- Rating: 5/5 stars
- Verdict: "The Invite" is a textbook comedy-drama. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you cry from laughing. The casting for this intimate film is impeccable, and despite its relatively simple construction, director Olivia Wilde manages to show off on occasion while still putting in an incredible performance as one of the movie's leads.
- Where to watch: See "The Invite" in theaters now
"The Invite" may not have been the biggest summer movie to watch this year, but it's been the best. I've seen "Backrooms," "Obsession," "Disclosure Day" and even "Toy Story 5," and I can unequivocally say that this comedy-drama is the best of the lot. In fact, it's the best movie of 2026 so far.
Simply put, this movie is incredible. It's not a technical marvel, given that it's set almost entirely within a large apartment in Boston and features just four actors. But it’s the only movie I think I’ve ever seen that goes from being so hilarious that you struggle to hear dialogue over the laughter of the audience, to so serious that you could hear a pin drop in that same theater.
Besides, "The Invite" being so intimate is for the best. Or at least, it gets the best out of director Olivia Wilde. Despite a positive debut with "Booksmart," her 2022 disaster "Don't Worry Darling" had some questioning if directing was the right role for her. This movie renders those questions moot. She's in complete control of the confines of the apartment, and the result is a pitch-perfect bedroom farce, until it turns into something far different.
Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022. He watches dozens of new releases every year to make sure you don't have to watch any of the bad ones.
Rogen, Wilde, Norton and Cruz show incredible range throughout 'The Invite'
"The Invite" is basically a stage play in three acts. It's set, aside from a prologue, entirely within a (relatively spacious) apartment. The cast is equally intimate; Wilde and Seth Rogen star as husband and wife, Angela and Joe, and they’re eventually joined by their neighbors, Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton). That's it. That's the full cast list, other than an uncredited orchestra in the aforementioned prologue.
As a comedy-drama, it runs the gamut of both sides of the spectrum. It starts as a hysterical bedroom farce, with Wilde and Rogen going from room to room, arguing about all sorts of things. Particularly, the fact that the neighbors are coming over, and that those same neighbors are keeping them up with ear-shattering orgasms.
Despite the argumentative nature of that scene, the movie feels light up to this point. The tension then starts to creep in, though, when Hawk and Pina arrive. Unbeknownst to Joe and Angela, Hawk and Pina have overheard much of the argument from outside the front door — again, mostly arguing about Hawk and Pina, themselves. Joe also doesn't go to any great lengths to hide his anger, which Hawk needles him about on several occasions.
But Pina and Hawk aren't here to poke at Joe until he snaps. They're here to — and for those who want zero spoilers, turn back now (though what I'm about to disclose is heavily implied in the trailer) — have group sex with Angela and Joe.
Turns out, this spontaneous night of drinks and charcuterie isn't so spontaneous after all; the neighbors had an ulterior motive. And as the discussion about Hawk and Pina's lifestyle choice continues, it becomes clear that Angela and Joe aren't as taken aback by the idea as one might expect.
At this point, we’re fully into the second act of the movie. The first act is the introduction; the second act is the seduction. The third act? That’s the destruction. I won't spoil exactly what happens or who it happens to, but a mishap befalls one of the foursome. From that point, there's no more laughter in this comedy-drama.
It's a sudden but deft twist in the tale, and a less talented cast than Rogen, Wilde, Norton and Cruz might struggle with it. Even though you, deep down, expect the initial shift to come, the movie manages to lead you on long enough that you wonder if maybe, just maybe, the film will avoid the expected conclusion.
Despite some of its predictability, you still can't necessarily anticipate all the turns the story takes in this third act. By the time the credits roll, you'll be sitting in stunned silence.
Verdict: 'The Invite' is the best movie of 2026 so far
Movies succeed when they either nail the realism of their world or the escapism, and this movie does both, though largely the former. If you’re in (or have ever been in) an adult, long-term relationship, you will feel seen watching this film, sometimes uncomfortably so. If you’re like me and happen to not only be a failed musician, like Joe, but also look a fair amount like Seth Rogen, that feeling of having a mirror held up to you during the course of this movie gets cranked up to 11.
Thankfully, the absurdity allows for escapism. Like many of you, I've never had an awkward dinner with neighbors turn into being propositioned for an orgy that then takes a turn for the worse. This allows you to disconnect from the story just enough to still enjoy it.
"The Invite" isn't flawless. If I were writing it, I would probably have the ending linger on a more ambiguous note. But there's no denying its excellence. It’s not just the writing that makes it a delight, either. There are moments where the technical framing of a scene is impeccable. My favorite is a scene where Angela and Joe are going back and forth and the camera cuts between them, both people totally separated but framed exactly the same way, leaning against a pillar centered along a wall.
So, if you want a movie that will make you laugh, cry and cry from laughing all at once, “The Invite” is a must-watch. It’s masterfully crafted, the epitome of farce at one moment and then the height of relationship drama the next. It’s the best movie I’ve seen all year, and filled with Oscar-worthy performances.
"The Invite" is in theaters now
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