Nicholas Stoller’s career has had its highs and lows, and You’re Cordially Invited is another entry that feels stuck in the middle. The writer-director behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors once had a knack for sharp, self-aware comedy, but his recent films, including Neighbors 2 and Bros, have felt like diminishing returns. His latest, a straight-to-Prime Video release starring Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, had the potential to reignite his creative spark. Unfortunately, while there are glimmers of his old magic, the film ultimately feels too safe and forgettable to leave much of an impact.
There are clear echoes of Forgetting Sarah Marshall throughout—oceanfront setting, a central male character spiraling into emotional distress (Ferrell’s Jim taking on a similar role to Jason Segel’s Peter), and a backdrop of relationship turmoil. But where Stoller’s best work felt fresh, unpredictable, and unafraid to be a little messy, You’re Cordially Invited comes across as overly polished and restrained, as if molded to fit the increasingly bland template of streaming comedies.
The premise revolves around two families who accidentally book weddings at the same venue on the same day. Jim’s daughter Jenni (Geraldine Viswanathan) is set to marry Oliver (Stony Blyden), while Margot’s (Reese Witherspoon) sister Neve (Meredith Hagner) is preparing to wed Dixon (Jimmy Tatro). The two family dynamics bring their own sets of issues—Jim, a widower, is overprotective of Jenni, while Margot and Neve feel disconnected from their judgmental extended relatives. As tensions rise and wedding plans clash, the movie sets up plenty of opportunities for comedic chaos. The problem is, the humor rarely lands with any real impact.
The film’s core conflict—the escalating one-upmanship between the two weddings—should be ripe for big laughs and clever satire. Instead, it leans into the same predictable beats we’ve seen in countless other rom-coms. The energy is more in line with Anyone But You than Stoller’s earlier, more biting comedies, and the result is a film that feels like it’s trying too hard to be culturally relevant while lacking any real bite.
More than anything, You’re Cordially Invited is just… unremarkable. It’s another in a long line of streaming comedies that exist to fill a content quota rather than offer anything particularly fresh or memorable. It’s easy to imagine this doing big numbers on Prime Video, but will anyone still be talking about it in six months? Maybe not even in one.
Score: 5/10
You’re Cordially Invited (2025)
- Cast: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden
- Director: Nicholas Stoller
- Genre: Comedy
- Runtime: 109 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: January 30, 2025
More Movies Starring Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell has starred in the following movies:
- Elf (2003)
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
- Step Brothers (2008)
- Semi-Pro (2008)
- The Other Guys (2010)
- The Lego Movie (2014)
- Spirited (2022)
- Barbie (2023)
- Despicable Me 4 (2024)
- Will & Harper (2024)
- You’re Cordially Invited (2025)
More Movies Starring Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has starred in the following movies:
- Pleasantville (1998)
- Election (1999)
- American Psycho (2000)
- Legally Blonde (2001)
- Walk the Line (2005)
- Inherent Vice (2014)
- Sing (2016)
- Sing 2 (2021)
- You’re Cordially Invited (2025)
More Movies Directed by Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller has directed the following movies:
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
- Get Him to the Greek (2010)
- Neighbors (2014)
- Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
- Bros (2022)
- You’re Cordially Invited (2025)