The Invite Puts 1-in-5 Non-Monogamy Experience on Screen in Heterosexual Polyamory Romcom
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
The Invite Puts 1-in-5 Non-Monogamy Experience on Screen in Heterosexual Polyamory Romcom
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Summary
Olivia Wilde’s The Invite centers a married man-woman couple exploring non-monogamy, presenting heterosexual polyamory as a lived relationship option rather than a cautionary tale.
The film arrives as alternative relationships gain visibility: one in five people in the US and Canada have experience with non-monogamy, while UK surveys show a third of heterosexual men and 11% of women are open to multiple long-term partners.
Esther Perel consulted on the project, and the story uses comedy and thriller tension to explain concepts such as compersion and preference sheets without turning the film into a how-to manual.
Ruby Rare of dating app Feeld says screen portrayals shape public understanding: 27% of people outside the app’s community see alternative relationships as normal, versus 72% within it.
The broader shift is cultural as much as cinematic, with the film arguing that monogamy no longer has to be the only default ending for mainstream romance.