4/5 stars
The modern “sex comedy” emerged in the late 1960s in the West, when such topics became acceptable for open discussion. With The Invite, actor-director Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling) updates the genre for 2026 by throwing a conventionally minded couple into a risqué situation that forces them to reassess the state of their marriage.
Channelling the work of Woody Allen, Wilde delivers a breezy film making light of its characters’ failings, with a dry wit that provides many genuine laughs. Although comedic, The Invite makes its points better than more serious marital dramas of recent years, including the hollow HBO remake of Ingmar Bergman’s classic Scenes from a Marriage television series.
The Invite is not a wholly original work, as it is based on the 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs, written and directed by Cesc Gay. That feature was itself an adaptation of Gay’s own stage play, and this talky American version is similarly theatrical – the script could have worked just as well in a live setting.
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