‘Tony’: Matt Johnson’s Anthony Bourdain Movie From A24 Draws Positive Early Reactions

Dominic Sessa, who gained attention for his lead role in “The Holdovers,” is playing the late Anthony Bourdain in “Tony,” an upcoming film produced by A24.

We’re still four weeks away from its release, but A24 has started screening “Tony” for press, and so far, so good when it comes to the film’s early reactions.

Many thought a fall release would happen for “Tony,” but instead, A24 decided on a late-summer rollout. It’s not an ideal awards-season date, but that’s not really what Johnson is going for here — “Tony” is very much a summer-feeling movie. It’s not so much a rise-and-fall biopic as it is a slice-of-life portrayal of a moment that greatly shaped Bourdain’s inevitable rise in the culinary and cultural world. The dynamic between Sessa and Antonio Banderas drives much of the drama.

The film, a small-scaled character study, takes place in 1976, when a young Bourdain had a life-changing experience working and living in Provincetown, Mass. It follows Bourdain, the angsty aspiring writer, as he pursues a girl who eventually draws him into the culinary world. Banderas plays a Brazilian-born restaurateur who takes the young Bourdain under his wing. Emilia Jones plays the girl he falls for.

“Tony” is directed by Matt Johnson, known for 2023’s acclaimed “BlackBerry.” The screenplay comes from Todd Bartel and Lou Howe. Joining Sessa, Jones, and Banderas are Leo Woodall — a scene-stealer here — Rich Sommer, and Stavros Halkias (!).

Johnson is an interesting filmmaker; the gems in his filmography are “BlackBerry” and this year’s “Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie.” Expect plenty of handheld camerawork and rapid zooms in “Tony” — he loves shooting on the fly, improv-style, which keeps things exciting and fresh.

“Tony” hits theaters on August 14 via A24. You can read some of the early reactions below. The review embargo lifts during the week of release.