Marriage… It’s a crazy idea, right? Rashida Jones and Will McCormack unpack marriage by writing the upcoming A24 movie, The Invite. Inspired by the Cesc Gay play and 2020 Spanish film, The People Upstairs. In her first directing project since the 2022 film Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde takes on the script while starring alongside Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton. This razor-sharp screenplay is a perfect depiction of a broken marriage with laughter and heartbreak.

Angela invites the neighbors for dinner, but Joe is irritated because he had a long day and just doesn’t like them. However, he has a bone to pick with them; they are so loud at night having sex. You can tell in his tone that he is slightly envious, and even in Angela’s demeanor, she hints at being jealous of her neighbor’s orgasms. 

A knock on the door stops Angela and Joe in their tracks mid-fight to open the door and welcome them in. Of course, Pina and Hawk sense the hostility and wonder if they should come back, but Angela persists. The entire night begins as what feels like a charade and turns into a tumultuous ride that fills you with laughter, heartbreak, and shocking twists. 

Nobody walks into a marriage thinking, “I am getting a divorce.” But the idea that marriage “can’t end in divorce” is a concept that I’ll never grasp my mind around. At the end of the day, there is a multitude of reasons that a marriage can end, and it’s okay to walk away. What writers Rashida Jones and Will McCormack challenge audiences by asking, “When is enough, enough?”

I remember sitting in a chapel in front of an elderly lady, escaping and running away from my problems to lock down and get married in hopes of saving a relationship, saving someone from running away like everyone else had. Little did I know what I was signing up for was a failed experience that was set up to fail before I even said I do. The past trauma I faced with everyone disappearing and walking away put me in a position where I felt the need to make a rash decision. 

I was far from perfect, and what we see in these two characters is two flawed people that both had their arguments of why they were right or why they were stuck. You can understand and grasp the idea of the love that was once there and fight to keep that spark that was once there. But at what cost? The cost of their sanity? The cost of your dreams? The cost of their daughter watching a loveless marriage? Yes. Many stay because of they don’t think divorce is an option. In all honesty, a broken marriage ruins a child more than a divorce. 

Watching my parents fight over and over again, instead of separating, was taxing. It gives you this false narrative of what marriage looks like, and that toxicity frames this picture within your mind. When things start to fail, you start to see the reflection of your past within the moments of your own failures. Unlike the tropes you fall into in a failed marriage, The Invite deviates from those highlighting the trouble a broken marriage can cause. 

Wilde unbelievably captivates you in front of the camera, but her mesmerizing work behind it is what truly makes the little things matter. At times, Wilde traps you within the apartment, making you feel claustrophobic with the walls closing in on this marriage. She utilizes every angle, window, zoom, and even furniture to brilliantly tie the pieces together. 

The ensemble is perfect. Wilde, Rogen, Cruz, and Norton each play their part in bringing this screenplay to life. I love how well they play off each other to bring the laughs, but it was those raw moments that highlight such a raw and personal performance from each of them. It’s challenging to talk in-depth about these characters without divulging spoilers, but man, I loved them. 

In what at times feels like a comedy, The Invite is a staggering meditation on marriage, the battle that ensues when the love is lost, and how to make that final decision to walk away. This is the type of movie that can save someone from a broken marriage. The weight of this film will have a lasting impact for many reasons, and for that reason, it is truly one of the year’s best. Come for the star-studded cast, and stay for a powerful ride that will make you laugh, cry, and ponder what’s next. 

The Invite hits theaters on July 10th.