''Problemista'' is a 2023 American

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

written, directed, and co-produced by Julio Torres. It stars Torres,

Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name the RZA ( ), is an American rapper, actor, filmmaker, and record producer. He is the ''de facto'' leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums ...

, Isabella Rosselini and

Greta Lee Greta Jiehan Lee (born March 7, 1983) is an American actress. Early life Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her parents are Korean immigrants. While attending Harvard-Westlake School, she became interested in the performing art ...

. It had its world premiere at

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

on March 13, 2023. Due to the ongoing

2023 SAG-AFTRA strike From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) was on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Produce ...

, the film was delayed from its original August 2023 release date.

Cast

* Julio Torres as Alejandro *

as Elizabeth *

as Bobby *

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian-American actress, author, philanthropist, and model. The daughter of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is note ...

as the narrator * Catalina Saavedra as Dolores * James Scully as Bingham *

Laith Nakli Laith Nakli (born December 1, 1969) is a British-Syrian-American actor and producer of Syrian descent best known for his role in the 2017 movie ''The Wall'' as the voice of the mythical sniper named Juba, the 2017 miniseries ''The Long Road Home ...

as Khalil * Spike Einbinder as Spray *

as Dalia *

Larry Owens Larry Owens (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Yavapai College and Oral Roberts University. College career Yavapai College (2001–2003) Owens averaged 22.7 points and 10.6 re ...

as Craigslist *

Kelly McCormack Kelly McCormack is a Canadian actor. She has worked in film, television, and on stage, and she runs her production company, Floyder Films. She is best known for her portraying Zeph in the Syfy science fiction television series ''Killjoys'' and ...

as Sharon *

Greta Titelman Greta Titelman is an American comedian, actress and writer. She has starred in shows including ''Search Party'', ''Los Espookys'', and the 2023 film ''Problemista''. In 2019, she was selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” Showcase at C ...

as Celeste * Megan Stalter as Lili

Production

In July 2021, it was announced that

would star in the film and Julio Torres would direct it, from a screenplay he wrote, with

Emma Stone Emily Jean Stone (born November 6, 1988), known professionally as Emma Stone, is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2017, she ...

set to serve as a producer under her Fruit Tree Banner, and A24 set to produce, finance, and distribute. In November 2021,

, Spike Einbinder, Laith Nakil,

, James Scully and

joined the cast of the film.

serves as a producer under her

Fruit Tree A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovary (plants), ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In hortic ...

banner.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...

began by November 2021, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

Release

It had its world premiere at

on March 13, 2023. It was scheduled to be released on August 4, 2023, before it was delayed due to the

Reception

References

External links

* {{Emma Stone 2023 films 2023 comedy films 2023 directorial debut films A24 (company) films Films affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike Magic realism films Surrealist films 2020s American films