The Invite (2026) intimacy scene breakdown: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton's sexy, cringe swinging comedy.
An intimacy coordinator's take on consent, chemistry, and couple swapping
This week on Faking It, intimacy coordinators Morgan Smith and Ariel break down The Invite (2026), Olivia Wilde's A24 comedy about a married couple, Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde), whose upstairs neighbors Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) invite them into something far outside their comfort zone. It's one of the most deliciously awkward sex scenes we've covered, and we're here for all of it.
We're talking:
- Why authenticity can be more valuable than instant chemistry
- What happens when one partner's ready to go when the other is not
- How characters' personalities can continue when scenes get spicy
- The psychology of kink, control, and surrender in a sex scene
- Whether this scene really needed an intimacy coordinator
Watch along timestamps:
- The Invite: "The Scene": 1:13:05
About the film
The Invite (2026) is directed by Olivia Wilde, written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, and distributed by A24. It's an English-language remake of Cesc Gay's 2020 Spanish film The People Upstairs (Sentimental). It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2026, opened wide July 10, 2026, and is streaming on digital platforms now, with HBO Max to follow.
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