This weekend we’re getting a slew of films opening in limited release. Below is my take on the new films that might be playing at a theater near you. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Fantasy Life (Limited)
Starring: Matthew Shear, Amanda Peet, and Alessandro Nivola
Synopsis: This new comedy comes from Shear, who serves as the writer, director, and the star. In it, he plays Sam, a man going through a crisis. That crisis led him to drop out of law school, and while he’s with his therapist (Judd Hirsch), he finds a new job opportunity—watching the children of his therapist’s son (Nivola), whose marriage to an actress (Peet) is on the rocks. Can Sam get himself together and make this opportunity work? What happens when he has a connection to the actress? Those are the focus of this film, which is just 90 minutes but still feels a bit too long because of its lack of structure and direction. Shear is a decent actor but it’s hard to tell where this wants to go. The story feels a bit meandering and then sort of ends. I expected a little something more from the narrative or at least some more of an arc for Sam. I did enjoy Peet, who shines in her scenes. There is some potential in this kind of grounded, slice-of-life comedy. There’s enough about this appeal that might draw an audience, but this didn’t quite work for me.
Rating: Rated R for language, some sexual references and brief drug use.

Kontinental ’25 (Limited)
Starring: Eszter Tompa
Synopsis: This new film comes from writer/director Radu Jude, who has developed a reputation for creative, unique, and edgy explorations of the world and politics. In this film, we follow a bailiff in Transylvania (Tompa) who is asked to serve an eviction notice. She offers some time for the individual to clear out, but when she returns, he’s hung himself, feeling out of options. While she’s not legally responsible, the events of what happen weigh on her as she begins to think differently about her life, work, and the world around her. This is a weighty kind of topic. Through a series of encounters and conversations after the incident, our bailiff explores the struggles of culture, ideology, politics, the homeless crisis, and religion. It is a fascinating exploration through the eyes of one woman who is trying to come to grips with a tragic event. This feels different that some of Jude’s other films. It feels more straightforward, but also a little more meandering. It brings up some big ideas and at times borders on something profound. But as it draws to a close, it’s hard to tell what Jude wants us to take away from the film. Perhaps the exercise is just to get the audience to consider these ideas. But when it all ended, I wanted a bit more of a resolution, or at least a direction, for this open-ended search.
Rating: NA

You’re Dating a Narcissist (Limited)
Starring: Marissa Tomei, Sherry Cola, and Ciara Bravo
Synopsis: This new comedy focuses on a psychologist and professor, Judy (Tomei), who has dedicated her career to pointing out the behavior of narcissists. She had a bad relationship in the past that left her broken and focused on spreading her message. When her daughter, Eva (Bravo), has met a new man and gotten quickly engaged, she fears her daughter is repeating her mistakes. Along with her friend Diane (Cola), who has some issues with a narcissist of her own, Judy heads to meet her daughter’s new boyfriend and convince her to use caution. This is something of a standard set up for this kind of comedy. I enjoy Tomei and I was curious to see how this comedy would work, especially with a back-and-forth with Cola that’s fun. There are some fun moments, but this has somewhat of a predictable arc, especially as it comes to the final act. Fans of the genre will enjoy this film for what it is, but I hoped it might have some more depth. Still, it’s worth checking out for Tomei and Cola.
Rating: NA

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.