In Ram Nehari’s auspicious narrative-film debut, he pulls from the sensibilities of Silver Linings Playbook and Little Miss Sunshine, but filters these stories through a sharp-edged dark humor—peeling back their pop gloss to reveal an earnest warts-and-all look at headstrong characters struggling with mental illness.

Tom dreams of being a model and suffers from an eating disorder. Neil is a tuba player who plans for his European tour while being treated at a psychiatric clinic. Recognizing themselves in each other, they forge a tender and desperate bond in this clever, satirical, and incisive film.