Fantasy Life Review: Hilariously fun yet lacks depth
Fantasy Life was the film selected for this week's Monday secret screening! In the app, it had accidentally carried over from last week, calling the film a "Monday horror feature", so, funnily enough, the whole runtime I was waiting for the horror to come, and, obviously, it never came, because this is a dramedy. While the film certainly was not a horror film, nor could it live up to the congruently named Level-5 RPG series that is absolutely incredible, Fantasy Life was still a jolly good time at the cinemas. I, Brighton Nelson of the Reel Ranker, am honored that you are reading this Reel Ranker review today.
As always, I like to start with the negative and save the best for last. My least favorite part of this film was easily the lack of plot and character development. Throughout the film's runtime, all the characters are static, and the plot, which is basically "nanny and the mom he's babysitting for get hitched", plays out about as straight as a film can. While there's some family drama and exploration of burnout thrown into the mix, it simply feels like nothing happens in this film. I say this as somebody who enjoys slice-of-life, slow-burn films, but even a comedy should have a little more plot substance. By the end of the film, I was left with a lingering feeling that something was missing. The film ends as abruptly as it began, and it feels like everybody involved is just as miserably unwise as in the beginning. While I know not everyone would consider this a negative, I simply prefer substance over style.
All that being said, the style of this film is impeccable, and debut director and lead actor Matthew Shear is certainly somebody to keep your eye on because this dude has style and talent. His performance as an oafish manchild is one of my favorite performances of the year so far, and his acting is the main reason this film is such a funny and charming experience. Amanda Peet also delivers a wonderful emotional performance that adds weight to the film, contrasting with its tomfoolery. The humor here is unapologetically Jewish and does a phenomenal job of satirizing the first-world problems of rich, white people, with an offbeat charm I loved. While the characters were rather weakly developed, the script and acting were phenomenally done.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 99%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5
While Fantasy Life isn't a new comedy classic due to its weak plotting and lack of narrative or character development, the style, humor, and performances here are some of the best I've seen in recent memory. This is a promising debut effort, and I can't wait to see where Matthew Shear is going next.
Interested in checking out last week's mystery movie experience? One that was actually (kinda) a horror movie? Check it out below!
Brighton Nelson
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