‘Tony’ Review: It Might Just Be the Year’s Biggest Surprise

Tony is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I walked into this one pretty interested in the story of Anthony Bourdain, someone I admittedly knew very little about, but walked out genuinely moved by this heartfelt story about mentorship, friendship, and discovering what you are meant to do with your life.

Instead of attempting to tell the entire story of Bourdain’s life, Tony makes the smart decision to focus on a much smaller chapter. We meet Bourdain way before the fame, the television shows, the books, and even before he really understands what he wants to do with his life. He’s young, somewhat lost, and searching for direction when he finds himself working in a restaurant kitchen. What follows is less of a traditional biopic and more of a coming-of-age story about those people and experiences that unexpectedly change the direction of our lives.

Dominic Sessa is phenomenal as the young Anthony Bourdain. After The Holdovers, Sessa continues to prove that he is one of the most exciting young actors working today. I loved his work alongside Paul Giamatti, so naturally, I was curious to see what he would do next—and I’m glad this is the project he landed. Sessa never allows the performance to feel like an impersonation. Instead, he captures Bourdain’s awkwardness, curiosity, and vulnerability in a way that makes him incredibly easy to connect with. I mean, this is the story of someone who follows a woman to a summer town—the woman who would eventually become his first wife—and I think every young guy has considered doing something like that at one point or another. It kind of makes the movie feel small but adventurous at the same time. 

Antonio Banderas might be even better. And I mean the best he has been in a while (and I’ve been a fan of his since Zorro). His relationship with Tony became the heart of the movie for me. There is something incredibly moving about watching someone recognize potential in another person before they are capable of recognizing it themselves. Their relationship gives the film so much warmth, and Banderas delivers one of my favorite performances of the year.

I also loved how alive the restaurant feels. The chaos, personalities, friendships, arguments, and camaraderie make the kitchen feel like its own little world. You understand why Tony becomes fascinated by it and, eventually, why this environment becomes such an important part of who he is. Knowing where Bourdain’s life ultimately goes also adds an unavoidable bittersweet quality to the film, but Tony never allows that knowledge to completely overwhelm the story being told. This is about a young man who hasn’t figured everything out yet finding the first real spark of purpose in his life.

Heartfelt, funny, beautifully acted, and surprisingly moving, Tony absolutely won me over. Sessa and Banderas are outstanding, and the movie left me thinking about the people who enter our lives at exactly the right moment and unknowingly change everything.

Don’t miss this one.

RATING: 4/5

Disclaimer: All images used in this review are © of A24 and are included for review, commentary, and editorial purposes only.

Tony is now playing only in theaters.