Actualités

While the premise of a heartwarming holiday-themed comedy would seemingly write itself, finding the right approach for a Christmas film has proven to be a surprising challenge. There are certainly Christmas classics like “Die Hard,” “It’s A Wonderful Life,” or “Miracle on 34th Street” that warrant rewatches on a yearly basis, but the industry has struggled to add new entries to this canon. It’s easy for these holiday films to either feel too saccharine or completely cynical, with little room in between. Although it’s unclear if “The Baltimorons” (2025) will age as well as “Home Alone” or “Eyes Wide Shut,” it’s one of the few recent examples of a Christmas film that understands why the holidays make for an interesting setting.

“The Baltimorons” stars Michael Strassner as the former improv comedian Cliff Casher, who has managed to stay sober for six months after a suicide attempt. Although Cliff’s relationship with his fiancée,...

"Where are we going with this, kid?" "I have no idea... I just really like you." Awww, such a cutie. IFC Films has debuted the official trailer for an indie comedy underrated fave called The Baltimorons, directed by Jay Duplass (of the Duplass Brothers), and co-written by actor / comedian Michael Strassner. This first premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, and also just played at the Nantucket, Munich, and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals as well. After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve in chilly Baltimore, newly sober improv comedian Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi, his emergency dentist. The film has kooky, offbeat humor and strangely alluring vibes similar to Harold & Maude, but also with heaps of charm thanks to the connection between Cliff and Didi. They're so fun together. The Baltimorons stars Michael Strassner, Liz Larsen, and Olivia Luccardi, with Rob Phoenix as an improv comedian.

After a flurry of features directing with his brother Mark Duplass from 2005’s The Puffy Chair to 2012’s The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, Jay Duplass is now helming his first solo feature. This year’s The Baltimorons stars Michael Strassner (who co-wrote the script with Duplass), Liz Larsen, and Olivia Luccardi. Acclaimed since its SXSW premiere, it’ll now get a release from IFC starting on September 5, and the first trailer and poster have arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “On Christmas Eve, Cliff, a newly sober improv comedian, cracks a tooth and lands in the emergency care of Didi, an older no-nonsense dentist. What begins as a routine check-up sparks an unpredictable evening of misadventures. Together, Cliff and Didi fight to overcome being shut out by their families, face their biggest fears, and discover their own surprising and tender connection.”

John Fink said in his review, “A return to form for Jay Duplass,...

Jay Duplass gets behind the camera as a feature film director for the first time since 2012’s “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon” for 2025 SXSW Audience Award winner “The Baltimorons.” Set on Christmas Eve, the whirlwind May-December romance stars Michael Strassner (who also co-wrote the film with Duplass) and Liz Larsen as a dental patient and his dentist amid an unexpected holiday-season crisis. The charming romantic comedy opens in September, and IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer and more details below.

Here’s the official synopsis courtesy of distributor Independent Film Company: “‘The Baltimorons’ follows the newly sober Cliff (Michael Strassner) on an unexpected May/December adventure through Baltimore with Didi (Liz Larsen), his emergency dentist, after he cracks a tooth on Christmas Eve. While they can’t seem to solve their own problems, Cliff and Didi are uniquely equipped to help the other; Cliff longs to get back on stage with his improv...

One of 2024's best horror novels is getting the film treatment, and seems to be on the fast track to development after recently casting its young lead. Written by Josh Malerman (Bird Box), Incidents Around the House is set to be retitled to Other Mommy when it hits the big screen in 2026 thanks to Universal and Atomic Monster, the same company behind 2021's Mortal Kombat and its upcoming sequel.

Per Deadline, eight-year-old Arabella Olivia Clark (Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere) has snagged the lead in Other Mommy, taking on the role of Bela, the novel's protagonist. Directed by Rob Savage from a screenplay by Nathan Elston, she joins previously announced cast members Jessica Chastain, Jay Duplass and Dichen Lachman.

Published on June 25, 2024, Incidents Around the House received high praise from fans and critics at the time of its release thanks to its unique structure, as the novel is told from...

Ben Stiller is not a standup comedian — and that’s Ok.

