Cast: Benecio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, f Murray Abraham, Riz Ahmed, Bryan Cranston, Charlotte Gainesborg

Written By: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola

Directed By: Wes Anderson

Original Score by: Alexandre Desplat

Studio: Focus Features

Release Year: 2025

Audio Description Provided By:

Written By:

Narrated By:

What Is it?: A death prompts a rush for control of what he left behind, causing one of the parties (del toro), to traverse the globe finding ways of manipulating others into slowly helping him gain majority control. Along the way, he’s accompanied by what he believes is his daughter, and a young assistant with an eye for adventure.

What Works: Wes Anderson is nothing if not consistent. I’ve seen all his films,and while I think he’s been treading water, he also makes something that is at least interesting from the perspective of the medium itself. He assembles one heck of a cast every time, and with this film, he has challenged himself with a slightly more serious tone, and more of a clear lead character than he’s had in a while. he hasn’t had a true obvious lead like this since Ralph Fiennes in Grand Budapest Hotel, which incidentally was his last great film.

He also finally cast Michael Cera, one of the few working actors who seems like they were born to work with Wes Anderson. Cera should be a muse for Anderson going forward, and a staple as much as Willem Dafoe and bill Murray. He absolutely understood the assignment, and decades of playing awkward, unassuming characters is fully realized here. There’s a bit of a twist with his character, which does work very well, because cera knows how to handle it.

And, broadly, I did enjoy the whole cast. I’m sure Bill Murray got a kick out of his role, when he was offered it.

I’d also be remiss in mentioning one of my favorite composers, Alexandre Desplat. while this isn’t another Oscar nomination for him, Desplat has underscored many quirky projects before, including those of Anderson. While I’m not sure I enjoyed the destination, the journey was pleasing enough because Anderson can take all these parts and gel them together so that even his worst films still come across as being worth your time for varied and specific reasons.

What Doesn’t Work: Wes Anderson’s last truly great film was the Grand Budapest Hotel, and he’s been coasting. this is more of that. This is one of my least favorite Anderson films, nearly on par with The French Dispatch, but below Asteroid City. But all three of his last three films are probably in the bottom five Wes Anderson films. He started out churning out quirky bangers. I even adore The Life Aquatic. And then, somewhere in the late 2010’s, his vibe started to shift. Maybe he needs more fresh talent like Cera, and has to start cycling in more fresh blood.

Or, alternatively, it has been a hot minute since he’s worked with Luke and Owen Wilson, who helped to launch his career. A return to form is what Anderson needs. I’ve actually seen this film twice, and it is totally watchable. Anderson is one of the best directors we have. Woody Allen has some truly terrible films, and a large filmography that feels like him, but Anderson really only has one film I’d throw a rotten score on. That’s not a bad record. Even Anderson at his most mediocre is far better than other directors at their best.

The Audio Description: I keep watching this on peacock, and it keeps never wanting me to know who did the description. It’s really useful as shares continue to change, and we learn how the power shifts. Also, my favorite moment in the film is Michael Cera changing his appearance, and the audio description nailed it. It really made that moment stand out.

Why You Might Like it: You’re a devoted Wes Anderson film, or like me, you’ve been waiting too long to see Wes Anderson work with Michael Cera.

Why you Might Not Like it: ask yourself how you felt about the French Dispatch. Or asteroid City. Unless you believe Anderson is somehow at the best he’s ever been, you already know where this is headed.

Final Thoughts: Wes Anderson continues his consistency, even if he is in a bit of a slump, he still makes far better films than most directors. And he finally cast Michael Cera, who when paired with Anderson’s brand, is utterly sublime.

Fresh: Final Grade: 6.2/10