STORYLINE: Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.  (IMDb)

    In 2014 A24 Studios released, the science fiction feature, Under the Skin, in theaters.  A year later, the same studio released Ex Machina, which is an incredible motion picture.  The Oscar winning documentary, Amy, cane from the same studio, that very sane year. 20th Century Women (2016), Marcel the Shell With Shoes on (2022), Sing Sing (2024), and Friendship (2025) are all unique features from A24 studios from over the years. Many of those movies, others from the studio have made my annual top 10 film list over the years. The Invite is the studio’s latest cinenatic  release.  

     I’ve mentioned it before, there are a variety of ways used to have audiences laughing out loud.   There are dark comedies, like In Bruges (2009), or slapstick, like 1988’s The Naked Gun.  I would classify The Invite as an awkward comedy.

    The Invite features a subject, that may make some viewers uncomfortable.  I don’t give spoilers here, however the trailer hints at this.  

    The awkward humor begins in those little life moments.  It’s funny because at some point it seems relatable.  As the story progresses, the film dives into the before mentioned uncomfortable territory.  Here the I heard humor shifts from the little awkward life moments to awkward situational moments. 

    Slapstick comedies are my favorite comedies to watch.  Mainly they are the movies with the most stupid one liners I enjoy. The Invite had me laughing, in that uncomfortable kind of way. After all I am describing it as an awkward comedy.  Still I laughed.

    Despite having a bit of an uncomfortable subject matter, The Invite is an awkward comedy that had me laughing.

     Until next time, I will see you at the movies!