The Invite | Film Review

 

When Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogan) invite their upstairs neighbours over for dinner, the night takes an unexpected turn that forces the couple to examine the future of their marriage.

I'd heard such great things about this movie when it first came out, including many predictions for Oscar nominations, so of course I had to see it!

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I liked the movie, but I didn't fully understand all of the exceptional praise it was receiving.

The cast is a definite standout though. They're all fantastic and feel authentic in their roles.

The dialogue is really fun and quippy, particularly at the beginning when we're getting to know the characters. It gives an interesting insight into who they really are.

But with that, the film is very dialogue-heavy, to the point that it definitely feels like it could, or should, be a play. And it stays like this until the end, so if you're not a fan of dialogue-heavy movies, or just don't like the dialogue of these particular characters, then you probably won't enjoy this one.

The direction and dialogue do a great job of keeping everyone, the characters and the audience, uncomfortable. We understand the characters' states of mind because in some scenes we feel the exact same way.

Personally, I didn't find the story as engaging as I needed to. One couple is much more interesting than the other, but even with that, neither are incredibly compelling.

Near the end of the movie, I did find myself getting a bit bored as I was waiting for it to end. It's not the kind of film where there are huge plot points or a big twist, what you see is what you get.

That said, I did really like some of the deeper messages, and the way that these were conveyed.

So overall, I did like the film, but I don't get the huge hype around it.

6/10