Netflix delivers the first trailer for Living with Yourself, a high-concept dark comedy that promises twice the Paul Rudd. The new series is the latest from the streaming service to attract big-name talent with a starring role in the kind of story Hollywood doesn’t seem interested in making at the moment. Rudd is also one of the lucky actors who gets to have it both ways, starring or appearing in various MCU films as Ant-Man, while also booking less IP-heavy fare with Netflix.
It’s just the latest collaboration between Rudd and the streaming giant, as he has appeared in Duncan Jones’s 2018 sci-fi thriller Mute, two varieties of Wet Hot American Summers — First Day of Camp and Ten Years Later — and the streaming indie The Fundamentals of Caring. Living with Yourself, however, marks the first series that Rudd will star and co-star in, since he’ll be playing two version of himself in what looks to be an engaging existential comedy.
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The series hails from creator Timothy Greenberg, whose writing credits include The Daily Show, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, and TBS’ The Detour. The eight-episode series is directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (Battle of the Sexes, Little Miss Sunshine), which should give some idea of the brand of comedy (and drama) the series intends to bring. For those still unsure what an existential series starring Paul Rudd will be like, they can check out the full trailer for Living with Yourself below:
The series also stars Aisling Bea, who recently made a splash with the happy-sad comedy This Way Up, which she wrote and stars in. Rudd and Bea are joined by You’re the Worst co-star Desmin Borges and Karen Pittman (Yellowstone, The Morning Show). Though Rudd will likely be the draw for many viewers, Living with Yourself looks to have amassed a charming supporting cast, and even went the extra mile by not asking Bea to replace her Irish accent with an unnecessary American one.
Living with Yourself appears to offer an interesting mix of tones, as it shifts from somewhat broad comedy about workplace malaise to a surprisingly unnerving, Total Recall-like shift that sets off the many of the series’ main questions. There also appears to be no small amount of violence, as evidenced by several shots of bloody clothing and the possibility that Rudd is plotting to murder his double. Whatever the case, Living with Yourself is shaping up to be one of Netflix’s must-watch series this fall.
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Living with Yourself will stream exclusively on Netflix starting Friday, October 18.
