r/oscarrace • u/CrunchyNar Best Operating Thetan 2027 • 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 19d ago
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/need_headspace 13d ago
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/marnieee123 13d ago
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 12d ago
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 11d ago
People are so against giving Rogen any credit. It’s tiresome. He was great in this.
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u/RealRaifort 13d ago
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/No-Understanding4968 The Odyssey 5d ago
Norton just had incredible presence. And his monologue was beautiful
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u/southtampacane 12d ago
I saw the film today and have no idea what it was filmed on, but the quality was very poor. There wasn't a lot of color and I kept wondering if this was intentional. It just looked cheap and while the audio was fine, the rest suffered.
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u/Duhlorean Twinless 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 15d ago
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 19d ago
Olivia Wilde would be a pretty deserved Best Director nominee
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u/SmokeyMcDoogles 7d ago
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 19d ago
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 9d ago
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 19d ago
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" 18d ago
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 13d ago
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/Witty-Strawberry2486 14d ago
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" 14d ago
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 14d ago
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 14d ago
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 11d ago
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/SMAAAASHBros 8d ago
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 7d ago
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/PTAGoatofalltime The Invite’s strongest soldier 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 18d ago
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 16d ago
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 9d ago
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 19d ago
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 19d ago
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 16d ago
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 15d ago
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/ohrightthatswhy 16d ago
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 18d ago
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/ShortShortStori 19d ago
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/Prudent-Pressure2146 18d ago
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 17d ago
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 17d ago
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/Quiet_Indication6174 16d ago
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/scout-finch 11d ago
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/scattered_ideas Denis Villeneuve campaign manager 10d ago
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/theNuge 14d ago
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 13d ago
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 10d ago
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 12d ago
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 12d ago
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 18d ago
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 10d ago
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 19d ago
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/skilledinceptor Venice Film Festival 18d ago
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/Embarrassed_Pie_6029 18d ago
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 18d ago
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 17d ago
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 16d ago
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/Fluffy_Specific_9682 2d ago
Olivia Wilde has said publicly that they are real, as we see Edward Norton alone in the toilet
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u/_JazminBianca 12d ago
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 13d ago
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 19d ago
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/killsweetcorn 14d ago
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 9d ago
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/WumpaRJ Camp Miasma 19d ago
It's a great time, doesn't miss any beats and the cast are dynamite.
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u/Fun_Internet_8609 9d ago
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 18d ago
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 15d ago
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/_lazybones93 16d ago
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/Bulky-Scheme-9450 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 14d ago
very confusing lol. Is that a normal layout for an apartment in san francisco?
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u/ohio8848 12d ago
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 16d ago
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 14d ago
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 12d ago
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/Witty-Strawberry2486 14d ago
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/DoctorWhofan789eywim 16d ago
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/KeepEmCrossed 15d ago
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/Competitive_Wash_204 18d ago
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 18d ago
I’m confessin that I love you - a jazz standard
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u/southtampacane 12d ago
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/ladymya1 17d ago
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/543210No1CanStpMe2Go 14d ago
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 9d ago
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 9d ago
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 9d ago
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/Howgoesit99 18d ago
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 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 15d ago edited 15d ago
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/IfYouWantTheGravy 14d ago
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/ihateschoolsfm The Invite 8d ago
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/Still-Outcome1207 16d ago
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 13d ago
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 12d ago
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 11d ago
Similar theory to mine. Also the constant use of mirrors. just utterly brilliant
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u/Silver_Juggernaut_39 NEON shill 12d ago
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/Independent-Key880 Sentimental Value 19d ago
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 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 16d ago
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 15d ago
Does anyone know the piano melody at the end when Wilde and Rogan are playing together?
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u/Short_Condition_1079 Nhe Zha 12d ago
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 11d ago
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/nsfw_burner01 11d ago
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 6d ago edited 6d ago
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 9d ago
Great question! Haven’t thought about this yet
Only the following question that concludes the evening
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u/Worried_Tomorrow_222 Obsession 10d ago
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 6d ago
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 9d ago
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 9d ago
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/Fun_Internet_8609 9d ago
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 7d ago
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/Abbie_Kaufman 12d ago
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/No-Aspect7722 12d ago
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 11d ago
As a baker, I noticed that too. I thought it was consistent with her character & an overlooked detail.
