Fleishman Is in Trouble, based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s 2019 novel of the same name, recounts Toby Fleishman’s (Jesse Eisenberg) frustrating search for his ex-wife, Rachel (Claire Danes), who drops their two kids at his apartment in the middle of the night one summer soon after their divorce and then disappears. We follow Toby as he goes over and over what went wrong in their marriage—Rachel was selfish, status-obsessed, cared more about the theater clients at her agency and fitting in with her rich friends than her husband and children. Toby cannot reach her, despite leaving increasingly belligerent messages on her voice mail. His kids are suffering without their mother, and he doesn’t know what to tell them.

Eventually, we see what he missed. …