Overview
- The Invite opened in select U.S. theaters on June 26 and is scheduled to expand nationwide on July 10 as A24 leans on festival buzz and early reviews.
- The film stages a single‑night dinner party in a San Francisco apartment where two couples’ heated conversations force them to confront long‑running resentments without relying on broad spectacle.
- Critics have broadly praised Wilde’s control behind the camera and the sharp chemistry among Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, while a minority of reviewers fault Wilde’s own lead performance as uneven.
- Production choices were deliberate: Jade Healy built the apartment on a soundstage, the shoot was filmed chronologically on 35mm over 23 days, and the cast and writers workshopped material with relationship consultant Esther Perel contributing to the film’s emotional detail.
- Cast members say rehearsal sessions that included frank talks about marriage and sexuality helped shape performances, a creative approach that could boost word‑of‑mouth and shape box office momentum during the wider July release.