Oscar Wilde once famously said, "One should always be in love.That is the reason one should never marry." That quote sets the tone in A24's new comedy "The Invite."Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde (no relation to the aforementioned Wilde) star as Joe and Angela, a seemingly-miserable married couple living in an old San Francisco apartment building who welcome their newish unmarried neighbors Hawk and Pína (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) for dinner.The dynamics are clear from the jump: Joe and Angela can't help but lob passive-aggressive jabs at each other while Hawk and Pína make their intimacy obvious (the walls aren't exactly soundproof, if you catch my drift...).
It's only a matter of time before tensions erupt — to hilarious results.‘TOY STORY 5’ REVIEW: TOM HANKS, TIM ALLEN RETURN FOR TIMELY INSTALLMENT AS PIXAR GANG BATTLES RISE OF TECHOlivia Wilde and Seth Rogen in A24's "The Invite." (Courtesy of A24)Joe, a former musician turned pot-smoking associate music teacher, is tired and unfulfilled and Angela, a former artist-turned-stay-at-home mom, is on edge and demanding.Meanwhile, Hawk, an eccentric firefighter, and his seductive Spanish girlfriend Piña, reveal to their unhappy neighbors how exactly they keep life spicy — and offer Joe and Angela an invitation of their own.Adapted from the 2020 Spanish film "The People Upstairs" (which was adapted from Cesc Gay's play), "The Invite" maintains the intimacy of a staged production.
Wilde, marking her third go in the director's chair following 2019's "Booksmart" and 2022's "Don't Worry Darling," brilliantly fuels anxiety, making the audience feel like they, too, have a seat at the table.LOW-BUDGET HORROR FLICK ‘OBSESSION’ SHATTERS BOX OFFICE EXPECTATIONS AS NEW STAR WARS FILM COMES UP SHORTOlivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in A24's "The Invite." (Courtesy of A24)"The Invite" draws clear inspiration from classics like "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Bob & Carol &...