I didn’t get the chance to catch The Invite when it was in cinemas, mainly because I wasn’t really sure what it was. I only really picked up on the fact that it was supposed to be good because I heard a couple of other people talking about it after it was already out. You may be like me, and you may not have even heard of the film, and I don’t think that’s something to be surprised about. It’s an A24 limited release film that’s a remake of a 2020 Spanish film called The People Upstairs. Basically, it’s a bit niche!
The fun thing about niche-known films is that sometimes, they’re really good and luckily for me, The Invite ticked that box. It tells the story of Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde, who also directs) as they invite their sex loving neighbours (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) over for a dinner party. Chaos soon follows as Piña (Cruz) and Hawk (Norton) show them a completely different way to enjoy their relationship, if you catch my drift.
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I’m always someone who likes to focus on the experience of watching the film more so than the quality of the filmmaking itself, but it’s worth saying it’s a really fascinatingly shot movie. It takes place completely in real time, from the moment Joe gets home all the way through to the night going up in flames for both couples. This decision allows us to learn where the couples stand incredibly fast, from the tension between Joe and Angela to the interesting sexual dynamic between Piña and Hawk. I think there’s a level of bravery from filmmakers to do a film in real time, especially in a comedy, because it forces the film to lean on the script and the performances to keep the momentum going. I enjoyed how much of the film’s pace was dictated by the light orchestral score. I thought it was a really smart way to help the film unfold, in particular, the comedic obscenity of how the evening unravels. Although, I’ve seen some criticism of the music being too distracting!
With that being said, I had a super fun time watching this film and feel like it’s definitely worth catching if you get the chance. I rented it on Amazon Prime Video. The cast absolutely delivers throughout, particularly Seth Rogen. I’m enjoying his run of projects at the moment, from The Studio all the way through to being the man behind the return of The Muppets. It’s definitely hard to watch at points, as there are some intentional awkward moments, but there’s also a lot of humour to balance it out.
So, how was it?
I thought it was well worth the watch. It’s as entertaining as it is chaotic, and it’s got four absolutely brilliant leads. Would I want to be at that Dinner Party? No. Do I feel sad to have missed it in the cinema? Not really. It’s a film that’s perfectly suited to watch at home.
Would it be watchable on your phone whilst on a train?
Absolutely.
