'Your Friends & Neighbors' Star's New Movie Is a Charming Romantic Comedy You Can't Miss

Matthew Shear, known for his collaborations with Noah Baumbach, recently made a confident directorial debut.

His movie, Fantasy Life, is an intimate, smart, and deeply human romantic comedy about people who have lost their bearings and are trying to find their way again.

What Is 'Fantasy Life' About?

Sam, a young lawyer, unexpectedly loses his job. His growing anxiety about the future leads him to a therapist named Fred who prescribes medication and offers Sam an unexpected part-time job.

Fred's wife, citing their long-standing relationship, asks the unemployed lawyer to babysit their three granddaughters. The girls' mother, Dianne, is a former popular actress who is now experiencing professional and personal crises. She has a complicated relationship with her husband, David, a struggling musician.

A part-time job turns into a full-time job. Sam surprisingly connects well with the children and then with their mother. Things spiral out of control when the extended family gathers in a country house.

'Your Friends & Neighbors' Actress Amanda Peet Added Her Own Experiences to the 'Fantasy Life' Script

Amanda Peet's involvement in the movie, both as the lead actress and as a producer, certainly enhances it. Some details of her character's biography are inspired by the actress's real-life experiences.

Peet hasn't acted in films in a long time either, having devoted herself to television series and her role as showrunner. Fantasy Life includes stories from the life of a mother of three and wife of Game of Thrones creator David Benioff.

For example, Peet is often mistaken for actress Lake Bell on the street and asked for an autograph.

Peet worries that her daughters don't realize that she was once destined for a great career. By co-writing the script, Peet brought the character of Dianne to life, addressing the issue of female aging in the industry and the quiet disappearance of actresses from the public eye.

'Fantasy Life' Is a Tender Story About Unfulfilled Expectations & the Reality of Growing Up

Fantasy Life is a movie about people who have lost their bearings – Sam lost his job due to excessive anxiety that no medication can alleviate, Dianne has lost the number of offers that once made her a star due to the passage of time.

Even Dianne's musician husband, David, who is finally touring with his favorite band, seems to be mechanically reproducing a way of life that has long since lost its meaning.

Each main character exists within their own self-myth and gradually discovers the gap between the imagined and the real.

Matthew Shear doesn't offer exhaustive answers or promise unconditional happiness. Instead, he focuses on a more modest outcome: the ability to acknowledge one's confusion and learn to live with it.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Fantasy Life'?

• Fantasy Life has 81% from critics and 66% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, Fantasy Life scored 3.0/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Fantasy Life'?

Fantasy Life is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.