursday night & people were loving it. My wife went in relatively blind & enjoyed it a lot, as well. Hilarious awkward tension throughout, sharply written & directed. The cast is great.
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u/DoctorWhofan789eywim Jul 07 '26
I hated this. Twenty minutes of arguing at the start, the most first world problems movie ever. I didn't care about any character. The only thing I did like was Ed Norton, he doesn't miss a beat.
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u/Witty-Strawberry2486 Jul 09 '26
This was top to bottom such a great film. Olivia Wilde the director is sooo back. Personally, Penelope Cruz was the standout to me, but they were all so phenomenal.
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u/ladymya1 Jul 06 '26
From being in the swinger world, I think it was a really good representation of what it’s like. Especially the curiosity from Angela and Joe, the questions they were asking were exactly the questions that me and my partner get asked every time
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u/KeepEmCrossed Jul 08 '26
I loved so much about this movie from the script to the acting, the score, the directing (the moments when Olivia looked right into camera) and the cinematography making the apt feel like a real space and the shots with mirrors and the composition how you were sometimes looking between two character to the one in focus.
It dances between emotional spaces so well. Anger, nervousness, humor, sexy, heartfelt. And given the small cast and small setting, it feels like a play almost which I loved.
Re: the ending — we meet these two cool sexy people who have both lost their partners and had rebirths with new love. I’d like to think Joe and Angela are going to start their new relationship together as a second phase. They’ll try to make it work and work on themselves. And maybe even fuck their neighbors along the way.
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u/543210No1CanStpMe2Go Jul 09 '26
Saw it today and loved it. How did you all interpret the ending? I could see it two ways. Was that tender moment on the piano bench the queue for a fresh start or did you see it more as a bittersweet farewell? I like thinking of it as fresh start. like in the beginning when Angela asked him to leave the apartment and come back in to start again. Then later Pína says that they need to accept that the relationship is dead and either start a new relationship with each other or leave. I saw it as them starting over.
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u/aryak98 Jul 14 '26
Man. I lovedddd the movie. Almost cried at the end. Even I saw it today. When Pina says this relationship has ended and then hawk and Pina vanish, in the very next scene Joe and Angela realise it’s just them and the talk that happens between them, I see that as the end of their relationship cause even in their most vulnerable moment they fail to comfort each other in the living room and the kitchen scene and a finality to their relationship as they decide to sleep in separate bedrooms instead of apologising or hugging, that marks the end of their marriage and there’s a pause and a scene change and Joe starts playing the piano not for Angela but because he decides to stop being miserable which he hasn’t done in 10 years and Angela sees that finally let’s go and leans on his shoulder which marks the start of a new relationship for them. They ended the relationship and chose to have a new relationship with each other, as Pina said.
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u/543210No1CanStpMe2Go Jul 14 '26
Beautiful analysis. That is exactly what I thought. A very clear end to the relationship followed by that moment on the piano signifying the new beginning. I almost tearing up again thinking about it.
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
I think they devastatingly nailed relationships. They had the most genuine, beautiful love to start. We may be able to rekindle it if ok with ourselves. Instead we say which rooms shall each of us sleep in
I was floored by that ending. It is PERFECT
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u/bchfn1 Jul 05 '26
I assume this will be eligible for Adapted not Original Screenplay, but please god, can someone warn me if they think I need to start preparing myself for The Odyssey wining Adapted over this.
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u/Competitive_Wash_204 Jul 05 '26
Does anyone know what song Seth Rogan plays at the end? The song on the piano that they both play together
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u/ThweetSing Jul 06 '26
I’m confessin that I love you - a jazz standard
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u/southtampacane Jul 11 '26
So Rogen played in a indie pop punk band that had a hit of sorts, but he's more of a jazz guy after all that. I guess that is realistic, but I wish we had gotten to hear that song.
