A conversation between two neighboring couples at a dinner party turns into something far more unexpected and challenging, as the couples are forced to confront the most uncomfortable and hilarious truths.

One of the funniest movies to come out in years, Olivia Wilde’s The Invite is lifted by its leading performances and exploration of ideas in its clever one-location setting. The concept may be something we’re no strangers to, but the fleshed-out couple dynamics, hilarious dialogue, and plot turns make this one quite worth the time and enjoyment. Seth Rogen is giving one of his best performances as a man who counters every situation with honesty, while Wilde’s character is the opposite, her night driven entirely by the gratification of social approval. Edward Norton greatly stands out as someone whose demeanor is perhaps what we’d consider eccentric, but his outlook on people is liberating and free of judgment. Penelope Cruz also gets the chance to show how funny she is, but her character is also the most emotionally intelligent of the bunch.

Though the jokes often come at a rapid pace and deliver laugh-out-loud payoffs, every character remains deeply empathetic, not necessarily despite their flaws or destructiveness, but rather because of them, portraying relationships with a complexity that can be discussed, as well as the multifaceted nature of humans themselves.

Charlie and Emma are happily engaged when a sudden turn of events sends their wedding week, and their entire circle, into chaos.

Rarely do those films come when a few minutes in, something happens that sends your jaw to the floor, and it stays there until the credits roll. When they do, it’s quite an experience to behold, and The Drama is a shocking, hysterical and unsettling example of that. Kristoffer Borgli’s follow-up to the brilliantly absurd Dream Scenario is far more real, far more us, in the way we might be too afraid to admit. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson’s castings play so well to their characters, but the film strips down their “star power” and the actors go to the boldest and ugliest depths of their characters. Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie also round out the excellent casting, while Hailey Benton Gates is brilliant in a standout supporting role that’s nearly as transfixing as the two leads.

Borgli, who also edited the film, creates meaning in every cut, line, and even joke, with all the elements resonating in a thrilling and charged film that’s not really like anything I’ve seen before it. The film is deeply provocative in its themes that I haven’t seen almost any film approach so corageously and in such a necessary way. It’s about so many things, from the ease at which we judge, degrade, and turn on one another, to American society’s reward of excess towards human violence and suffering. It’s sure to generate conversation — including many important ones — for audiences who are able to stomach the bluntness by which it approaches its almost terrifying subject matter. It’s best to go in blind to The Drama but its unpredictable discomfort are also its hilarity and captivation by which your eyes are glued to the screen.

Architect Theo Rose and his wife, chef Ivy Rose, live a seemingly perfect life with their two children, until buried resentments start to surface and threaten to destroy the marriage and lives they’ve worked so hard to build.

An amusing update of The War of the Roses, this film retains a similar basic premise but takes a much humbler, less slapstick tone to feel distinct from that previous film which famously saw Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner butting heads as the titular couple as their marriage hideously crashed and burned. Here, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman are the “perfect” pair who make the film worth watching. Cumberbatch shines as a man struggling to find steam and purpose after losing it all professionally, while Colman’s performance as relatively restrained compared to some of her others, but still kills it while matching his smugness. The film has its good laughs, and does justice to some of its great supporting players including Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon. The first hour tends to drag in the writing, but once it gets to the main point over halfway in, it gets fun. The film works best when highlighting the rockiness in the seemingly best of marriages, and when allowing its two leads to trade insults and threats and try to bring one another down with the sinking ship.

Celine Song enlists big names and a larger budget for her second feature after the Earth-shattering Past Lives, but this feels like a Celine Song movie first and never compromises for a more mainstream rom-com approach. In fact, despite some great humorous moments and consistent wit from its characters, the movie hardly feels like a comedy, rather a deep and patient romantic drama. Dakota Johnson finds herself in another hard-hitting role among some of her best like Cha Cha Real Smooth and The Peanut Butter Falcon. Her journey is flawed yet always sympathetic. Chris Evans also gives one of his most heartfelt turns in a long time, with the part of John here fitting him like a glove. Pedro Pascal also has some irresistible scenes with Johnson and the dialogue Song gives him to work with really stands out.

The film dissects how modern superficial worldviews complicate the once-simple idea of love and relationships, while romance and love can sometimes not be more different. Song is an expert at rhythmic and sophisticated dialogue, and builds a quiet and meditative atmosphere with a lovely 35mm film look and Daniel Pemberton’s strong score. There may be more than a few films that tackle similar ideas of love and, well, materialism, but it’s only through Song’s words and style that Materialists works so intimately and profoundly.