The Invite Review: A glorious triumph of all the senses
With The Invite's high praises and great cast, as well as the fact I'm an A24 simp, I knew that this would be right up my alley. Most A24 films hit on a wholly different level for me, and the premise here was so wacky that I simply knew it'd find a way to make me feel something. Now, at its core, the premise is mundane: inviting the neighbors over for dinner. However, it escalates into such bizarre territory while tackling deep themes with so much comedy. Was I right that The Invite would be something special, or did it just leave me supremely disappointed? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be tackling in today's review.
The only negative I could even fathom finding for this film was that the intro credits were a little long. And that makes only a negligible difference...
Yeah, for me, this is a perfect film. I rarely say that, even about my favorite films, but I can't think of anything I'd want to change here. The balance of tension, thrills, romance, emotional beats, deep themes, and the exploration of sexuality all come together to be a magnum opus, pièce de résistance, a paragon, tour de force, or whatever poison of a term you'd like to pick.
At its heart, the film is a character drama about a crumbling marriage. But I've never seen such an insanely unique yet benign and heartfelt way of exploring it. I mean, The Trip and its 2026 remake, Over Your Dead Body, did a wonderful job with a similarly wild concept, but they explored their themes through horror, while this one focused on the allure of sexuality. This film does this exploration with gravitas and exceptional care, not melodrama or fake stakes.
Each of the four actors sells their character perfectly, and each character is uniquely entertaining and believable in a truly human way. The motivations and flaws of each character felt realistic, even with how bizarre the film is. While it's only four people talking in one apartment, it consistently feels like so much more.
The film's conclusion has also instantaneously skyrocketed to my Top 5 movie endings of all time. Ambiguous, incomplete endings are too often a big risk to take with films, and I often find them to be out-of-nowhere, pretentious, or completely unsatisfying. An ambiguous ending can be macabre, nihilistic, or almost out of left field, but it needs to feel earned.
WARNING: The next two paragraphs will cover spoilers.
This movie's ending leaves two major things up to your interpretation that add so much to the film and cement it as an unforgettable masterwork. First, it ends on a beautiful final note that can be construed either as a final hurrah before filing for divorce or as an optimistic spark that leads to reconciliation. Somehow, either perspective feels equally potent and human—given the way the movie is framed, I'm still torn about which ending I prefer.
But, even better, is that the film implies that the neighbors might be metaphorical, mental manifestations instead of real people who actually came in with a wild group sex pitch. Either way, the film works incredibly, and either contextualization leads to equal bouts of levity and gravity. This is genuinely the coolest, most perfect way this film could end: it's a choose-your-own-adventure with four equally gripping and profound endings. The ending takes the movie into a whole new echelon for me.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 95%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5
With standout performances, incredible comedy, a powerful use of a small apartment setting, bizarre yet poignant thematic explorations, and an unforgettable ending, The Invite isn't just one of the best films of the year, of the genre, or of A24's lineup, but one of my new favorite films in general.
Interested in checking out some other dramas below? Check them out below! 😄
Brighton Nelson
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