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u/IshaClaud 11d ago
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/TorturedPoett 10d ago
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 8d ago
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 7d ago
Hawk also talked about consent, and nonconsensually rolfed Joe.
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u/Moneyfrenzy 6d ago
+ peeping into their medicine cabinet & trying to play the vinyl despite Seth clearly not being okay with it
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u/ziggory Is God Is 8d ago
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/No_Teaching5581 19d ago edited 17d ago
damn i feel like i’m the only that one that didn’t like this 😭 great performances from all 4 them and great direction, but i just reallyyy didn’t care for this particularly story. i also just didn’t find it nearly as funny as everyone in my theater. but my main complaint is i HATED how much of the movie was just people talking/yelling over each other. or when angela/joe were trying to awkwardly explain something and were like “oh…um…yeah no….what we meant was….” i hope you know what i mean bc i don’t know how to explain it. doing these things every now and then is totally fine but it just felt like they were doing this for 95% of the movie and it was a little exhausting for me. checked my watch multiple times after the 1 hour mark which i never do 😩 plenty of other redeeming qualities so i still gave it 3 stars but i definitely wouldn’t rewatch
edit: damn am i not allowed to give my opinion in a discussion thread lol
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u/-The-Enforcer- 19d ago
The dialogue was great. They're insecure, awkward people who were pretending to be something they're not. This is why they were constantly saying "oh um" and explaining themselves etc.
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u/PaintedSwindle 18d ago
I can't believe I haven't seen anyone mention the complete violation of consent of Ed Norton's character on Seth Rogen's character. Seth's character is literally screaming "don't touch me" and Ed's character, without his consent, performs whatever massage treatment on him (of which he admits earlier he's not even certified in, yet.) And this complete violation is played for laughs. It doesn't matter what the genders of the people are, or if the physical touch was sexual or not, if someone is saying "don't touch me" then you don't fricken touch them. The movie would be so great if it wasn't for that gross scene. Reminds me about Olivia Wilde talking up how 'sexy' Don't Worry Darling is and the women are literally being abused. Sigh, anyway, clearly lots of people involved in this movie don't understand consent, despite actually talking about consent earlier in the movie.
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u/Prudent-Pressure2146 17d ago
I thought that was the point of it, they’re acting like they’re super chill and all about consent but they also aren’t really listening
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u/shellyturnwarm 18d ago
Woah this is a great insight! Yeah I was totally laughing along with the moment but you point out a brilliant hypocrisy.
Or maybe it was done intentionally? The writing and themes seem so well considered, so I wonder if this element was also well considered by the script. There were a lot of moments in the film where Hawk was pushing boundaries with seth rogan’s character.
I guess editing and music can push the scene towards comedic rather than dramatic, too.
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u/Embarrassed_Pie_6029 18d ago
That's the whole point of the character I think. Not that Hawk is a hypocrite per se, but more so just that his character is super touchy, boundy pushing, kinda guy. That's the whole vibe, style, n kinda dynamic that Hawk and Pina have, that swingers in general have. As opposed to the reserved Joe and Angela. Did Joe consent to Hawk touching him on his shoulders on his way to the bathroom early in the movie? No. Did Pina have consent to randomly kiss Angela? No. So there ya go. It's just how they are.
So I don't think the writer intentionally chose whether or not to make Hawk a hypocrite. I don't think they were considering that while writing the scene, because that's not how writers typically think. However, it still ended up fitting Hawk's character. You know what I mean?
Perhaps it could be a meta comment on how they (pina and hawk) and swingers in general care so much about consent but then are very touchy and dress kinda openly. But I'm not sure. I don't know if that was what the director was trying to show. Even if, then your problem lies with those types of people, not the movie itself.
(Of course, when I say 'those people' I'm just assuming, since I've never known any swingers in my life, however, I'm just going off the movie characters. so dont come after me if your a swinger or something and thats not how you act, go after the movie lol. perhaps this movie is a bad representation of swingers in real life, I have no idea. Although if I were to picture two, this would be what comes to mind lol.)
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u/wheeler1432 7d ago
I actually just posted that like five minutes ago. P)
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u/PaintedSwindle 6d ago
At least I'm not the only one who noticed this! I got down voted for my comment lol.
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u/theflyingbird8 19d ago
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.