At the 30th annual Nantucket Film Festival, Stiller assembled a group of comedy all-stars, as he has for the years, to discuss their journeys and share career insights while cracking up the auditorium audience.

This year, Stiller shared that he was “dead set against” a comedy career because it’s what his parents did, and an early attempt at standup in his teens pretty much killed that particular interest. The bit focused on New York City’s alternate side parking policy, and he even performed a version for festival-goers and his fellow panelists.

Obviously, comedy found its way to Stiller one way or another, but not on the path taken by the panel’s improvisers Amber Ruffin and Zach Cherry, or standups Iliza Shlesinger, Michael Ian Black, and Mae Martin. Shlesinger was working a desk job and asked her...

Jay Duplass and the acclaimed documentary filmmakers behind “Boys State” and “Girls State” emerged big winners at this year’s Nantucket Film Festival.

Awards were handed out Monday at the 30th installment of the intimate island affair. The Duplass-directed “The Baltimorons” took the narrative feature audience award. Written by Duplass and Michael Strassner, the film follows an unlikely connection between a sober man and his emergency dentist. Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s “Middletown,” about a high school class exposed to an environmental disaster in the ’90s, took the documentary feature audience award.

“This year’s festival was a vibrant celebration of cinema and storytelling over the last thirty years. From ground-breaking independent features to thought-provoking documentaries, we are proud to continue to offer the Nantucket audience diverse stories that reflect the tapestry of the island,” said executive director Mystelle Brabbée and lead programmer Anita Raswant.

In the shorts category,...

Stellan Skarsgård will receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema at the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Skarsgård will also present his latest film, Joachim Trier’s quiet stunner “Sentimental Value,” which won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Vicky Krieps will also receive the President’s Award. Johnson will present her two latest films, Michael Angelo Covino’s hilarious “Splitsville” and Celine Song’s deconstructed rom-com “Materialists,” while Sarsgaard presents the underrated 2003 journalism drama “Shattered Glass” and Krieps her new drama “Love Me Tender.”

Among many other attendees, there will also be American director, actor, and screenwriter Jay Duplass who will presents his latest bittersweet comedy “The Baltimorons,” French actress Camille Cottin who will present the world premiere of her film “Out of Love,” Hungarian director Bence Fliegau who will be there...

A film from Iran that has been kept secret so far to ensure the safety of its delegation, along with Dakota Johnson, Stellan Skarsgård, Peter Sarsgaard and Vicky Krieps, has joined the lineup for the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff).

Known as a popular stop on the film festival circuit for many stars, Karlovy Vary had previously already unveiled a visit from Michael Douglas this year.

The 12th and final film of this year’s Karlovy Vary Crystal Globe main competition program is Iran’s Bidad from director Soheil Beiraghi, which tells the story of young singer Seti who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. “In defiance of her country’s religious laws, she decides to sing in the street,” according to a synopsis. “Her performances quickly gain in popularity, and Seti becomes a star...

The 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) will feature key Cannes Film Festival winners in its Horizons section and a selection of action and horror movies, both new and older, for its revamped Midnight Screenings program under the new name “Afterhours.”

In a lineup update unveiled on Friday, Kviff said it will this year screen more than 130 feature films in the picturesque Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary.

The Horizons lineup, which traditionally features highlights from the festival circuit of the past year, includes the likes of Jay Duplass’ The Baltimorons, Tom Shoval’s A Letter to David, Michel Franco’s Dreams, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr., Mary Bronstein‘s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Ira Sachs’ Peter Hujar’s Day, Sergei Loznitsa’s Two Prosecutors, Jafar Panahi‘s Cannes Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident, and fellow Cannes...

Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are producing the adaptation (which may or may not end up using the title) Incidents Around the House, in association with Spin a Black Yarn for Universal Pictures. Atomic Monster’s James Wan is producing, with Savage and Malerman serving as executive producers alongside Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher, and Ryan Lewis. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster. Succession writer Nathan Elston is writing the screenplay.

