The Invite

2026 Ranked** Watched in the Cameo Picturehouse, Scotland The Invite was a film I heard nothing about until I saw it popping up on Letterboxd again and again, until I also started to anticipate it a lot. So, today was the perfect day to watch it in a beautiful cinema in Scotland, and what a blast this was. The story is a continuous dance of chemistry that embraces the unspoken with the clarity of understanding. It's minimalistic, yet large in scale, without exaggerating any thought, being conscious of its identity. Everything playing out in a single apartment is cool, but what makes it astonishing is it working out. I was so captivated that I forgot about all of my surroundings, being fully invested in what I laid my eyes on. The performances are incredible, and Olivia Wilde is such a talented person, being a phenomenal actress and director at the same time. Edward Norton probably was my personal highlight, and he kind of keeps growing on me. The direction couldn't have been more on point, and I feel like Olivia Wilde was able to fully embrace her vision. The humor was mostly very well done, and I found myself laughing all the time, which also doesn't happen in too many comedies, though I think Joe as a character tried a bit too much and the comedie bits with him sometimes felt a little forced and were off putting. The way this film induced the feeling of uncomfortability, yet feeling so charming and welcoming, was fascinating, and everything perfectly came together in a rather tragic way that felt authentic and thoughtful. The needle drops were perfect, by the way, and I loved the choice of songs here. Overall, The Invite was an experience of its own. It's one of those films where I just need to see the poster, with these four now very familiar faces, to immediately be reminded why this worked out; it knows what it wants to be and embraces it. It's funny, harsh, uncomfortable, existential, hilarious, serious, and satirical at the same time, and that's why it is one of the year's highlights for me so far. I can only recommend seeing this for yourself. 8.5/10