‘The Invite,’ one of 2026’ best reviewed comedies, is now streaming
‘The Invite,’ one of 2026’ best reviewed comedies, is now streaming
Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton turn a dinner party into delicious chaos in A24’s acclaimed comedy.
What happens when a simple dinner party turns into a complete and utter disaster? Well, throw Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton into the mix, and apparently, you get one of the best-reviewed comedies of the year! In A24’s “The Invite,” a married couple on the brink of collapse invites their mysterious upstairs neighbors over for dinner, only to discover that their guests have something considerably more interesting in mind than polite conversation. The critically acclaimed film, directed by Wilde, makes its exclusive subscription streaming debut on HBO Max on Friday, Oct. 23, giving audiences the chance to see what all the fuss is about. You can join the dinner party with a subscription to HBO Max or later in the weekend on HBO.
How to watch ‘The Invite’
- When: Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at 3:01 a.m. ET
- TV: HBO Max; HBO on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. ET
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to HBO Max.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about ‘The Invite’
When and where will ‘The Invite’ stream?
Following its theatrical release over the summer, “The Invite” will make its subscription streaming debut exclusively on HBO Max on Friday, Oct. 23. The movie is distributed by A24, which has an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring its theatrical releases to HBO Max during their pay-one streaming windows. That means subscribers will be able to enjoy all of the uncomfortable conversations, awkward revelations, and increasingly questionable decisions without having to pay an additional rental fee.
If you would rather watch the film on traditional television, you will have that option as well. “The Invite” will make its premium cable debut on HBO on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. ET. However, if you simply cannot wait to find out what happens at this particular dinner party, streaming it on HBO Max on Friday is your best option.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
Can you watch ‘The Invite’ for free?
Unfortunately, there is no straightforward way to stream “The Invite” for free. HBO Max does not currently offer a free trial, meaning that viewers who want to watch the movie through the service will generally need an active subscription. However, there are a few ways to get HBO Max without subscribing to the platform directly.
One of the more interesting options is DIRECTV, which includes HBO Max Basic With Ads as part of its MyEntertainment genre pack, alongside Disney+, Hulu, and AMC+. The package also features more than 60 live TV channels, making it a potentially worthwhile option for viewers who want to consolidate their entertainment subscriptions.
DIRECTV currently offers a five-day free trial of MyEntertainment, but there is an important catch: HBO Max access does not begin until after the trial ends. That means you cannot use the free trial alone to watch “The Invite” on HBO Max without paying. However, once the trial ends and the paid subscription begins, you can activate your included HBO Max membership and enjoy the film alongside the streamer’s extensive library of movies and television shows.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Watch the trailer for ‘The Invite’
What you need to know about ‘The Invite’
In “The Invite,” Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are a married couple whose relationship has seen better days. The romance has faded, the frustrations have piled up, and neither seems particularly thrilled about spending much time with the other. So, naturally, what better way to fix their problems than by inviting a couple of near-strangers over for dinner?
Enter Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), the mysterious upstairs neighbors whose enthusiastic love life has been making itself known through the walls. Unlike their hosts, these two seem to have absolutely no trouble keeping the passion alive, and as the evening progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that they have a rather unconventional understanding of relationships. What begins as an awkward dinner party quickly evolves into an evening of uncomfortable revelations, unexpected propositions, and some extremely personal questions about what it actually takes to make a marriage work.
The film is generating considerable Oscar buzz, especially for Wilde, who seems like a favorite at this point to become the first woman to be nominated for both an acting and directing Academy Award in the same year, and the first to be nominated as a performer for a film she directed. The critics have absolutely eaten it up. The film currently boasts an impressive 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a similarly enthusiastic 89%.
“The Invite” has also proved to be a financial success for A24. After opening in limited theaters on June 26 and expanding nationwide in July, the film has grossed more than $60 million worldwide, an impressive return for a relatively modest, dialogue-driven comedy. At a time when so much of the theatrical marketplace is dominated by franchises, sequels, and massive special-effects spectacles, it is encouraging to see a movie about four people having an increasingly uncomfortable dinner find such a substantial audience.
Of course, with a cast featuring Rogen, Wilde, Cruz, and Norton, perhaps that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. All four actors get opportunities to flex their comedic and dramatic muscles, often shifting between absurdity and genuine vulnerability within the same conversation. The result is the sort of movie that might make you laugh, cringe, question your own relationship, and perhaps reconsider inviting the neighbors over for dinner anytime soon.
The Invite
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. Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?