'Good On Paper' Trailer: Iliza Shlesinger's New Boyfriend May Not Be What He Seems

There's a long cinematic tradition of comedians making movies based on events in their own lives, from Woody Allen to Judd Apatow. Now we can add Iliza Shlesinger to that group, because she has written and stars in a new movie called Good on Paper that's "based on a mostly true story" about a boyfriend she had (played by Veronica Mars actor Ryan Hansen) who may not be exactly who he appears. Check out the trailer below.

I had somehow never heard of Shlesinger until seeing this trailer, but she won NBC's Last Comic Standing all the way back in 2008 and has seen her popularity skyrocket since then. It definitely seems as if she's following in Amy Schumer's footsteps here, transitioning from stage persona to actress while writing a vehicle for herself to star in like Schumer did with 2015's Trainwreck. Shlesinger has a comfortable relationship with Netflix already, having released five comedy specials and a sketch show and appeared in Netflix originals like Girlboss, Pieces of a Woman, and Spenser Confidential, so this feels like a natural home for her.

Meanwhile, Ryan Hansen broke out playing the lovable jerk Dick Casablancas on Veronica Mars, and he parlayed that into a role in the ensemble of another beloved TV series, the cancelled-too-soon Starz comedy Party Down. (Fun fact: Party Down is getting a revival, although last we heard, it wasn't clear which actors were returning for it.)

Kimmy Gatewood is directing this film, which will be her feature debut after directing tons of television, including shows like The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Netflix's The Baby-Sitter's Club revival, and the Peacock original comedy series Girls5eva. Veteran comedian Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva) and actress Rebecca Rittenhouse (Unfriended: Dark Web, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) round out the rest of the film's cast.

Here's the official synopsis for Good on Paper:

Andrea Singer always put her stand-up career first, and while dating came easy, love wasn't a priority... that is until she meets Dennis, a quirky nerd with disarming charm who coaxes her into letting her guard down. Her best friend Margot isn't convinced he's all he seems and she urges Andrea to embark on a wild goose chase to uncover who Dennis really is. Based on a mostly true story, GOOD ON PAPER is written by and stars the hilariously sharp-witted Iliza Shlesinger. Also starring Ryan Hansen, Margaret Cho, and Rebecca Rittenhouse.

Good on Paper will be available to stream on Netflix starting June 23, 2021.