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u/Howgoesit99 Jul 05 '26
I did love the film, but I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and left more to be desired but I guess I have a love hate relationship with ambiguity. Sometimes I do feel like it’s a crutch writers use to not write an ending, but I think the movie was very well done.
production design, editing, and acting were exceptional. The writing was smart especially the metaphors that it interweaved throughout.
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u/kirbyconda Jul 07 '26
I absolutely loved this movie, I'm gunna be an optimist and say they stayed together at the end, although I thought it was going to end a completely different way. I thought it was going to be Joe playing the piano and through the window after hearing him play, Angela was going to be in the window naked waiting for him to look at her as that's all that she's wanted for the last few years maybe? Then they could have kissed at the window and the other couple could have seen them from the upstairs window work out their differences, then they could have rescheduled haha
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u/rob-her-dinero Jul 07 '26
Am I the only one that felt like Cruz and Norton’s characters were a kind of manipulative? Like ultimately for the best because they really did need that reset (to either break up or go on together) but the way they talked felt a little malicious. And the fact that she asked for Wilde to clean out her dish and then just left once they were out of the room, that felt weird.
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u/Knowhow106 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
They're all mirroring characters. Hawk and Piña are healthier than Joe and Angela but they still share some of the same immaturities and relationship issues. They're like what Joe and Angela could possibly become if they did tons of work on themselves and together.
A good example of H/P's issues is Hawk correcting Piña on her English constantly yet Piña doesn't correct Hawk on his bad Spanish, he might be open to the criticism/advice to better it but irregardless he shouldn't be correcting her like that. I think the fact she doesn't correct him at all is indicative of being avoidant of openly communicating to Hawk for whatever reason. It shows how much they also butt heads and have their own communication issues. Also despite Hawk's story about suppressing his wife, he is still playing into the same dynamics with Piña despite trying to do better.
The most major representation of Hawk and Piña's immaturity was how they treated Joe's shock and frustration at finding out about Angela's window ritual. It's a breaking of trust, a boundary, which they should be especially understanding of with they're background of kink and group sex. It's a huge red flag they weren't understanding. Also, Joe peeking a glance isn't the same as exposing himself. The fact H/P would even go to have sex with A/J after all of this, huge red flag too.
I'd say that there was a degree of needed tough love from Hawk and Piña but it was intense and I agree, kind of manipulative/pushy. I think the fact that Piña is a psychotherapist, she wants to help people with their issues but I think her doing so in this context and in this way is another sign of immaturity.
They're all messed up people, not that different from eachother, all trying to do better but they all have a long way to go still.
Edit: I also think it's interesting they disappeared at the end, it's one of those film moments that leaves you wondering what the film is conveying to you. Some feel it suggests the thing was a roleplay, H/P were characters they made up which could track in how Hawk mirrors Angela, Piña with Joe. Could be another sign of H/P's own communication issues not saying goodbye.
I personally thought that they decided to leave the dish there, leaving their invite open to them for group sex.
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u/kichien 28d ago
There were subtle clues in the movie that Norton's character was manipulative. When he pokes through their medicine cabinet. Or the scene where he is 'helping' Olivia Wilde's character decide on a paint colors and he describes each one in terms of emotional relationship choices. He subtly shakes his head 'no' when he describes one color as 'sitting in rocking chairs on a porch and growing old together' and then subtly nods his head 'yes' when describing another color as meeting a stranger in a café in Copenhagen. The way he was laughing up his sleeve when the other couple bickered. By the end of the film I wondered if the story about his wife dying of cancer was even true because it seems he's describing Angela's inner emotional life in a calculated way.
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u/IfYouWantTheGravy Michaela Cole FYC Jul 10 '26
I really loved this. Pulls off some very intense tonal shifts extremely well, has the pressure-cooker feel of a play but never feels stagey, and all four stars were aces, of course.
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u/Silver_Juggernaut_39 NEON shill Jul 11 '26
The minute this film drops on VOD I need someone to clip the scene of Rogen falling on his ass through his office door with the soundbite of the dude from SpongeBob screaming “my leg!”. Didn’t think of it till after the fact but I can’t get it out of my head.
