If you’re at all dialed into cinematic pop culture, you probably remember the moment that was the press tour for Olivia Wilde’s last film, 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling. Critics and audiences were divided on the film’s merits, but it was the off-screen relationships and shenanigans surrounding the Hollywood release that truly captured the zeitgeist. Wilde’s latest directorial effort, The Invite, feels like a triumphant return to a focus on filmmaking with the director turning in the strongest entry of her career so far. The story centers on two neighboring couples, each with their own quirky eccentricities, who meet for a dinner party. What starts as a conventional evening quickly devolves into chaos as the couples are forced to deal with new perspectives that magnify hidden truths in their own relationships.    

Wilde’s direction is the strongest and most self-assured it’s ever been. Combining her skill with the cinematography of DP Adam Newport-Berra allows a contained story that could have felt better suited to a stageplay feel extremely cinematic. The Invite takes place in the confines of several rooms within the protagonists’ home, but the visuals never feel monotonous. Wilde plays with framing in a way that always has something to say about where the characters are emotionally with each other at any given time. It’s subtle, but very effective in helping the audience understand the drive behind their interactions throughout the film. Wilde’s ability to perfectly manage tonal shifts is also commendable. The balance between comedy and drama here always teeters on a razor’s edge, making for a truly engaging viewing experience. 

In addition to directing, Wilde pulls double duty starring as Angela, a high-strung and anxious woman who is forced to look her fears in the face when challenged by her more free-spirited neighbors. In a film stacked with top-notch performances, Wilde’s stands out to me as the best and one of the most memorable of the year so far. The delivery of her dialogue is always spot-on, but it’s her reactions to the disorder surrounding her that leap off the screen. She gives Angela a perpetual sense of uncomfortability, always on her toes and engaged with her surroundings in a way that really infuses her anxiety into the audience. Seth Rogen, in what may be a career-best performance as Angela’s husband Joe, drives a lot of that anxiety through his unpredictability and constant one-line zingers that are laugh-out-loud funny. Their push and pull make for comedy gold, but the two actors are also able to shift seamlessly into a quiet tenderness as their characters attempt to find their way back to each other. They share a scene together at the end of the film that is one of the most delicate of the year, even without dialogue. 

Not to be outdone by Wilde and Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton turn in a pair of impeccable supporting performances as neighbors Piña and Hawk. While they initially serve as the collective catalyst for Joe and Angela to explore their boundaries and inject some reckless abandon into their otherwise measured lives, they eventually transition to the moral compass that helps guide the latter couple back to what matters in their relationship. Cruz is the least showy of the quartet, but her quiet confidence acts as an important stabilizer at key points in the story. She has tremendous chemistry with Norton, who delivers an applause-worthy monologue that feels like a well-timed sneak attack. The entire quartet play off of each other so well, and it’s evident that the actors enjoyed their work together.  

While The Invite soars in large part due to these performances, it’s built on a solid foundation in the form of a screenplay from Rashida Jones and Will McCormack that feels both fresh and relatable. The dialogue flows freely, giving the four veteran actors the chance to truly shine. I can only imagine that there was a lot of flexibility and improvisation in the process of translating the pages to the screen, particularly with Rogen’s comedic background. The fact that the playfulness the actors were able to engage in never feels like it veers off course or takes us somewhere that doesn’t feel rooted in the core of the film speaks to the quality of the writing. Throughout the script, the jokes hit hard consistently, but are also weaved in effortlessly with a more serious contemplation of how to make relationships work.

It’s hard to imagine another film coming out this year that will be able to mix side-splitting laughter, squirm in your seat tension, and touching relatability as effectively as The Invite does. Consider this your invitation to check it out!

 A24 will release The Invite in limited theaters on June 26, with an expansion to wide release on July 10.

OSCAR POTENTIAL:

• Oscar potential: The road to Oscars recognition for this film runs through the Golden Globes. If it can do well there in what are normally less competitive comedy categories, it could gain traction with the Academy. All four actors are worthy of a nomination, and it will depend on how crowded their respective fields are; putting Cruz and Norton in the supporting categories would probably benefit their chances. The other best shot is Jones’ and McCormack’s script, which feels like the sort of snappy, talky effort that could garner attention. And while I don’t think it’s as likely, Wilde should absolutely be celebrated for her superb direction. Particularly in a year that looks to be plagued by a lack of recognition for female filmmakers, it would be a shame to let her fly under the radar.