Amanda Peet in NYC Romantic Comedy ‘Fantasy Life’ Official Trailer

by Alex Billington
February 19, 2026
Source: YouTube

“You’re kinda nice to be around.” Greenwich Entertainment has unveiled the official trailer for a smart New York romantic comedy film called Fantasy Life, marking the feature directorial debut of actor Matthew Shear. This quirky, fun indie romcom premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival a year ago – where it won an Audience Award. It also nabbed a Best Ensemble Cast prize at the San Diego Film Festival. After getting laid off, a 30-something paralegal in NYC starts babysitting his psychiatrist’s 3 granddaughters and falls for their mother, an actress in a rocky marriage. Starring Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, and Alessandro Nivola. Shear says this is inspired by his own experiences as a “manny”. Peet is also terrific in the recent Apple TV series “Your Friends & Neighbors”. “I can’t wait for audiences to see her alongside Bob Balaban, Judd Hirsch, Andrea Martin, and Alessandro Nivola—true masters of their craft. I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I loved directing them.” Reviews as mostly good, calling it “a comedy that doesn’t just give Amanda Peet a comeback role but might feature her best screen work to date.” Looks quite sweet.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Matthew Shear’s film Fantasy Life, direct from YouTube:

“I’m so excited to share our trailer for Fantasy Life, my first feature as an actor/writer/director. The film is inspired by my years working as a male nanny for NYC families while navigating a one-third-life crisis and an anxiety disorder. Amanda Peet delivers a deeply personal, funny, and beautiful performance.” –Director Matthew Shear

After losing his job as a paralegal, Sam Stein (Matthew Shear) suffers a panic attack & stumbles into a job babysitting his psychiatrist’s 3 granddaughters. Their mother, Dianne (Amanda Peet), is an actor whose once-promising career has stalled; she’s in a difficult marriage to David, a rock bassist. When David goes abroad on tour, Dianne & Sam discover an easy rapport as well as a shared history of mental illness. Sam joins Dianne’s family to babysit for the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, and he ends up in a house with the woman he pines for, her husband, the three kids, and all four grandparents, including his psychiatrist. Fantasy Life is written and directed by American actor / filmmaker Matthew Shear, making his feature directorial debut with this project. Produced by Amanda Peet, Charlie Alderman, Chris Dodds, Phil Keefe, Emily McCann Lesser, David Bernon, Sam Slater. This initially premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. Greenwich Ent. debuts Shear’s Fantasy Life in select US theaters starting March 27th, 2026 coming soon.

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