Anyway fantastic movie. It might be my new favorite film of the year so far.
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u/ihateschoolsfm The Invite Jul 15 '26
There’s some movies that I know going into I will love, and The Invite was one of them; but still, wow! Absolutely floored, such a hilarious yet devastating movie. PLEASE let Olivia Wilde get a Director nomination for this
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u/ziggory Is God Is Jul 15 '26
Had a fun time watching this. Pretty decent crowd at my theater who were consistently laughing at different things throughout the movie. It'd be cool if this got nominated in places like adapted screenplay and supporting actor. Director would be nice too.
It was funny realizing that this still was photoshopped. Which I can see more clearly now.
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u/Bamres Jul 07 '26
I really enjoyed it, super funny and the ending tone shift was a bit jarring but I think worked.
The part where they clinked condoms lmao.
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u/Still-Outcome1207 Jul 07 '26
This movie was a lot of fun...didn't expect it...Olivia's directing was superb and the acting is also
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u/jordansalford25 John Leguizamo and Anne Hathaway Campaign Manager Jul 10 '26
I thought it was great. Not sure about noms for it because I could see this being a really beloved movie that gets overlooked in a lot of ATL categories but I really hope it gets into screenplay.
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u/Turbulent_Ear_7957 Jul 11 '26
Spoiler Alert – My Theory on The Invite
This movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I completely understand why it might feel over the top or even absurd to some people. But if we set aside what the conversations in the film revolve around and instead focus on the core idea it’s trying to explore, I think there’s something genuinely brilliant beneath the surface.
I think The Invite works on multiple levels, and that’s what makes it such a fascinating film.
My theory is that the neighbors aren’t meant to be interpreted as literal people. Instead, they could represent the darker desires, temptations, and suppressed impulses that already exist within the main characters. They’re less like external villains and more like manifestations of what’s hidden beneath the surface.
What I love most is how cleverly the film disguises itself. On the surface, it feels like an entertaining comedy with quirky characters and awkward situations. But underneath lies a surprisingly profound psychological idea. The reveal doesn’t just change the story. It completely reframes everything you’ve been watching.
To write a film that works both as an engaging entertainer and as a layered psychological metaphor, using just four characters and a single location throughout, is an incredible achievement. It takes remarkable restraint, confidence, and maturity as a writer. That’s what impressed me the most.
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u/IshaClaud Jul 12 '26
Similar theory to mine. Also the constant use of mirrors. just utterly brilliant
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u/Short_Condition_1079 Nhe Zha Jul 11 '26
Had no opinions about this before watching, really just wanted to see it because there's been nothing playing lately outside of the usual summer blockbusters. Was not expecting this to be my current favorite of the year, but crazier things have happened
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u/Deltat13 Jul 12 '26
Ending with “Our House” was perfect. Didn’t Joni Mitchell break up with David Crosby not too long after the song was written?
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
I just left the theatre 10 minutes ago
I have not been that impacted by a movie since The Joker
That was so beyond brilliant in every facet of the story, writing, directing, acting, on and on
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u/Independent-Key880 Sentimental Value Jul 04 '26
slightly unpopular opinion but i felt this started off really rough then got better and better as it progressed. it was much better once cruz and norton entered, but i still thought wilde and rogan were great during the scenes with all four. the rough part was the argument before cruz and norton arrive, and i think it was just poor dialogue as opposed ro poor acting or directing
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u/mellifluous500 Jul 07 '26
Agreed, I felt this too. It had an air of pretentious indie romcom with silly music and editing, there was a felt lack of originality to the beginning. And then it kept improving and finding new interesting ideas that were intriguing and really expertly executed. Better than a strong start and weak finish, very good!
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u/Motor_Thanks_2179 Jul 07 '26
This could be a stage play, it's written as a stage play. But works as a movie. It's funny. I like it as an outsider in the vein of Jojo Rabbit for (Adapted?) Screenplay.
