Tony
August 4th, 2026
MOVIE: TONY
STARRING: DOMINIC SESSA, ANTONIO BANDERAS, EMILIA JONES, LEO WOODALL
DIRECTED BY: MATT JOHNSON
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 106 MINUTES
The impact Anthony Bourdain left on me- and on the rest of the world- is difficult to quantify. It’s hard to place a single label on who Bourdain was. He was a chef, a writer, and the host of his own travel shows, but none of those titles fully captured him. What always stood out was his insatiable curiosity and zest for living, making the prospect of a biopic seem like an insurmountable task. For director Matt Johnson, the only way to succeed was to begin at the beginning. To my surprise, Johnson has crafted a film worthy of high praise. Tony captures only a small chapter of who Anthony Bourdain would become, but in one formative summer in the seaside town of Provincetown, it finds a story that feels true to the man. Tony is a delightfully charming and bittersweet portrait of someone whose life would eventually become larger than he ever imagined.
The story begins with 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain (Dominic Sessa) at Vassar College, sitting before a fellowship committee in hopes of receiving a grant to write his first great novel. After a night of drinking, he unexpectedly reunites with former high school classmate Nancy (Emilia Jones), whom he tries- and fails- to impress before learning she’ll be spending the summer in Provincetown. When he doesn’t receive the fellowship, Bourdain impulsively hops on the ferry to P-Town with no money, no job, and little more than youthful optimism. The hope is that he’ll land on his feet… somehow.
Desperate for work- and eager to remain in Nancy’s orbit- Tony takes a job washing dishes at a local restaurant. It’s here that Johnson’s world-building comes alive, introducing an eclectic cast of characters, including the womanizing line cook Sal (Leo Woodall), the animated sous chef Stavros (Stavros Halkias), and Antonio Banderas as the restaurant’s enigmatic owner and head chef. As Tony cuts his teeth in the kitchen, his oversized ego is repeatedly humbled. He struggles to shuck oysters, burns his hand on a scorching pan, and repeatedly fails to win Nancy away from her boyfriend. Becoming Anthony Bourdain doesn’t happen overnight. Before he can discover the world, he first has to be humbled by it.
It’s in the screenplay, written by Johnson, Todd Bartels, Lou Howe, and Matthew Miller, where Tony truly shines. Sessa, whom I was initially hesitant to accept as Bourdain, gives a compelling performance, balancing the arrogance of an ambitious young man with the insecurity of someone still trying to find his place in the world. The supporting cast is equally strong, with Banderas delivering the film’s standout performance. His mysterious chef is a man devoted to food, guarded about his past, yet generous enough to offer the kind of wisdom that would shape Bourdain’s future. By avoiding the conventional rise-and-fall structure of most biopics, Tony evolves into something richer: not simply the story of a famous man, but an affecting coming-of-age film.
An understated sadness lingers over Tony. We already know how Bourdain’s story ends, but rather than foreshadowing that tragedy, Johnson wisely keeps the film rooted in the present. This isn’t a meditation on death- it’s a celebration of discovery. It’s remarkable that the director of BlackBerry once again demonstrates that a biopic doesn’t have to follow familiar formulas, even if the romantic subplot occasionally veers into sentimentality. Ultimately, Tony feels like the kind of film Anthony Bourdain himself would have appreciated. It captures a young man before the fame, before the adventures, before the world knew his name- a life just beginning to awaken to the possibilities waiting beyond the horizon.
3 ½ STARS
TONY IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH, AND EVERYWHERE ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 14TH, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
