Olivia Wilde-directed “The Invite” arrives with four-way dinner party sex comedy casted by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, review says

A new film comedy, “The Invite,” directed by and starring Olivia Wilde and featuring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, is drawing early attention for its pitch: a dinner party that moves into increasingly awkward and unconventional territory, according to a review published June 30, 2026 by The Guardian. The Guardian’s review says Wilde plays a central role in what it characterizes as a bizarre but “intriguing” story that begins with a social gathering and escalates into a far more complicated sexual dynamic than the setting suggests. The piece frames the film as a satire of married middle-class life, using its characters and escalating embarrassment to stage what the reviewer describes as an uneasy blend of comedy and discomfort. According to The Guardian, the film centers on a group of guests who, as the night progresses, introduce sexual elements into the dinner-party setting in a way that becomes increasingly outlandish. The reviewer also describes the structure as a four-way sex comedy of embarrassment, comparing its social premise to the kind of plotting associated with playwrights known for turning manners and relationship tensions into theatrical movement. The review attributes part of the film’s tone control to Rogen’s presence, saying that Rogen’s “levity” helps keep the most outrageous plot turns from derailing the overall experience. In the Guardian’s account, Rogen functions as a comic counterweight inside a story that otherwise leans heavily into escalating absurdity and emotional awkwardness. The film’s ensemble also includes Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, and The Guardian describes “The Invite” as relying on their performances to populate what it calls a set of moving, if eccentric, relationship portraits. The review suggests the movie reaches an unexpected emotional note, describing the end result as something “bizarrely moving,” even as it remains tethered to comedic discomfort throughout. Because the coverage so far comes from a single published review, key practical details about “The Invite” are limited in the record provided here, including release date, distribution platform, and runtime. Additional reporting on box office performance, streaming or theater availability, and audience demographics was not available from the research attempts connected to this draft.

keyFacts

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The Guardian published a review of “The Invite” on June 30, 2026.

The film is described as directed and starring Olivia Wilde.

The cast highlighted in the review includes Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton.

The Guardian characterizes the film as a dinner-party centered sex comedy focused on embarrassment and satirizing married middle-class life.

The review says the film uses Rogen’s levity to keep the most outrageous plot points in check.

The Guardian describes the story as both intriguing and, at its end, “bizarrely moving.”