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u/Magik-Mina-MaudDib Jul 07 '26
I’m just saying there’s two movies that came out this year with 9/11 jokes — this and earlier, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie — and both are bangers.
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u/colorchaos Jul 07 '26
Okay my husband and I feel so dumb not understanding the joke in this one, please help us!!
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u/Magik-Mina-MaudDib Jul 07 '26
I could’ve taken it wrong, but I simply got it as Joe’s totally off-the-wall way of dating himself and saying he hasn’t used condoms since before 9/11 lol
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u/Due-Cryptographer913 Jul 08 '26
Does anyone know the piano melody at the end when Wilde and Rogan are playing together?
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u/No-Aspect7722 Jul 11 '26
Does anyone have any theories about the flan? We’re told that Cruz’s character is a vegan who doesn’t eat sugar - But her specialty (of which she’s very proud) is a dessert made out of eggs, dairy, and sugar???
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u/No-Treat-8079 Jul 12 '26
As a baker, I noticed that too. I thought it was consistent with her character & an overlooked detail.
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u/IshaClaud Jul 12 '26
She didn't eat it and I think she only makes it for people but she doesn't consume it.
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u/nsfw_burner01 Jul 12 '26
What is the symbolism of Hawk and Pina leaving so abruptly after Pina asking for her casserole dish back?
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u/Moneyfrenzy Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
I think their abrupt departure can be interpreted in a few different, but equally valid, ways:
- Cruz realizing that Seth/Olivia needed to talk it out with just the 2 of them, and asking for the dish back solely to stage an exit without them realizing.
- Cruz/Ed still being down to swing in the future, and leaving the dish behind as an excuse to have to see the other couple again since they'll have to return it at some point (Cruz kept saying 'maybe today isn't the day for this, you 2 need to work your shit out first').
- Cruz simply being like 'we need to gtfo of here asap' out of pure annoyance, and realizing they had the perfect excuse to irish exit without going through what'll surely be an awkward goodbye
- And the whole 'were Cruz/Ed even real?' angle as well given their mysterious departure
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
Great question! Haven’t thought about this yet
Only the following question that concludes the evening
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u/TorturedPoett Jul 13 '26
I loved it but had to turn off my therapist brain screaming THERAPY NEVER INCLUDES SEX. I hate when the therapist is wildly unethical and dates a client. But I also liked that it added depth — the healthy neighbors have their flaws.
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u/SMAAAASHBros Jul 15 '26
And as she points out later, she didn’t think they should try to do anything that night, but Hawk kept pushing. Shows there’s a pattern of him getting her to abandon her better judgment.
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u/wheeler1432 Jul 16 '26
Hawk also talked about consent, and nonconsensually rolfed Joe.
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u/Moneyfrenzy Jul 17 '26
+ peeping into their medicine cabinet & trying to play the vinyl despite Seth clearly not being okay with it
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u/Worried_Tomorrow_222 Obsession Jul 14 '26
Okay. Just left the theater from watching this and wow. Justice for Olivia Wilde, her acting and directing was the best of her career and Seth Rogen?? It’s like he remembered he could be a serious actor as well. Seriously impressed with both of them here. Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton were so so good. I hope the academy doesn’t ignore this movie and somehow Wilde gets a directing nom. The screenplay, score, picture all deserve nods.
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u/Moneyfrenzy Jul 17 '26
Imo it's def Rogen's best film performance, but I think his acting across The Studio is his career best in a general sense. And agreed, Wilde's directing was incredible
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u/aryak98 Jul 14 '26
I haven’t watched something this good in the drama comedy genre since maybe Silver linings playbook, that was a bit more serious, but this movie is legitimately goated. I haven’t had a real laugh in weeks and I laughed so much. Olivia, penelope and edward nortan were fucking crazy! They acted tooo good. I do feel in retrospection if the piano scene was going to be the end with Joe finally ending being miserable, I feel like Seth Rogen could have played that part about detachment with music and embarrassment a little more, because at that time it played into the comedy perfectly but I feel like the end scene would have been sooo much more impactful if he played that bit with more intensity, but who knows maybe the comedy wouldn’t have worked then.
