You’re Dating a Narcissist!, 2026.
Directed by Ann Marie Allison.
Starring Marisa Tomei, Sherry Cola, Ciara Bravo, Marco Pigossi, José María Yázpik, Lily Donoghue, Kelsey Lea Jones, Judy Kain, Ashley Nichols, Emily Chapman, Dennis Tong, Marcus Emanuel Mitchell, and Jonah Platt.
SYNOPSIS:
An outspoken psychologist rushes to Los Angeles with her best friend to stop her lovesick daughter’s wedding, fearing the groom is a narcissist.
Marisa Tomei’s Judy is a psychological expert in identifying textbook narcissism. So, when she finds out that her 22-year-old daughter Eva (Ciara Bravo) is set to marry a handsome doctor (Marco Pigossi) who seems like a rare unicorn of a man in the short time they have spent together, well, you get the title of cowriter/director Ann Marie Allison’s upside-down rom-com, You’re Dating a Narcissist!.
Initially coming across as a clever premise to deconstruct the romantic comedy genre into something more painfully honest, the film quickly loses track of that idea while seemingly determined not to make any of its characters behave like human beings. This is as predictable as movies get, with characters only saying or doing certain things to benefit whatever needs to happen for the plot at any given moment. Even with Sherry Cola’s Diane, a close friend of Judy’s with relationship woes and self-esteem issues who hasn’t actually read the latter’s lengthy hardcover book on narcissism yet, serving as a comedic grounding device for how extreme the actions become to prove Eva’s fiancé is up to no good, this film is more obnoxious than anything.
Yes, the fiancé says and does the occasional sketchy thing. Sure, it’s also a bit odd that the naïve, aspiring artist played by Ciara Bravo looks much younger than a man that we come to find out has already been engaged once before. However, the script by Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison isn’t concerned with that; rather, it focuses on the idea that this guy is an emotional terrorist or unfaithful, with little reason to back that accusation, regardless of whether they are right.
As a result, what ensues is Judy invading her daughter’s privacy in a myriad of escalating, borderline psychotic ways (a much better film would lean into the question of who the narcissist is here) that are also infuriating since we know the story will eventually vindicate her in some way. It’s a modern movie; of course, there is something shady going on with the fiancé. And even when the story does try to engage with the other side of the coin, that some people are kind without malicious motives, it is serving Judy, who, as you can imagine, has all sorts of personal relationship baggage.
That also wouldn’t be a problem if there were a reason to believe this film had good intentions at all regarding the topics of narcissism and those who get caught in the web for being human and wanting to take a chance on love. It’s not here in this screenplay, which conveniently paints every single character as a trope waiting to be exploited for the sake of an insultingly familiar narrative structure. That’s what makes You’re Dating a Narcissist! irritating and detestable to watch; whatever relatable aspects are here are lost in all the characters not behaving like actual human beings with anything substantial to take away.
The characters and humor are equally broad and empty, with only Sherry Cola coming away unscathed. Maybe if this cartoonishly kooky psychological expert were more fixated on Diane, who is going through something that feels more believable, there would be a story worth telling.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder
