Dallas Fisher

RSVP: YES, with a plus one.

It might not be a comic book adaptation blockbuster or a release from a (current) major director, but this is absolutely (a) reason we pack ourselves into the movie theater like sardines. There’s nothing like feeding off the laughter of the strangers around you as a movie like this crescendos into the funniest of the year. To say that’s exactly what The Invite does would be an understatement, because there’s times where that strange laughter blankets the constant onslaught of jokes that Olive Wilde and co. feed you throughout this glorious two hour runtime. I could say this towards the end of the review, but I already can’t wait to see this for a second time. Not only to relive the masterful joke writing again but also to hear those jokes I know I missed in the uproar.

I shouldn’t be surprised that these four actors together could make something so perfect but if this was made seven years earlier, it’s most likely a disaster. The timing in the casting decisions and in the joke telling is what makes this work so well. I think it also helped that I went in pretty much blind to what was going to go on behind these closed doors of the single room stage. I had an inkling of an idea and yet, its path was the most delectable in ways that made it nearly a mystery film as much as a comedy.

I love the mature direction that Olivia Wilde brought to this. She took a subject matter that could have easily been treated with a childlike nature and made it something that has you looking inward while trying to catch your breath from laughter and anxiety. Keeping things stuck inside one room captured an energy that is now unmatched as Wilde is brilliantly creative with the way she keeps the shots fresh with every turn. As much as it’s a story about neighbors, it’s also Wilde looking in the mirror of her own life. She took a step back with Don’t Worry Darling but The Invite is at least ten steps forward in the right direction for her career.

I briefly mentioned the cast a paragraph and a half ago, so let’s get back to the thing that really makes this movie work. Olivia will make you even more jealous with how perfect she becomes in front of the camera. Her performance makes it tough to decide what she excels more at here. Not that it’s a competition. But if it was, it’s going to be a brutal fight on who the best of the four was in this movie. Because everyone is so damn good. Wilde’s other half here, Rogen, is the funniest he has been in many, many years. I’ll admit I haven’t watched The Studio yet, but there’s a stretch here where I believe he gives one of the best pound for pound comedic performances of my lifetime. I couldn’t believe my eyes and or my ears. Plus Seth and Olivia’s clear chemistry will have you believing they have been a real life couple secretly for years.

There is another duo at hand here, Norton and Cruz, and they’re just as great at portraying the couple that sets off the unpredictable nature of the film. Both of these actors are welcomed back to the screen in meaningful ways and I hope we get to see more of them. This might just be a flash in the pan for them though, and that’s okay too! The honesty, intimacy, and script are absolutely perfect in the way they mash up with a type of humor that will work for adults with an open mind. Many people will say this serves as an alternative to therapy and I disagree. Mostly because I don’t have these issues in my life anymore. I also don’t believe it handles some non humor stuff in the best of ways and fails to wrap the story up in the same strong way it starts.

The Invite is still the funniest movie of the year and one of the best movies of the year overall. You won’t want to miss this dinner party.

8.8/10