“You’re Dating a Narcissist!” follows a psychology professor with a knack for spotting narcissists. When she discovers her daughter is marrying a man she just met, she flies cross-country to prove he’s a fraud.
Rather than fully examining Narcissistic Personality Disorder, the film explores the idea of someone being a narcissist. More specifically, the modern label that is so casually thrown around as a buzzword. It’s a comedy at heart, full of “red flags” and not much depth.
And because it embraces this identity, “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” is entertaining. The film only showcases pieces of information about Theo (the daughter’s fiancé), meaning you’re left guessing whether he is or isn’t an actual “narc.” This is the movie’s key differentiator because… it’s not all that original. It’s not the first “parent dislikes kid’s partner” movie, with “Meet the Parents,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and even the recent “You’re Cordially Invited” all having similar premises. Rather than treating the story as such, the “narcissism” of it all is instead the focus. Though, it never really dives all that deep.
However, this is also the biggest problem. There comes a point where the insertion of this topic becomes overbearing and detracts from realism in key moments. Judy (the mom), specifically, is an unlikable lead, caring more about her own ideologies than how her actions affect others. This is all by design. While she’s calling people “narcs,” it’s clear who the real narcissist is. Marisa Tomei’s (Judy) performance helps get this point across — loud and clear. She is unbearably annoying at times while managing to remain charming in others. Through everything, it never feels like she’s overreaching. With flaws and all, Tomei transforms into an authentic character despite her “craziness.”
Also in the film are Ciara Bravo (Eva), Marco Pigossi (Theo), Sherry Cola (Diane) and José María Yazpik (Daniel).
Alongside Tomei’s theatrics, Cola generates most of the comedy. Her character is a simple bystander for most of the 91-minute runtime, making sharp jokes and simple observations. While she only appears in spurts, Cola steals scenes whenever present.
Despite being over-the-top and even pretentious, “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” does make a statement about society. Relationships are complex and they usually can’t just be described by a single word. Yet there are so many people who use terms like “narcissist,” “love-bombing” or “gaslighting” to describe every difficulty within partnerships. It satirizes this concept, attempting to garner more laughs than sympathy or judgment. There’s also somewhat of a heartfelt core about parenthood. As children grow up, it’s natural to feel protective over them. This is an exaggerated scenario, but it will prove relatable for many nonetheless.
Co-writer and director Ann Marie Allison struggles to remain subtle. Every step of the way, the film is too on-the-nose — with stereotypical characters and a formulaic plot. Everything ends up feeling too sanitized. There’s not a minute that goes by without “narcissism” being brought up. After just a few times, it grows overly repetitive. If there was any originality in the early stages, the film loses it with each new progression. Delving further into standard rom-com territory, there’s no real “bite” in “You’re Dating a Narcissist!”
Martim Vian’s cinematography is a bright spot. While the camerawork remains standard, he manages to capture the scenery well. “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” takes place in a coastal setting with fancy hotels and mansions. Whether indoors or outside, it remains consistently bright with color.
“You’re Dating a Narcissist!” uses irony to explore narcissism. The film is amusing for a while but never expands its scope beyond being rudimentary.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
