Inside The Invite: The Collaboration Behind Olivia Wilde's Most Personal Film

Two couples. One apartment. For the entirety of Olivia Wilde’s The Invite, that is all the film needs to reel you in. 

What begins as an uncomfortable dinner between neighbours gradually becomes something far more complicated. Olivia Wilde’s third feature delves into the complexities of love and sex with an engaging comedic tone. Yet for a film so physically confined to one location, The Invite rarely feels visually contained.

Still from The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde, A24, 2026. 

The Invite is the latest in the series of international adaptations of Cesc Gay's Spanish film and stage play, Sentimental (The People Upstairs), following versions produced in Italy, Switzerland, France, and South Korea. But Wilde's adaptation distinguishes itself through its pursuit of personalization. 

Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the comedic writer duo of the thematically similar Celeste and Jesse Forever, developed a sharply witty screenplay which was pushed even further by Wilde encouraging improvisation from her cast. From this, we get a series of perfectly timed jokes alongside some of the film’s most punching dramatic moments, including an entirely improvised monologue from Edward Norton that becomes a defining moment of vulnerability.

The Invite is a stylistic and thematic departure from Wilde’s previous features, the energetic coming-of-age comedy Booksmart and the conceptually ambitious psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling. Though both films have their successes and faults, from an artistic standpoint, The Invite stands as her strongest feature yet. The film operates on a smaller, independent scale compared to her previous studio-backed productions, allowing Wilde to trade spectacle for intimacy and place greater emphasis on performance and execution. Paired with a drastic shift in visual style and minimized size of its fictional world, this restraint gives the film a confidence and fluidity that feels newly distinct to Wilde. 

Her inspiration for the character-driven work of Mike Nichols and Robert Altman can certainly be noticed, but The Invite never comes across as imitation. Instead, it feels like a filmmaker discovering how she wants to tell stories. Finding greater freedom by working within limitations and, in the process, arriving at a directorial style that finally feels entirely her own. 

Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogan on the set of The Invite. From Atsushi ‘Jima’ Nishijima [@jimagraphy], 2026, Instagram. 

Along with being the standout directorial effort from Olivia Wilde, the star studded cast of The Invite brings some of their best performances in recent years. The film revolves around four people: the apartment owners, Seth Rogan and Olivia Wilde, and the invited upstairs neighbours, Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz. As cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra mentioned in an interview with Sundance Collab, he was drawn to the project because it was so personal, very open to being creatively shaped through collaboration and completely open to ideas. This has been stated widely throughout the cast, and is evident in the film’s performances, with the actors encouraged to bring their own experiences and impulses into their characters, making collaboration fundamental to the film’s sense of intimacy and naturalism. 

Originally hesitant about acting in the film, Wilde had to be encouraged by the cast. In press interviews, she speaks about the specific tone she wanted to bring, as well as maintaining her presence as a director and was unsure if she was the right person for the role. She refers to Edward Norton pushing her with “There is something you want to say [through this role], something you need to say.” 

Wilde’s decision to act in the film further strengthened this collaborative process, allowing her to experience the scenes from within rather than observing them solely from behind the camera. She has stated that by performing alongside the cast, she could see more clearly what was progressing and unfolding between the characters which resulted in becoming more intimately connected to the film. 

Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogan on the set of The Invite. From Atsushi ‘Jima’ Nishijima [@jimagraphy], 2026, Instagram.

The cast is incredibly successful in creating the characters so realistically, making the audience often feel voyeuristic, as though observing a real evening unfold rather than watching one tailored for the screen. The story’s origin as a stage production only exemplifies this quality. The film unfolds much like a play, with its three acts efficiently defined by tonal shifts, whether through changes in blocking, increasingly vulnerable performances, or the gradual disappearance of comedy as the evening becomes more emotionally volatile. Rather than relying on major changes in setting or spectacle to propel the narrative forward, The Invite finds momentum in conversation and the evolving relationships between its four characters. 

Most of the film’s best moments come from spontaneous improvisation from the crew and cast, which is a surprising effort when shooting on film. Being an incredibly sensitive medium, actors are usually forced to block impulses in comedy due to fear of technical issues. 

While on set shooting her cameo in Apple TV+’s The Studio, Wilde worked with Seth Rogan as well as Adam Newport-Berra, who she would later scout to shoot The Invite after being intrigued by his ambitious pursuit of spontaneous creativity within such a defined structure. Though his work as a cinematographer has been spread across music videos, shorts, television, and narrative features, his most notably unique work has been on that of The Studio, a series driven by controlled chaos, one shot scenes, and a combined passion for the film industry. 

Still from The Invite, directed by Olivia Wilde, A24, 2026.

The Invite holds a strong visual identity despite its contained setting, as it uses composition, blocking, and architecture to continually redefine and mold the apartment into a character itself. Working with Newport-Berra, Wilde utilizes the limitations of the setting to her advantage, finding new ways to frame and separate the four characters as the dynamics between them shift. Door frames function as barriers that reflect the characters psychology, as well as their discomfort and emotional distance, whereas windows offer a glimpse into different lives, and mirrors are placed meticulously to allow for each person to be seen in a frame while being physically out of the camera’s view. As the evening progresses and the characters become increasingly vulnerable with one another, the divisions disappear, allowing the space to open alongside them. Rather than simply containing the action, the apartment becomes an extension of desires and discomforts. 

The film's soundscape is deliberately designed to follow those dynamics. It balances a restrained original score with carefully chosen needle drops that truly work to emphasize the audience's emotional reaction to certain scenes. Devonté Hynes, known for his discography as the alternative R&B but consistently genre blending artist Blood Orange, composes a cello-driven score. Perfectly tense and surprising, it manages to embody the nerves of the characters, and heightens the emotional stakes of seemingly ordinary conversations.

Devonté Hynes and Olivia Wilde producing The Invite’s score. From Devonté Hynes [@devhynes], 2026, Instagram.

In contrast, “By Your Side” by Sade, a requested inclusion by Penelope Cruz, is the theme to a moment of warmth, intimacy, and specifically romantic nostalgia. The film closes with Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell's unreleased demo of "Our House," a fittingly bittersweet conclusion that lingers on the impermanence of passionate love when in a marriage. 

Though this year has had some amazing films, The Invite is one of the most engaging so far. Warm, funny, and emotionally captivating, Wilde embraces the intimacy of the chamber piece to create something that feels both theatrical and distinctly cinematic. It is a film driven by collaboration at every level, and that spirit is evident to creatives internationally. By the time you hear Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell's melancholic duet over the closing credits, don't be surprised if you're leaving the theatre with tears in your eyes.