Last month, news broke that Jessica Chastain will be starring in the film with The Boogeyman director, Rob Savage, helming the project. Savage will direct from a script adapted from the novel by Bird Box author Josh Malerman. According to Deadline, Chastain’s co-star in the film will be filmmaker Jay Duplass, who can currently be seen in the series Dying for Sex. Jay Duplass and his brother, Mark Duplass, are prolific indie filmmakers.

Exclusive: Emmy-winning actor-filmmaker Jay Duplass (Dying for Sex) is set to star opposite Jessica Chastain in Rob Savage’s new film for Universal Pictures, an adaptation of the recent horror novel Incidents Around the House by Bird Box‘s Josh Malerman.

Released last June, the book centers on eight-year-old Bela, who lives in a home strained by her parents’ troubled marriage, only to see her life further upended by a sinister entity she calls “Other Mommy.” When this malevolent presence emerges from her closet, persistently asking, “Can I go inside your heart?”, Bela refuses. But soon, Other Mommy’s manifestations become increasingly aggressive, threatening the safety of Bela’s family.

Adapted for the screen by Nathan Elston (Succession), the film is being produced by Atomic Monster/Blumhouse in association with Malerman’s Spin a Black Yarn. James Wan is producing, with Alayna Glasthal overseeing for his Atomic Monster. Exec producers include Michael Clear,...

IFC Entertainment Group Has Its Biggest Opening Weekend Ever With Clown In A Cornfield: "IFC Entertainment Group had its biggest opening weekend box office success ever with the release of Eli Craig’s Clown In A Cornfield, which grossed $3.6 million at the U.S. box office. The Rlje / Shudder film, which opened as the #1 new film in the US and 5th overall, lands the Group’s Rlje division its highest grosser to date and the Group’s widest theatrical opening, on 2,277 screens.

Clown In A Cornfield’s opening weekend broke records for IFC Entertainment Group, surpassing its 2024 success Late Night With The Devil’s box office opening of $2.8 million, and In A Violent Nature’s theatrical opening with 1,496 theaters last year.

“To say we are thrilled with the tremendous response to Eli Craig’s witty and playful adaptation of Adam Cesare’s chart-topping novel would be an understatement,” said...

The beloved annual Provincetown International Film Festival (Piff) is having a big moment with its buzzy 2025 lineup. IndieWire can announce that leading horror auteur Ari Aster will be honored with the Filmmaker on the Edge title at the festival, which will take place from June 11 to 15 in Provincetown, Ma.

Aster will be in Provincetown to receive the award and participate in conversation with resident artist John Waters on Saturday, June 14, ahead of the nationwide release of his new film “Eddington” on July 18. The secretive 2020-set dark comedy “Eddington” will debut at Cannes; the feature reunites Aster with his “Beau Is Afraid” star Joaquin Phoenix, as well as Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Luke Grimes, Clifton Collins Jr., and more.

“Ari Aster’s films weave grief, beauty and dread into unforgettable cinematic experiences,” Anne Hubbell, Piff’s Executive Director, said in a press statement. “We’re excited to welcome Ari...

IFC Films is rebranding to Independent Film Company (IFC) with a new logo and a renamed parent, IFC Entertainment Group, taking on a higher profile within AMC Networks.

The 25-year-old New York-based distributor also revealed a new a customized audio logo created by Adam “Adrock” Horovitz of the Beastie Boys.

IFC Entertainment Group — previously the AMC Networks Entertainment Group — formalizes the integrated structure of AMC Networks’ four distinct film verticals helmed by Scott Shooman, including Independent Film Company, IFC Center, Rlje, and the premiere horror streamer Shudder. The brands will continue to operate with a “synergistic” approach acros the AMC Networks ecosystem.

“IFC Films is synonymous with taste and terrific curation. With our brand refresh, we are taking the storied foundation of quality, filmmaker first cinema and giving it a fresh face for the evolving filmgoing audience,” said Shooman. “We are also proud to establish IFC Entertainment Group to further...

New York-based IFC Films announced on Tuesday that it is rebranding as Independent Film Company (IFC) andwill operate under the newly named umbrella IFC Entertainment Group.

The group integrates AMC Networks’ four distinct film divisions led by head of IFC Entertainment Group Scott Shooman: Independent Film Company, IFC Center, Rlje, and horror streamer Shudder.

