New releases · Film
New films: Mesto otcov, Wildwood and The Invite
A search for family roots, a forest rescue and a fraught dinner party feature in this week's film roundup. Cinema releases sit alongside Olivia Wilde's comedy on HBO Max.
A roundup of new releases and their reviews. We have not seen, heard or read the works ourselves: the verdicts are those of the critics cited.
This week's selection pairs two cinema releases with Olivia Wilde's dinner-party comedy on HBO Max.
- Mesto otcov: Zdeněk Tyc's family-roots drama opens in cinemas on 29 October.
- Wildwood: Travis Knight's Laika stop-motion rescue adventure is in cinemas.
- The Invite: Olivia Wilde's two-couple comedy reached HBO Max on 23 October.
For the week of 29 October 2026, the cinema lineup includes Zdeněk Tyc's Mesto otcov and Travis Knight's Wildwood, following very different searches for missing family connections. On HBO Max, Olivia Wilde's The Invite arrived on 23 October, bringing together two couples for a dinner party that critics describe as uncomfortable, funny and unexpectedly affecting.321
Slovakia and Czechia
This week's Slovak and Czech selection is Mesto otcov, also titled Město otců. Its central character's questions concern both his parentage and his own identity: according to the Slovenský filmový ústav's synopsis, a death in the family sends him looking for answers among men who might be his father.3
Mesto otcov
Zdeněk Tyc's film opens in cinemas on 29 October. The Slovenský filmový ústav describes it as a present-day drama about Richard, a comfortably situated man whose efforts to establish a closer relationship with his mother do not succeed. After she dies, uncertainty about his father's identity prompts him to investigate his origins.3
The institute's account follows Richard as he meets possible fathers and considers which of their qualities he might share. That inquiry also turns inward, as he examines himself alongside the people who might explain his background. Roman Vojkůvka wrote the story and screenplay, with cinematography by Tomáš Kresta and editing by Máté Csuport. The institute also lists a world premiere at MFF Karlove Vary in 2026, preceding this cinema release.3
International
The international selection moves between a stop-motion journey and a live-action gathering of neighbours. Wildwood is available in cinemas; The Invite is on HBO Max. Their premises place the characters in very different situations: one involves rescuing a kidnapped sibling, while the other begins with invitations to dinner and conflicting intentions about what needs discussing.21
Wildwood
Travis Knight directs this stop-motion adventure from Laika, based on a novel by Colin Meloy. The story follows Prue, a girl who enters a mysterious forest to find and rescue her kidnapped younger brother. The cinema release marks Knight's return to hand-crafted animation, with the rescue mission providing the starting point for its fantasy narrative.2
The Invite
Released on HBO Max on 23 October, The Invite is directed by Olivia Wilde, who also plays Angela opposite Seth Rogen's Joe. Joe is a former musician now teaching music at a small liberal arts college. Their dinner guests are neighbours Piña, a therapist played by Penélope Cruz, and Hawk, a former firefighter played by Edward Norton.1
The hosts approach the evening with different grievances in mind: Angela intends to apologise for renovation noise, while Joe wants an apology for the neighbours' noisy sex. Will McCormack and Rashida Jones wrote the screenplay, adapting The People Upstairs, the Spanish film directed by Cesc Gay that originated as a stage play.1
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