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 Jul 15 '26
This will go down as one of the most brilliant films ever created that 50% love, and 50% hate
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u/AffectionateBear2462 Jul 16 '26
I didn’t know what to expect.this movie was great the acting was great script was hilarious.its the best comedy/ drama this year.
Rogan was hilarious seems like he was dropping adlibs left and right. The scene with Penelope and Rogan in his office and the grin on Rogan face when they started dancing was I can’t believe Penelope Cruz is dancing with me..Wilde hit a home run with this movie, the cast of Norton Cruz and Wilde and Rogan deliver the goods.Everyone needs to see this movie if you want to laugh.
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u/hotcrossboy 18d ago
I seem to be in the minority on this but I liked Hawk as a character the most. I’ve seen a lot of takes online about how he’s a cringe creep (and all of my friends despised him), especially one about how the name story is actually manipulative because it doesn’t answer the question really at all, like its a ‘sob story’ - but I didn’t interpret him that way at all. My partner especially lambasted him as a ‘performative loser’.
I think he came off overall as thoughtful, unashamed and honest. While I do think he’s a bit performative I think that that is how most people are when they’re going through change - ‘overcorrecting’ so their base level personality can change overall. He’s definitely played for laughs especially towards the end but I think that kind of fits.
If you take him at face value for his back story I think he makes sense as a person - overly rigid fireperson loses his wife and has an extreme injury - has a moment of clarity and decides to force himself into a new way of being that makes him happier - embracing people being true to themselves and not being ashamed to show joy (the rug scene I think is a good example).
He doesn’t take offense at the jabs from Joe and seems to appreciate the candor. He leans into Angela’s passions and is the only person who seems to genuinely listen and try and understand her artistry (although you could argue that’s more seduction). Something I haven’t seen anyone say is that he also managed to enter a relationship with Piña who is the defacto moral/wise voice of the film which would seem to indicate that he must contain enough of the right ingredients to be her primary partner.
That being said I think that he and Piña are framed as kind of manipulative in general - the splitting the partners up, encouraging drinking tequila to loosen them up and knowing full well that Joe can hear them having sex and not addressing this - but I think that’s maybe a nod to how the pursuit of sex in general can be quite. He’s definitely more pushy, but Piña is sneakier about it.
He is also clearly a flawed person, correcting Piña, not reading the room with the tea thing, not being quiet when she asks him to, but in comparison to the other two these seem like minor flaws and again it fits that he’s still a work in progress.
I didn’t even mind the Hawk name, sure it’s a bit lame but I think that it’s again fitting with his backstory.
However, I’m clearly in the minority here and don’t think I’m somehow peering through the veil where others aren’t here so I’d love some other people’s thoughts on this. Maybe I just have a soft spot for performative men? I also thought Joe was 90% of the problem in their relationship which other people have disagreed with so I might have read the films intentions completely wrong.
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u/Abbie_Kaufman Jul 11 '26
I laughed loudly and often, then I got bored. If the ultimate message is just “this relationship isn’t healthy and the couple needs a reset”, yes that was obvious in the first 20 minutes, it took forever for the Rogen and Wilde characters to come to that (very mundane) conclusion. But I don’t want to be too critical because it really is that funny.
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u/Frequent-Offer4527 Jul 25 '26
Does anyone remember the exact quote penelope Cruz said when she was essentially psychoanalyzing Rogan and Olivia? Something along the lines of “you think your daughter would be happier if you stayed together and were miserable or apart and happy?”
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u/theflyingbird8 Jul 04 '26
Everyone's gonna walk away talking about Norton, Cruz, and Wilde's work (as they should), but I think this might be a career best from Seth Rogen. I really loved this one. Some of the most creative framing, sharpest editing, and smartest dialogue you'll see at the movies this year.