Each brand will continue to operate in a synergistic approach. Shooman told Screen the emphasis will continue to be on curating “the cream of the crop”, adding: “This is an extension of what we’ve been doing for a long time and reinvigorating it with...

IFC Films, the company behind such major indie releases as “Boyhood,” “The Death of Stalin” and “Y Tu Mamá También,” is undergoing a rebrand. As IFC Films prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, it will now be known as the Independent Film Company (IFC). As part of the overhaul, the company revealed a new logo and a customized audio logo created by Adam “Adrock” Horovitz of the Beastie Boys. The rebrand comes as IFC prepares to hit the Cannes Film Festival, where it will be in the market for movies.

Independent Film Company will fall under a newly named umbrella of IFC Entertainment Group, which will continue to be run by Scott Shooman. The hope is to more tightly integrate the four film verticals that are owned and operated by IFC’s parent company, AMC Networks. The group includes Independent Film Company, as well as IFC Center, which is the company’s theater business; Rlje,...

Previous | Image 1 of 4 | NextLiz Larsen of ‘The Baltimorons’

Chicago – The 2025 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) is off and running after Opening Night on May 2nd with the comedy film “The Baltimorons.’ Attending the Red Carpet were director/co-writer Jay Duplass, and featured actors Michael Strassner (also co-writer) and Liz Larsen. The Ccff continues through May 7th, for complete schedule and appearances, click 2025 Ccff for tickets and schedule.

In “The Baltimorons,” Michael Strassner is Cliff, newly sober and dealing with a cracked tooth on Christmas Eve. Finding emergency dentist Didi (Liz Larsen), the connection results in an unexpected May/December adventure through the City of Baltimore. Director Jay Duplass is a veteran filmmaker, who with his brother Mark began in the “mumblecore” movement of the early 2000s, and Jay has since expanded to TV/streaming and acting (“Transparent”).

Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com captured the director and his stars on...

Jay Duplass couldn’t help himself.

The 52-year-old New Orleans native — best known for his creative collaborations with his younger brother Mark and acting roles in Amazon’s “Transparent” and FX’s “Dying for Sex” — had been working on a script for a film with a bigger budget and scope than the low-budget comedies that put his and his sibling’s names on the map. Then he connected with Michael Strassner, an actor-comedian he discovered via his comic Instagram videos, and the creative dominoes fell. In short order, he found himself braving the December cold in Maryland directing “The Baltimorons,” about a six-months-sober improv comedian (Strassner), who cracks a tooth on Christmas Eve and spontaneously embarks on a night of adventure and unexpected romance with his dentist (Liz Larsen).

“I felt tremendous untapped potential energy,” Duplass told the audience at the Fremont Theater on Sunday, where he was honored with...

Chicago – The 2025 Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) kicks off on Friday, May 2nd, at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre with ‘The Baltimorons’ … director Jay Duplass and cast members Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen to appear.

The 2025 Ccff runs May 2nd-7th

Photo credit: ChicagoCriticsFilmFestival.com

The 12th edition of the Ccff is the the only such festival in the country curated by film critics, and highlights the 2025 films from the early year festivals like Sundance, SXSW and others. Opening Night will also feature “Lurker,” directed by Alex Russell and “Best Wishes to All” by Yuta Shinto. The Spotlight film will be A24’s “Sorry, Baby,” with an appearance by director Eva Victor, and the Closing Night Film is Angus MacLachlan’s “A Little Prayer” on Thursday, May 7th. For the complete schedule and appearances, click 2025 Ccff for tickets and schedule.

In “The Baltimorons,” Michael Strassner is Cliff, newly sober...

IFC Films and Sapan Studio have acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to the “The Baltimorons,” a new comedy from director Jay Duplass. The deal follows the film’s premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Narrative Spotlight. IFC Films plans to release “The Baltimorons” in theaters later this year.

The film marks Jay Duplass’ return to feature filmmaking for the first time in over a decade — a period that’s seen him appear in shows like “Transparent” and the new Michelle Williams series “Dying for Sex.” His last feature as a director was 2012’s “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon.”

