Cast: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, Rita Zohar, Will Price

Written By:Tory Kamen

Directed By: Scarlett Johansson

Release Year: 2025

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

*Audio Description Exists, But Was Not Provided*

What Is it?: Eleanor (Squibb) has been through a lot in her 90+ years on this earth, but one thing she can’t claim is to have been in certain places where she never was. After her best friend and roommate passes, Eleanor moves in with her daughter and grandson, and ends up striking up a friendship with a journalism student who finds Eleanor’s story of surviving the Holocaust to be really impactful. The only problem is that it isn’t her story, it was her roommates. Eleanor loses control of the story, and becomes too afraid to mention.

What Works: Much like with her film last year, June Squibb impresses by continuing to top line films at her age. Her films also seem to be decidedly far better than a lot of our other golden age actresses relegated to films like Summer Camp, Book Club, and 80 For Brady. These are all fine women, most with Oscar wins and nominations, and why they are consistently forgotten and given a lack of substantial product should be the great sin of our current Hollywood machine. but, Squibb has never been better.

Just these last two films, Thelma and Eleanor The Great are interesting, smart, and well directed showcases of what Squibb is capable of. Here, we see her sassy take no prisoners attitude, which is so delightfully wrapped in Squibb’s demeanor that also suggests she’s actualy Ms. Claus and has escaped the North Pole. There’s both a warmth and a bit in her characters, which make them so wonderful to watch.

What takes Eleanor a step further, is that we see this truthful exploration of oddly stolen valor, as Eleanor is not a Holocaust survivor, but lets that story define her. Her best friend, however, was. And, to draw in the attention of someone, she uses the most interesting thing about her, which is not her own life story. Her mundane existence as a housewife from Iowa, with a grown adult daughter and grandson isn’t enough to catch the conversational attention. However, the minute she starts recalling the stories of her best friend, suddenly everyone wants to talk to Eleanor. It’s both a sharp and bitingly funny movie, but also a sad exploration of the twilight years and loneliness. Eleanor trades on what one friend had given her in order to find a new one.

Johansson is finding her footing here as a director, and it is a solid debut. I’m not sure every choice is one I would have made, but I’d definitely want to see her next feature

What Doesn’t work: I had a few moments in the story that just didn’t work for me. Notably, without spoiling too much, I thought her daughter has unwarranted outrage, and an embarrassing outburst really destroys the momentum of the film. This is where the lack of experience comes through from Johansson, because she would recognize she basically exists due to films with unspoken moments and carefully crafted subtext. Many cinephiles have spent years wondering what Bill Murray said to her in Lost In translation. But, Sofia Coppola knew it didn’t matter. It was better that we didn’t know.

I would counter Johansson to say that the daughter never needed her outburst. Simply showing up and being present could have pushed a far more emotionally rewarding experience from June Squibb, and giving her that little extra push into the Oscar race. faced with her two realities, what would she have chosen? Johansson, and the script, choose to rip that choice from her, and give it to an underdeveloped and apparently obnoxious daughter instead. this will be the moment the film will regret the most. It’s such a self inflicted wound on an otherwise delightful and complicated character study.

Why You Might Like it: June Squibb is excellent,n and the film isn’t too dark or depressing. As far as Oscar bait goes, it is on the lighter side.

Why you Might not Like it: I can’t think of a reason other than it not being your thing. even with Johansson’s misstep, the film is still a winner.

Final thoughts: Eleanor The Great is as advertised. Great. but it is June Squibb who once again, at 95 years old, proves herself to be an atypical, but compelling lead. Maybe this time, Oscar won’t forget her name.

Fresh: 7.9/10