Film

Dreamland

Name: Dreamland
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Released: 2016
Cast: Johnny Simmons, Amy Landecker, Beverly D'Angelo, Frankie Shaw, Alan Ruck

Other titles called Dreamland: the 2019 film.

A wry romantic comedy about a middle-aged pianist whose affair with a younger woman spirals into messy, unglamorous territory. It's genuinely funny about adult desire and self-deception, with Jason Schwartzman stealing scenes. For people who like their romance complicated and their comedies grounded in real discomfort.

TMDb rating

2.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like small, slightly melancholy comedies where a middling pianist's quiet bad decisions are played with a straight face and a light touch.

Skip it if you need a brisk plot or a tidy moral, because this one drifts at an unhurried pace and leaves its emotional questions loosely tied.

What it asks of you: Short at 89 minutes, but slow in its scenes, it wants patience with quiet moments and a willingness to stay with an uncomfortable premise rather than laugh it off.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Please Give2010

Catherine Keener navigates marital guilt and quiet desperation with the same tender awkwardness that makes Dreamland work. Both films find comedy in how badly adults rationalize their choices.

But It's deliberately low-key and moves slowly; there's no cathartic resolution, just people learning to live with themselves.

Sideways2004

Two middle-aged men confront their failures and desires across California wine country. Like Dreamland, it's funny precisely because the characters are flawed and self-aware enough to know it.

But It's long and sometimes meandering; the melancholy can outstay its welcome if you're after lighter comedy.

The Intervention2016

A ensemble comedy about adults in couples therapy, equally interested in how people sabotage themselves romantically. Sharp writing and a cast that commits to awkwardness over punchlines.

But The ensemble cast means less time with any one character; it can feel scattered if you prefer focused storytelling.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dreamland

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Lobster2015

Both centre on adult desire as a comic and desperate negotiation. Dreamland is realist, Lobster is fable, but both find the same existential panic beneath the mess.

Yorgos Lanthimos remakes desire as absurdist parable: single people have 45 days to find a mate or become animals. It's hilarious, strange, and completely serious about how we rationalize romantic compromise.

But It's deliberately artificial and bleak; the surrealism frustrates viewers who want emotional realism. It's also relentlessly odd—nothing like conventional film grammar.

Appropriate Behavior2015

Desiree Akhavan writes and stars in a brainy comedy about relationships and self-sabotage that finds hilarity in honest emotional mess. Tart and genuinely smart.

But It's deliberately provocative and sometimes crude; some viewers find that tone jarring in intimate relationship stories.

Bumblebee2018

If you want something lighter but still emotionally grounded: a surprisingly sincere film about connection and loneliness, with humour that serves character rather than gags.

But It's a Transformers film; if you have franchise fatigue, the premise alone will keep you away.

The Good Place2016

Premiered the same year. Genre-playful writing about morality, connection, and how people rationalize their behaviour. Genuinely funny while treating its characters with respect.

But Network TV sensibility means some jokes land safer than others; it's charming rather than cutting-edge.

Happy Christmas2014

Joe Swanberg's mumblecore take on family dysfunction and adult irresponsibility, shot almost casually. If you like uncomfortable realism in your comedy, it's essential.

But It's shot on a micro budget with overlapping dialogue and long silences; some find it tedious rather than truthful.

The Exploding Girl2010

A quiet film about how quietly relationships fray and people make small, devastating choices. Mood over plot, but the mood is worth sitting with.

But Almost nothing happens; if you need structure and stakes, this will feel like nothing. It's genuinely minimal.

Tokyo Story1953

Both are comedies about adults avoiding honest conversation. Ozu finds the profound in quotidian failure; Dreamland finds the funny. Same emotional archaeology, different eras.

Ozu's masterpiece about an aging couple visiting their son: profound, patient, and frequently hilarious about how family and marriage actually feel. Revolutionary in asking nothing but attention.

But It's 1953 Japanese cinema in real time—no plot momentum, minimal music, static camera. If you need propulsion, this will feel like watching paint dry very slowly.

You're the Worst2014

Both understand that romantic comedy can live in moral ambiguity. You're the Worst is sustained over seasons; Dreamland is a feature-length snapshot. Same refusal to make anyone the villain.

A TV series (five seasons) about two selfish, damaged people in a relationship, funny because it never lets them off the hook. Genuinely great writing about how people sabotage intimacy.

But It's darker and meaner than Dreamland; the characters hurt each other deliberately. If you want warmth or growth, this will feel punishing for long stretches.