The Invite (2026)

What a terribly awkward, messy, hysterical, but interesting film. It certainly holds your attention, but I'm not sure what to think of it. There were quite a few funny moments in it, and you do keep watching. Still, worth the effort.

Little Howie . Actually quite funny.

Translated from Dutch · View original

What a terribly tiresome film. It’s really one of those films that tries very hard to be funny, but the characters here clearly follow a plot that constantly builds towards drama and conflict instead of the drama and conflict emerging from the characters themselves – not for a single moment did I find this truly believable. Visually it is still decent, and the production design is fine too, as are some of the directional elements. Think of the parts with violin music playing the Habanera. The unsettling, chaotic, and frantic atmosphere is conveyed well by the direction, although I never felt like I was watching an original idea, but rather plagiarized work – Wilde’s fine *Don’t Worry Darling* is a lot fresher. Furthermore, Norton is certainly genuinely witty at times (rooibos tea anyone?).

Okay, those last 15 minutes are suddenly good. Sensible things are said and the tone changes accordingly. Then that first hour-and-a-half stretch falls more into place, but well, you only realize that then. I really would have chosen a different approach. And the film changes on more levels, because only then do you really consider whether Norton and Perez were actually there or more like tools to finally get Rogen and Wilde to voice their feelings. 2.0*.

Translated from Dutch · View original

I had a great time. I really enjoyed the speed and chaos. Occasionally it got a bit corny and predictable, but that was broken up again pretty quickly. I think I laughed at least ten times and had a smile on my face the whole time.

I found the ending quite tedious. Everything fell neatly into place, a bow on top, and that was it. Plenty of sensible things were said in the rest of the film as well, but you had to filter them out yourself a bit. Occasionally, something did resonate with me. So it wasn't just an entertaining evening, but also an educational one.

Translated from Dutch · View original