Does anyone remember that viral song about Laura Dern at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2020?
Or those videos on Instagram where a man would do sketches from the mosquito’s point of view, or as if he were Sunday Morning and just found out Maroon 5 wrote a song about them?
Or perhaps you stumbled upon Jordan Firstman’s Instagram Stories where people would submit secrets, and he would drink 1 to 9 glasses of wine throughout the night reading the most diabolical secrets?
Why are we asking these questions? Because Jordan Firstman did all the things above, and he wrote and directed his first feature film, which hits theaters later this year. Today’s Watchlist Worthy.
But first, here’s what we have for you this week:
Concession Stand Scorecard: Tony
Watchlist Worthy: Jordan Firstman’s Directorial Debut
New Pod Drop: “What is the cost of lies?” —Valery Legasov, Chernobyl EP1
This week’s movie - Tony
Letterboxd Description:
“I was — to be frank — a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive and thoughtless young lout, and badly in need of a good ass-kicking.”
A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.
Best Watched With
Someone who’s worked in the industry.
End Credit Thoughts
We are not sure how Anthony Bourdain would have felt about this movie being made. Maybe he would have hated it. Probably would have hated it. What we do know is this might be the best biopic we get this year.
Tony is based on a chapter in Bourdain’s bestselling memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. We haven't read this book in its entirety, but we can say to the book readers, with confidence, to expect major changes. Seemingly, the filmmakers had to make adjustments to add some drama, some tension, and composite some characters into one. This might piss off some people. And Bourdain.
Josh read the chapter after the movie, so he didn't have the book's influence in mind when he saw it. He went in ignorant of the source material, as we could assume many will. Anyway, enough of that; let’s get into the movie.
Let’s begin with the strongest part of the movie: the performances. Dominic Sessa (Tony aka Anthony Bourdain) is dynamite. In general, he’s been bringing a much-needed energy to coming-of-age stories that include some dark humor since his debut (see The Holdovers (2023), when we discovered what this young man is capable of), and he is nothing short of something special in this one. Allegedly, he is the nicest human in real life. No one can help but respect him instantly. Somehow, he is able to throw all that to the wayside and transform into an arrogant and egotistical young writer who seems to think the world owes him itself. How can god do anything but notice him and give him what he feels entitled to?
Sessa is not the only star shining, though; he just has the most screen time. Matt Johnson, the director, intentionally cast the kitchen staff to curate an atmosphere of riff-raff to showcase a glimpse of the culinary underbelly. Health code violations, safety hazards, and Schedule II drugs. None of these have any business taking up residence in any food establishment, and the movie needed a team of thespians who would be insanely chaotic and believable. So what do you do? Hire Leo Woodall as Sal, Stavros Halkias as, well, kind of himself, Stavros (he’s actually a comedian turned actor, and Antonio Banderas as Chef.
We usually see Woodall in likable roles or gray characters: detestable first impressions but, by the end, discovering there’s some complexity. Often leading us to feel for him. His magic is at work in this one, too. A smooth-talking, oyster-shucking bad boy of Provincetown. Stavros might be the least experienced actor. But the director through in the mix of actors to cause comedic chaos, all often improvising. Just saying wild shit. Definitely brought us into a misfit atmosphere: line cooks and dishwashers work long hours, get off, stay out too late, and run it back the next day to serve seafood to the East Coast summer folks.
Chaos with no anchor can end horribly and be too heavy-handed. Banderas, his experience and top-tier talent, as Chef grounds the squad and brings out the best of everyone. Banderas is passionate, caring, and a serious chef. But he does so with a tender heart that allows his ragamuffin crew to be themselves, as long as tickets are served. It’s not always in lines, Banderas says. His silence can be just as powerful.
Multiple paths are laid before young Tony. Which one will be walked? The odds were good on all of them. Obviously, anyone who is familiar with Bourdain in real life knows how this story goes. But seeing this adaptation of Bourdain’s journey before he was world-renowned was a fun and emotional watch. The movie excels at building a world made to mold and shape untapped talent. The mentor has a wealth of knowledge and cares about the craft; the cool kid who creates forks in the road; the chosen family who feel like home; and, of course, the girl (Emilia Jones) who sets it all off.
Tony is well shot, well edited, with a great score. For those who are tired of three-hour-long movies, this one comes in at a well-paced 106 minutes. Watch this one on the big screen.
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Club Kid (2026) Directed by Jordan Firstman
Letterboxd Description:
A hard-partying New York City club promoter sees his whirlwind lifestyle upended by the arrival of the 10-year-old son he never knew he had.
The Club Kid trailer caught us by surprise this week, as we aren’t fully familiar with Jordan Firstman’s game. A Cannes Festival wonder, Club Kid looks like an emotional rollercoaster. Might be one of the fuller watches of the year, since the trailer already made us laugh, think, and feel some emotion. Reggie Absolom, playing the young Arlo, seems like he’s out for blood with his performance. Can’t wait for this one!
Chernobyl (2019): Spoilers #77
🎧 Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube
Josh and Eric return to the studio after their on-location screening of The Odyssey for a focused, 30-minute deep dive into Craig Mazin’s acclaimed 2019 HBO miniseries, Chernobyl.
From parsing the terrifying opening monologue on “the cost of lies” to examining the hubris of Soviet bureaucracy, the hosts discuss whether the series has aged like fine wine or if we simply mature in how we digest tragedy.
They break down the standout performances of Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, and Jessie Buckley, analyze the tragic reality behind the “Bridge of Death,” and explore how the working class bore the brunt of institutional arrogance.
Tune in next week for | Coyote vs. Acme
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