The Reel Review
A couple’s already contentious marriage is put to the test when they invite their sexually enigmatic, upstairs neighbors over for dinner. Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogan, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton star in this dark comedy also directed by Wilde – a remake of the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs.
The Invite is a stomach-churning, cringe inducing analysis of the complexities of a failing marriage. Cleverly written by Will McCormack (Toy Story 4) and actress/writer Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation), the film revels in relentlessly awkward, uncomfortable moments, as façades come down and everyone starts getting brutally real. It’s very Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, just with a more modern telling 60 years later.
All four cast members give sharp, solid performances with Cruz the standout as the most emotionally self-aware individual in the room. Director Wilde deftly keeps the action feeling natural and unscripted. The sexual element of the film – while huge – is merely the catalyst for a thought-provoking exploration of complicated relationships.
REEL FACTS
• The “To Diane” message just prior to closing credits is for the late Diane Keaton, who played Olivia Wilde’s mother in 2015’s Love the Coopers. Wilde said, “I don’t think that there is an Invite without Diane Keaton because she’s in so many of the films that inspired this film.”
• Amy Adams, Paul Rudd and Tessa Thompson were originally cast in the lead roles but left the project when it got stuck in development.
• 1966’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf scored 11 Oscar nominations and five wins, including Best Actress for Elizabeth Taylor and Best Supporting Actress for Sandy Dennis.
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