FANTASY LIFE
(director/writer: Matthew Shear; cinematographer: Conor Murphy; editor: Ian Blume; music: Christopher Bear; cast: Amanda Peet (Dianne), Matthew Shear (Sam Stein), Alessandro Nivola (David Finman), Judd Hirsch (Fred Finman), Bob Balaban (Lenny Cohen), Andrea Martin (Helen Finman), Zosia Mamet (Jenny), Jessica Harper (Toby Seltzer), Holland Taylor (Dr. Mary Greene), Sheng Wang (Alan Yu), Claire (Callie Santoro), Emma (Riley Vinson), Zoe (Romy Fay); Runtime: 91; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Charlie Alderman, Chris Dodds, Phil Keefe, Amanda Peet, Emily McCann Lesser, David Bernon, Sam Slater; Greenwich Entertainment; 2025)
“Funny Gen X rom/com about loneliness and mental health issues.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The actor Matthew Shear in his feature film debut directs-writes-stars in this funny Gen X rom/com about loneliness and mental health issues.
After fired by his NYC law firm as a paralegal tax lawyer, the neurotic Sam Stein (Matthew Shear) is treated by the shrink, Fred Finman (Judd Hirsch), for his anxiety issues. Fred’s wife Helen (Andrea Martin), who knows him from childhood, sees him in the waiting room and asks him to babysit for her three female grandchildren Claire (Callie Santoro), Emma (Riley Vinson), and Zoe (Romy Fay). Their middle-aged former actress mom Dianne (Amanda Peet) and their musician father David (Alessandro Nivola) both like him enough to keep him as their nanny. Diane’s father Lenny (Bob Balaban) can’t stand him for being so awkward and nervous.
David, who yearns to be a rock star, goes on a rock tour to Australia for three months with a big-time band playing in their back-up band. This gives the insecure Sam and the frustrated Dianne, a pair of lost souls, a chance to become close but not romantic (though they kiss once). In the meantime, the out-of-work actress, with mental health issues, decides to try and make a comeback acting.
The best sketch has the misfit nanny, David, minding the girls on a Martha’s Vineyard family vacation, where he seems content living out a fantasy life as he pretends to be a married family man.
The good performances by the two leads makes it watchable, with Peet’s performance being super.
It played at the SXSW Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 4/16/2026 GRADE: B-
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