Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of August 3, 2026
Tony
Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, and sexual content/nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
In Theaters
Anthony Bourdain has burned his name into history for being one of the first food writers in the modern era to receive legendary status. His book, “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” along with his hit foodie travel shows “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown” have put him on the map as the definitive voice for people who like to travel, dine and take in the culture of their destination. For those who know his story, he was taken from us far too early. But instead of focusing on the ending, this movie tells us the beginning. When you young Tony, played here by Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), doesn’t get into the writing fellowship he dreamt of, he follows a girl, played by Emilia Jones, who doesn’t know she’s being followed, to Provincetown, Massachusetts where he finds himself depressed, out of money, and practically homeless. After making a fool of himself and getting kicked out of a local restaurant, a kind-hearted chef (Antonio Banderas) gives him a hammock to sleep in and a job as a dishwasher. Finding that he loves the kitchen environment, his life goals begin to change and we begin to see the transformation between the Tony here and the modern Anthony Bourdain. While he doesn’t really resemble the guy he’s playing, actor Dominic Sessa does a remarkable job here playing the character. His attitude and swagger are spot on and that alone makes the portrayal uncanny. And it helps to have a fantastic supporting cast with Banderas, Jones and Leo Woodall, whose character Sal represents the dangerous inspirations for Tony’s former erratic behavior and drug abuse he speaks so often about in his writing. In all transparency, I went into this as someone who has read some of his work and watched every episode of his shows, so there were high expectations. The brilliance of the film was to put a complex character into a simple story. Writer/director Matt Johnson shows off his ability to get into Anthony’s head with what is a fairly undocumented part of his past in a story, maybe based on some truth, that most likely went to the grave with him. But when we look at Anthony as a legend, and not a real person, the movie makes sense and the story is incredibly compelling. There is a moment in the third act where I had a little trouble with the dark plot direction, but the movie turns around in a way that feels more like a celebration than a downer. Just like having watched an episode of one of his shows, I felt like I had a better understanding of my guide and I left the theater with a renewed longing for visiting places I’ve never been and food I’ve never eaten. A-
