Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Olivia Wilde's The Invite: A Bit of Boredom, a Bit of Fun
The Invite is a movie about two couples who live in the same building, one apartment right above the other.
Angela and Joe are unhappy, restless, and bored with their lives.
Their neighbours Pina and Hawk are carefree and seem to enjoy life to the fullest.
One night, the upstairs couple comes down for dinner.
At first everyone is friendly, but the conversation slowly turns mean, sarcastic, and full of tantrums.
Old secrets start coming out and make everyone uncomfortable.
It is called a chamber story because almost everything happens inside two flats over one night.
A film critic says the movie only partly works: the first half is slow, but the second half becomes exciting.
The critic especially praises Penélope Cruz's acting and says she holds the whole film together.
In the end, the critic describes The Invite as "a bit of boredom, a bit of fun."
Olivia Wilde directs and stars in The Invite, now playing in Indian theatres, opposite Penélope Cruz, Seth Rogen and Edward Norton.
The 107-minute chamber farce unfolds over a single night in an apartment building when upstairs neighbours Pina and Hawk join Angela and Joe for dinner.
The review says the first half drags despite brilliant lead performances, while the film gathers momentum in its second half.
Screenwriters Will McCormack and Rashida Jones's screenplay lacks grip, but Penélope Cruz is credited with holding the film together.
The Invite began as a 2015 stage play in Barcelona and was previously adapted into the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs and a 2025 Korean version.
- Who
- Olivia Wilde (director and actress), Penélope Cruz, Seth Rogen and Edward Norton star; screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones.
- What
- A 107-minute chamber comedy-farce about two couples whose friendly dinner spirals into sarcasm, bitterness and revealed secrets.
- When
- Currently playing in Indian theatres.
- Where
- Indian theatres; the story is set in an apartment building with two flats, one above the other.
- Why
- The film probes how frustrations and secrets surface in relationships between men and women during a single night's confrontation.
- Director
- Olivia Wilde
- Cast
- Penélope Cruz, Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton
- Runtime
- 107 minutes
- Screenwriters
- Will McCormack and Rashida Jones
- Setting
- Two flats in an apartment building, one above the other, over a single night
- Origins
- 2015 stage play in Barcelona; 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs; 2025 Korean adaptation
- Release
- Now playing in Indian theatres
- Critical Verdict
- Enjoyable but not compelling; first half drags, second half gathers momentum