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WRITTEN BY

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME (2025)

MPAA: PG13.
Release Date: 06/06/25 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Comedy. Crime. Drama. Thriller.

Studio: Focus Features.

"Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

Eccentric arms dealer Anatole "Zsa-Zsa" Korda (Benicio del Toro) calls upon his estranged daughter Liesel (Mia Threapleton), a nun promised to be the sole heir of his estate, to help him fool his investors into funding his latest plan to overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia. Throughout their journey, Zsa-Zsa repeatedly thwarts assassination attempts against him while Liesel tries to reshape his unethical way of thinking. While there are themes around life, death, taxes, and capitalism, The Phoenician Scheme works best in my eyes as a tale about a father and daughter growing up together by deepening their relationship. The glimpses into Korda’s afterlife dreamscape every time he reaches near-death is the coolest new visual tactic in the Wes Anderson playbook. Like much of his work, these sequences are comical at first, and emotionally engaging upon reflection.

 

Not just a return to form; The Phoenician Scheme is an evolution of form from Wes & Co, both in terms of storytelling and in the signature visual language. The most acute attention to detail pays off in the color schemes and increasingly exotic locations. The iconic symmetrical framing is now complemented by the contrast of complex camera movements that create fun and unexpected moments. I appreciate the singular narrative as opposed to the intersecting storylines of recent Wes Anderson films.

 

Like many others, I could go on and on about Michael Cera, Benicio, Jeffrey Wright, Riz Ahmed, Scar Jo, Benedict Cumberbatch, and more familiar faces in the world of Wes, but we’ve all come to expect a stellar ensemble cast. What I didn’t expect was the absolute standout performance by Mia Threapleton. Liesel commands the screen and demands the viewer’s attention. Her deadpanned spit-fire delivery cuts like a knife. As the demeanor softens, it becomes all the more inviting to connect with this character. 

 

It’s everything you’d want out of a Wes Anderson film. Witty, charming, fun, playful, and somehow heartbreaking, touching, and brutally violent all at once like a Looney Tune. If you want to immerse yourself in the latest Anderson funscape, The Phoenician Scheme is in theaters now!

OUR VERDICT:

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