“Serious People” Is a Hilarious Dive Into Work, Life, and Doppelgänger Drama

By Jessica Herndon

Serious People is writer-directors Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson’s offbeat dive into the chaos of creative ambition and personal responsibility premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the NEXT section. The film follows a music video director, Pasqual (Gutierrez), who hatches a seemingly foolproof plan to juggle his booming career and impending fatherhood by hiring a look-alike to step in for him at work alongside his creative partner, Raul (Raul Sanchez). 

But what starts as an ingenious scheme quickly unravels into a hilariously unpredictable ride, with the doppelgänger, Miguel (Miguel Huerta), proving to be more brawn than brains and far less interested in the intricacies of the job than flexing his bravado. The result? A clever and comedic exploration of ego, mentorship, and the often absurd self-importance of the entertainment industry.

Gutierrez and Mullinkosson bring their unique style and sharp humor to Serious People, crafting a film that’s as lighthearted as it is perceptive. Gutierrez, one half of the powerhouse directing team Cliqua alongside Sanchez, has left his mark on the music industry with visually stunning collaborations with artists like Bad Bunny, Rosalía, and Travis Scott. His co-director, Mullinkosson, a seasoned documentarian and X Games gold medalist, lends his eye for keen storytelling to the project. Together, they deliver a genre-bending satire that blends scripted scenes with an organic touch by casting real friends and family — including Gutierrez’s spouse, Christine Yuan, who plays a version of herself — to bring an extra layer of realism to the film.

During the Q&A following the premiere of Serious People, Gutierrez reveals the idea for the movie came to him while he was asleep. “In [David] Lynch fashion, this idea came in a very vivid dream that I had during the second trimester with Christine,” he says. “I was very stressed out about work-life balance, and in this dream, I saw myself casting a doppelgänger to take over my work responsibilities so I could be a more present father.” 

Adds Mullinkosson, “Pasqual called me and said, ‘Christine is having a baby in five months; I need to make a movie before I become a father. Otherwise, we’re never going to make a movie together.’ We started writing a script on a Google doc, and then three months later, we started production in Los Angeles, and so many friends came to help us.” 

Originally crafted as a documentary, Serious People became a project rooted in hyperreality “because the pregnancy was happening so fast and everyone’s timelines are so busy,” explains Mullinkosson. “We had to truncate this into the timeline of a fiction film. So, it became a fiction film as we went along.” Standing next to Gutierrez, Yuan tells the crowd she got a kick out of playing a version of herself in the film. “It was really fun to dip into an exaggerated version of myself.” But she reveals not all of what we see onscreen is entirely fictional. In one scene, Yuan expresses her frustration with Gutierrez’s schedule. She needs him to be more present, especially as they prepare to be parents. “That fight on the roof, those were real feelings I had because he was busy making this film,” she says.  

Sanchez also felt the effects of art imitating life. “Similar to Christine, there was a lot of real shit that was happening in the movie,” he says. “I was like, where is my directing partner? He took a break from Cliqua for real to make the movie, so in real life, I’m over here doing stuff [alone]. It was crazy. It was a crazy movie!” 

Shot and set mostly in East Los Angeles, the film is meant to be Gutierrez’s love letter to this part of Southern California. “Los Angeles is our home, and it was crazy watching this film right now in light of all the fires,” he says. “A lot of people here on this stage have been impacted by that in a very serious way. It’s a beautiful city. Specifically East L.A., which we talk about a lot. That is where my family originates from, and it’s not a side of L.A. you see photographed that often, but to me, that is very much what L.A. is; it’s not just the glitz and glamour. Yes, there is the clout chasing, but we wanted to make L.A. a character.” 

With its wit and unexpected twists, Serious People cleverly pokes fun at the relentless hustle of the entertainment industry. One of the surprising and hilarious revelations in the film is that Miguel isn’t the only doppelgänger we meet. “It’s kind of this commentary about the replaceability of people in Los Angeles,” says Gutierrez, eliciting “oohs” and then laughs from the crowd. The film also highlights the delicate balance of adulthood, including venturing into parenthood. Whether navigating the pressures of creative success or showing up for a growing family, Gutierrez and Mullinkosson’s original and hilarious take on the work-life struggle will resonate with anyone who’s ever tried to have it all.