'Lucy Schulman' Review: Failure to Launch, Wholesomely
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- "Lucy Schulman" premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, written and directed by comedian Ellie Sachs, who also stars as the eponymous protagonist — a woman who works in an independent bookstore, dates writers more than she writes, and has a "quite small" world.
- David Cross plays Lucy's father Peter, a single dad who raised her and unconditionally supports her through every breakup, with the review describing him as "a man without a single rough edge" who is "endlessly loving."
- Hasan Minaj appears in the opening scene as a cheating author whose breakup with Lucy sets the film's low-stakes plot in motion.
- The plot follows Lucy as she falls for a new guy, temporarily alienates her friends and father, and learns "it's okay to be alone" — though the reviewer notes the stakes are so minimal "you could comfortably walk out of the room for any half-hour period and not miss much."
- The review compares "Lucy Schulman" to "Frances Ha" and Hallmark Christmas movies, praising its "bubbly self-awareness" and wholesome vibe while acknowledging the film "lacks in ambition" it makes up for with "pleasant vibes."
- "Lucy Schulman" is currently seeking U.S. distribution, and the review suggests Sachs' "comedic charisma" and "admirable restraint as a director" point toward future roles on premium cable sitcoms.
Why it matters: The film positions Ellie Sachs as a multi-hyphenate talent with enough comedic charisma and directorial restraint to land future roles on premium cable sitcoms, per the review. By leaning into wholesomeness and self-aware comfort-watching rather than ambition, 'Lucy Schulman' targets the same audience that embraced 'Frances Ha' — but with no U.S. distribution deal yet, its reach beyond Tribeca remains uncertain.
