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The Invite has been described in a number of reviews as director Olivia Wilde’s best movie. This is a bold assertion as her debut Booksmart was a revolutionarily brilliant piece of work that has rarely been equalled since its 2019 release. 

Also she’s only directed three films.

Still, it is great to see her being celebrated again because the brickbats really came out for her last movie Don’t Worry Darling, in my opinion unfairly so. Over this short filmography Wilde has shown herself to be a skilled and versatile director, moving from teen comedy to surreal thriller and now to domestic drama, and she has never failed with any of them. The rumoured off set upsets seemed to eclipse the actual film with Don’t Worry Darling and the reviews seemed to punish her for this but it was a genuinely smart and tense movie. It may have lacked some of the assurance of Booksmart but that is definitely back now. 

I referred to this new film as a drama but it is actually very funny in places too. The ultimate sense is one of sadness and emotion but it wouldn’t be inaccurate to call it a comedy and there is some sweet catharsis at the end. It goes on a journey to get there though as two couples come together for a dinner party of sorts and personal truths and hidden feelings come to the fore, and even with its small cast and single location it moves at a great pace, employs a variety of filmmaking flourishes and keeps you gripped from beginning to end.

Personally I don’t rate this over Booksmart, which as suggested is one of my absolute favourite films of the last ten years, but I can accept and see why others have placed this higher. The Invite is probably Wilde’s most accomplished work. Both of her previous projects showed directorial skill rare at such early stages of a career but this one is masterful in the way it manages its visual storytelling. It is better put together and constructed than Booksmart, just not as enchanting and fun. 

The performances are all excellent as well, from Edward Norton, Penelope Cruz, Seth Rogan and Wilde herself. She may have only done three films as director but she has done dozens as an actor and I do think this is definitely her best work in this area. Her Angela is a tight ball of neuroses, quirks and facial expressions as she navigates herself through the world’s most uncomfortable social engagement and she is the standout in the quartet. It’s a very strong showing in front of the camera from someone who is also calling the shots as it is the kind of performance that feels very closely directed in a way that is not possible when you are pulling both duties. Rogan as her husband is all disbelieving frustration and bravado born of self criticism and their chemistry is very good. This is a couple at loggerheads but there are also nice moments when they come together with flashes of the companionship they once had when they are responding to what they learn about their house guests. Cruz and Norton as said visitors, each gets one big moment to shine but they are brilliant catalysts to the social rollercoaster that plays out on screen throughout. 

Mention also has to go to the writing which is credited to Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, both actors themselves. Their last big collaboration was Toy Story 4 and Jones also wrote on the Bryce Dallas Howard episode of Black Mirror. The script is based on the Spanish movie The People Upstairs which started out as a play and has also been remade as an Italian, a German and a Korean film so an English language version was inevitable. I am curious to watch at least some of these other versions to see how they compare but the dialogue here is whip smart. Interesting the most remade movie ever is Italy’s Perfect Strangers which now exists in twenty five different languages and also tells of a dinner party where uncomfortable truths are revealed so maybe there’ll be subsequent other versions of this too. It certainly reflects an experience that is relatable around the whole world.

I don’t know if Olivia Wilde has seen all the other adaptations of this but either way she makes this feel like her own and The Invite shows a brilliant command of cinema as a medium. It does depict an exaggerated situation; the honesty these people demonstrate does come forward very quickly, but it is also very recognisable and tells common truths. Her next movie apparently involves a woman in a child custody battle trying to persuade Santa Clause to stand as a court witness so it seems that once again we will get a very different film from her but this is a career that I’m going to watch with anticipation. A new high point may yet come.