The Invite, a new poly-romcom starring Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton, brings heterosexual polyamory into cinemas, offering a refreshing take on non-conventional relationships. According to non-monogamist Savina Petkova, the film reflects modern attitudes instead of using them as a punchline or cautionary tale.
In the film, Angela and Joe (Wilde and Rogen) have lost their spark in marriage. Their guests, Hawk and Piña (Norton and Cruz), are non-monogamous upstairs neighbours who offer shared play as a deus ex machina for their dry spell. The film toys with thriller conventions, amping up pressure as the dinner party goes from bad to worse, then recasts it as sexual tension.
Non-Monogamy on Screen
Non-monogamy describes relationships involving multiple intimate partners with full knowledge and consent. In the US and Canada, one in five people have experience with non-monogamy, while in the UK, a third of heterosexual men and 11% of women are open to multiple long-term partners. Ruby Rare, intimacy expert at Feeld and author of The Non-Monogamy Playbook, notes that on-screen depictions are many people's only frame of reference. “Only 27% of people outside the Feeld community consider alternative relationships normal, compared with 72% within a community that understands them first-hand. The stereotype isn’t based on reality; it’s based on what we’ve been shown.”
Comedy and Catharsis
The film's comedy disarms audiences, with fits of laughter filling screenings. When Piña explains “compersion” (joy from a partner's pleasure with someone else), it's mispronounced as “compression,” and “preference sheets” spark gags. This anti-didactic approach opens discussion. Petkova draws a parallel: society treats comedies and non-monogamy as “less serious” than dramatic counterparts. Monogamy, with its great dramaturgy, remains the norm.
For Petkova, the film is cathartic, not a manual. It depicts non-monogamy as a space of quiet revolt and shared exploration, offering a new kind of dramaturgy: the more, the merrier.