“The Baltimorons” was produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, co-written by Duplass and Michael Strassner, and stars Strassner, Liz Larsen and Olivia Luccardi. According to the official plot description: “After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve, newly sober Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi,...

The legendary songwriter Diane Warren — the woman behind countless hit tunes including “How Do I Live,” “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Un-Break My Heart” — will be celebrated at the inaugural Napa Valley StreamFest with the fest’s Visionary Tribute Award, the fest announced Wednesday.

The Warren festivities will all happen at the Uptown Theatre in Downtown Napa on Saturday, April 26, starting with a 6:30 pm Pt screening of Bess Kargman’s new documentary about the 16-time Oscar nominee, Diane Warren: Relentless. That will be immediately followed by a Q&a with Warren (moderated by yours truly) and then the presentation of the award.

Napa Valley StreamFest is dedicated to celebrating outstanding storytelling across film, television, podcasts and digital media. Set against the stunning backdrop of Northern California’s wine country, the festival offers a blend of screenings, live conversations, industry panels and immersive experiences,...

This year’s South by Southwest Film and TV Festival was a more star-studded affair than ever. Big movie stars from Nicole Kidman to Ben Affleck and Jenna Ortega descended on the city of Austin, TX to celebrate the premieres of their latest projects. Meanwhile, the festival also served as an exciting showcase of some of the most promising up-and-coming talents in the indie film scene.

From blockbusters to indie gems, this writer saw a total of 51 movies at this year’s SXSW Film and TV Festival. Although narrowing it down to our top ten was challenging, we have decided which films we think you don’t want to miss — whether they come out a few weeks from now or are still looking for a distribution deal.

And if you keep reading after our top 10, you’ll catch some of our additional thoughts on other films that we saw at this year’s festival.

Jay Duplass is heading to San Luis Obispo.

The veteran multi-hyphenate has major business at next month’s San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (aka Slo Film Fest), where he is set to receive a spotlight award and present a screening of his new film, The Baltimorons.

Fresh from a SXSW debut in Austin, Texas, The Baltimorons tells the story of how a newly sober man’s Christmas Eve dental emergency leads to an unexpected romance with his older dentist. It stars Michael Strassner Liz Larsen and Olivia Luccardi. Duplass directs from a script he co-wrote with Strassner. The Baltimorons marks Duplass’ first feature that he wrote and directed since 2012’s The Do-Deca-Penathlon. Since then, he’s kept busy on the TV front, directing episodes of Togetherness, Search Party and Somebody Somewhere and producing and executive producing a long list of films and TV shows.

A photo from the set The Baltimorons with Drew Langer,...

What if Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” was transformed from something less absurdly nihilistic and Kafka-esque and shifting towards the unexpected romantic comedy genre with a dash of May/December age and cultural differences on top to give it extra flavor and dimension? That’s not exactly what Jay Duplass’ excellent new comedy, “The Baltimorons,” is in total shape—you’d need to add some “Harold & Maude” and the general naturally sublime bittersweet shagginess of Hal Ashby films— but that description of this super eccentric and quirky picture is undoubtedly more accurate than your regular meet-cute romantic comedy.

Continue reading ‘The Baltimorons’ Review: Jay Duplass’ Hilarious May/December After Hours Adventure Is A Super Winning Charmer [SXSW] at The Playlist.

Multi-hyphenate filmmaker Jay Duplass has been named as the recipient of this year’s Spotlight Award at the 31st Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (Sloiff.) Duplass will attend the event with a screening of his new film, “The Baltimorons,” followed by a Q&A on Sunday, April 27. The festival runs this year from April 24-29 in San Luis Obispo, the coastal community located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Duplass is well-known on the independent film circuit for his work and his collaborations with brother Mark Duplass on such films as “The Puffy Chair” and “Cyrus” and for creating such TV shows as “Togetherness” and “Room 104.” In recent years, Duplass has also carved out an impressive acting career with roles on the Emmy-award winning series “Transparent” and “Industry” and films like “Outside In” and “Beatriz at Dinner.”

