For Worse (2026) Movie Review: A Familiar yet Impassioned Toast to Aging with Love

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For Worse marks actress Amy Landecker’s debut as writer-director. No surprise she chose comedy for her passion project—having earned acclaim for her leading role in Amazon’s hit series Transparent. With the right mix of cynicism and hope, Landecker’s ‘coming-of-late-age’ tale hits all the familiar right notes with surefooted confidence and palpable passion. For better or worse, that noticeable passion carries its own cachet—and for For Worse, it’s charmingly for the better.

The film’s story lands its leading lady, Lauren (Landecker herself), smack in the middle of a midlife sucker punch. A divorce after a nearly decade-long marriage hits like a curveball. As ex-husband Chase veers toward a new life with a younger partner, Lauren must fend for herself. Suddenly, this forty-something finds herself adrift—at that age when you finally have time to look back, spotting a gaping hole no job or parental duties can fill. Lauren seeks something more. With immense encouragement from her best friend Julie (Missi Pyle), it turns out that, for Lauren, that ‘something more’ is acting.

Lauren’s acting class delivers more than she bargained for. She arrives seeking mere distraction, but it gradually becomes something far more enriching. Landecker smartly builds Lauren’s reliance on this new adventure organically, laced with humorous pitfalls. Most of Lauren’s classmates are decades younger. One such peer is the handsome Sean (Nico Hiraga). Unsurprisingly, Lauren finds herself drawn towards the charismatic young actor. Sean, too, reciprocates the approach. It does not harm that both of them are paired with each other for one assignment.

Sean is quite the enigma in this story. Despite the routine premise and the standard framework, Sean stands out in his designated familiar role. It does not take much to decipher that this supposed ‘Casanova’ character is written by a woman. He basks in women’s adulation, yet with an innate innocence devoid of machismo. A bedroom mishap with an involuntary bladder release reveals how he’ll be with Lauren: funny but compassionate. That is why we would not be able to harbor any ill-feeling towards him, despite his inevitable ‘betrayal.’

A still from For Worse (2026). — A still from “For Worse” (2026).

Of course, it is not a ‘betrayal’ per se. It is Sean acting his age. One of Lauren and Sean’s classmates, Maria, invites all the classmates to her wedding. Lauren is still reeling from signing the divorce papers a few weeks ago. Understandably, she does not want to go. However, Sean persuades her. Lauren hopes to take their relationship to the next level.

Yet Coco, one of the bridesmaids, proves to be a big hindrance there. The vivacious Coco’s attention sways Sean’s heart. Again, Landecker’s script does not necessarily go for any dramatic twists. Sean remains attached to Lauren, and yet spends more time with the younger woman. Sean does not ghost. He sways between the two.

In spite of the air of acceptance, Lauren can’t help but compete with Coco. Landecker’s script has her lead character navigate the amazing maze of heartbreak with just the right amount of embarrassing twists and turns. For Worse has romance and a lot of comedy. However, it is not just a rom-com.

For instance, Lauren’s actual romantic interest does not come into play until about halfway through the film. At Maria’s wedding, Lauren exchanges some moments with Maria’s father, David (played by Landecker’s real-life partner, Bradley Whitford). David is also recently divorced from Maria’s mother. Landecker doesn’t try to hide that the morose-looking David is going to be Lauren’s real romantic interest. The meet-cute lands. However, it is not truly about Lauren finding the next man. It is about Lauren finding herself, accepting her age, and her new life.

Eventually, when David and Lauren do end up together, it happens in a hilariously embarrassing and yet hopeful way. Sure, he breaks his leg, and she gets wedding cake smashed over her face. Still, it is one of the coolest moments in the film when David says, “Let’s get out of here.” This being a particularly passion project of hers, Amy Landecker knocks it out of the park as the central character. She is the heart of the story and the centrepiece of most of the gaffes and poignant moments.

Then there is a plethora of familiar TV faces that elevate most of the situations Landecker puts Lauren in. Starting with Simon Helberg’s (The Big Bang Theory) deadpan cameo as the marriage negotiator, to Landecker’s Transparent colleague Gaby Hoffmann’s eccentric acting guru act, the supporting cast makes it a superb ensemble performance.

Particular praise must be reserved for Ken Marino. His Rick’s transformation from a mostly sweet magic geek to an outright sexual creep is perhaps better suited to a horror film. Despite forming a massive subplot, the film is better with that weirdness from Marino. Just a reminder that despite Lauren’s life turning mostly for the better, there are some people, like Rick, who can horrifically and hilariously make it for the worse. All in all, a solid debut by Amy Landecker.