6 Best Relationship Dramas If You Liked ‘The Invite’
Olivia Wilde's The Invite (2026) is one of the biggest surprises of the year as a dark comedy that strikes from every corner. Genuinely refreshing, jarring, frustrating, and directed with a distinctly haunting vision that makes a single apartment both impossible to stay in and tough to get out of. It's not a horror movie by any stretch of the imagination, but at times, it feels like one, with triggers left and right for viewers who might find relationship dramas to be deeply grating.
Yet, interestingly, it's also a movie that's impossible to look away from, even if you aren't enjoying it and it's not your cup of tea. The Invite isn't a movie many people will feel the urge to rewatch, but it's still so easy to respect it. While the relationship elements are beyond irritating to someone like me who prefers romance or more contained drama, everything about The Invite still works to achieve something that's almost harrowing. But that's just it: it's supposed to achieve these feelings, and it does so effectively.
Starring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton, the film eerily takes place inside Angela and Joe's apartment as she hosts their new neighbors for a dinner night. Things grow complicated when conversations about sex and polyamorous relationships start to arise, driving Angela and Joe to confront their marital troubles. With a sharp screenplay from Rashida Jones, so much of the movie shines because of realistic conversations that make it a dizzying experience throughout.
And if you liked The Invite, there are a few incredible movies that explore relationship dramas in various ways. Here are some of the best ones, streaming on platforms like Prime Video, HBO Max, and more.
Anyone who's seen Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? could likely pinpoint all the different ways in which The Invite draws inspiration from the renowned classic. The added layer of comedy might make it a bit more palatable than the twisted adaptation of Edward Albee's play, but the beats are very much the same in an admirable way. In fact, part of what makes The Invite so tremendous is how it mirrors Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? while it simultaneously does its own thing.
The singular setting, stark character similarities, and relationship troubles that unravel through secrets and honest conversations deep dive into the human psyche in a vertigo-inducing manner makes scenarios both ugly and wildly gripping. It's easy to see just where the heavy parts can result in moments you have to laugh off while you're simultaneously sitting with how losses can terrorize people to no end. It's not just a movie for fans of The Invite to watch, but for anyone who loves enticing narratives with brilliant writing and even more brilliant performances. Elizabeth Taylor's performance is one you'll never forget, even if you only watch the movie once.
As one of the newer releases, like The Invite, A24's The Drama dives into a similar narrative with secrets unraveling right before Robert Pattinson's Charlie and Zendaya's Emma get married. With interesting dynamics surrounding different people and different types of couples, The Drama acts as an intriguing exploration of rights and wrongs alongside secrets and decisions.
It poses questions centered around how well people know each other before they get married, and it delivers a compelling look into romantic relationships. Nothing's sugarcoated as we explore some heavy topics with tremendous nuance and depth to understand people on a deeper level. Everything about The Drama works to deliver one of the best movies of the year. If you couldn't get enough of Pattinson and Zendaya in The Odyssey (2026) and need something to hold you over until Dune: Part III (2026), then look no further.
Marriage Story is also one of the movies that's on the heavier end in terms of how everything unravels in the end, but still, to this day, I'm haunted by the performances that both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson bring to the table. It's tumultuous, dark, and ugly on so many levels, but how they bring to life every emotion so loudly not only feels realistic, but understandable.
What's so riveting about how complex relationships can be and all the different ways that people fight is how they each differentiate. Some people are quieter, while others are louder. Some moments are full of tears, while others are silent gazes. Marriage Story is dramatic at times and maybe too much for some viewers, but it's incredible in how it keeps an expert balance by ensuring that the performances always feel organic and fleshed out.
If A Marriage Story is loud and full of yelling, Malcolm & Marie effectively unravels a relationship through quiet, profound conversations. Also starring Zendaya, it's a remarkable showcase of her talents and an incredible reminder that her range truly knows no bounds. Rich with nuances and set to mirror old film noir, everything about it works to deliver a compelling story that takes place throughout the span of one night.
One of the most appealing details in The Invite is ultimately how so much of the film's climax takes place across a few hours and in one setting. That much is the same with Malcolm & Marie, making it an incredible feast that's both easy to follow and overwhelming in the best way, with all the emotions that come to life. It's my favorite film on this list, and so much of it comes down to the scenes shared between Zendaya and John David Washington as the titular characters.
As another film directed by Olivia Wilde, Don't Worry Darling doesn't have many similarities to The Invite, but it has its riveting moments nevertheless. Namely, it's the performance that delivers an interesting look into caricatures of relationships that are similar to The Stepford Wives (2004).
Its star, Florence Pugh, gives us an exceptional performance, and fan-favorite Harry Styles does, too. It's messy, gritty, and genuinely wild with some of the matters that unfold, making it a movie that you have to watch at least once, and without spoilers.
Starring Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, and Judith Godrèche, The Overnight essentially explores similar themes to sex as The Invite does. With two different couples and honest conversations shared throughout, the comedy showcases an interesting exploration of different experiences and what they look like for people.
It's the perfect dark comedy coupled with relationship woes to satisfy fans looking for a movie that legitimately takes risks and runs with it. It's also one of the more underrated movies on this list that still so many people don't know about today, so now's the perfect time to dive in.