Skye McLennan, executive director of Sloiff, says, “Personally, I...

The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival has unveiled its coveted Audience Award winners.

After IndieWire announced the festival’s Jury Awards, with Amy Wang’s “Slanted” taking the top Narrative Feature Award, the Audience Awards have been totaled. “The Accountant 2” starring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal has won the Headliner section, with “Fantasy Life” getting the Narrative Feature Competition vote. (Amanda Peet also previously won the Special Jury Award for her performance in “Fantasy Life.”)

Jay Duplass’ “The Baltimorons” received the Audience Award for the Narrative Spotlight section. Documentaries “Remaining Native” and “Luv Ya, Bum!” were also recognized in the Documentary Feature Competition and Documentary Spotlight categories, respectively. Rodney Ascher’s “Ghost Boy” was also a winners in the Visions category.

Audience Award winners were certified by Maxwell Locke & Ritter Llp.

“Our deepest thanks to the filmmakers, audiences, and volunteers who made this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival exceptional,...

Ben Affleck starrer The Accountant 2, Amanda Peet comedy Fantasy Life, and Remaining Native have won the Headliner and narrative feature and documentary 2025 SXSW audience awards.

Jay Duplass’s comedy The Baltimorons won the Narrative Spotlight section, and Sam Wainwright’s Luv Ya, Bum! Took Documentary Spotlight honours, while Matt Johnson’s Blackberry follow-up Nirvanna The Band The Show was the audience favourite from Midnighter.

The 32nd edition of the festival announced its juried winners last week and screened 114 features including 93 world premieres, three international premieres, three North American premieres, four US premieres, 11 Texas premieres, and 57 shorts. The festival ran March 7-15 in Austin,...

“Oh wow, we can take 34th Street,” Cliff (Michael Strassner) mentions to Didi (Liz Larsen) making their way to a Christmas Eve party in “The Balitmorons,” clearly appreciating the serendipity of an avenue associated with the holiday. Didi though, shows no sentimentality in suggesting a different route. Director Jay Duplass finds a road somewhere between those two lanes to make a joyful yet bittersweet comedy. Primed to become a seasonal standard, the film tracks two lost souls who find comfort in one another as all the other family get-togethers spark the loneliest of nights.

Both Cliff and Didi are in for a rough go of it; the two meet due to a chipped tooth that the former suffers on the way over to the family home of his girlfriend Brittany (Olivia Luccardi). Didi, a dentist, is one of the few in town to take an appointment during the holiday; for her,...

A return to form for Jay Duplass, who’s also making his solo-directing debut, The Baltimorons is a charming throwback to the low-budget indies he directed with his brother Mark. Written and starring burly stand-up comedian Michael Strassner, the Baltimore-set film follows the mis-adventures of an unlikely romantic duo: Strassner’s Cliff, a stand-up comedian six months sober, and his older workaholic dentist Didi (Liz Larsen). Cliff is bantering with his fiancée Brittany (Olivia Luccardi) when he falls and chips a tooth, sending him frantically searching for a dentist who will take him on Christmas Eve. Didi is the only one who takes his call, agreeing to meet him in her empty office for surgery.

Cliff is a silly teddy bear who aims to please even when he frequently oversteps the line into offending. He’s generously curious, often living life to acquire new material for stand-up. Like the personal...

After co-directing a handful of no-frills indies with his brother Mark and working for more than a decade in episodic television, Jay Duplass makes an agreeably unassuming solo feature debut behind the camera with The Baltimorons. Marbled with a tender vein of melancholy alongside its unforced comedy, the film follows a thirtysomething, recently sober ex-improv comic who breaks a tooth and requires urgent dental care on Christmas Eve, spawning an unlikely romance. It’s the kind of quirky concept that could easily have been cringe material, but the actors give it a lived-in naturalism that sneaks up on you.

Aside from his acting and producing credits, Duplass’ regular gig since 2015 has been directing TV episodes, notably on Togetherness, Search Party, and most recently, Somebody Somewhere. (I will never stop being mad about that consistently great show getting zero Emmy attention.) Just as Somebody Somewhere was molded with piercing character insight around its star,...