Young Anthony Bourdain
A24 has now served up Tony for an audience. The biopic looks to show how the famous traveling chef was navigating his young adulthood, falling into the hands of Antonio Banderas’ character and the cooking world. Get ready to feel hungry.
From filmmaker Matt Johnson (NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE, BLACKBERRY) comes an electric and nostalgic tale that captures the season that changed the course of Anthony Bourdain’s life. Dominic Sessa (breakout from THE HOLDOVERS) stars as a 19-year-old Bourdain who travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen. Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, Emilia Jones, and Stavros Halkias round out the ensemble.
What are the early reactions saying?
So, what is being said about this movie? The first audience has taken to social media to give their early reactions. Courtney Howard of Variety and The AV Club gave a positive response, saying, “I’m a sucker for a Summertime-set, coming-of-age story & Matt Johnson’s #Tony checked all the boxes. Fresh, profound & deeply resonant. Sidesteps familiar biopic tropes, delivering quality goods about a lost soul finding his purpose. Dominic Sessa & Antonio Banderas are terrific”
Sean Boelman of FandomWire was also glowing about the film, saying, “TONY is arguably Matt Johnson’s most tender work, but it’s also as funny and electric as expected. Dominic Sessa is phenomenal as a young Bourdain, perfectly balancing standoffishness with charm, but I was most surprised by Leo Woodall, who steals the show with a hilarious turn.”
Film and TV Journalist Scott Menzel was very impressed with the movie as he said, “I was a big fan of Tony because of the way it explores Anthony Bourdain’s life before he became a household name. It’s nothing like a traditional biopic, which may not work for everyone, but I completely dug it. Matt Johnson continues to impress as a filmmaker because every project he makes feels completely different from the last and stands out on its own. If you thought Dominic Sessa was great in The Holdovers, just wait until you see him here. The performances are fantastic across the board, but if I had to single one out, it’s Antonio Banderas, who absolutely steals the show. Special shoutout to Emilia Jones and Leo Woodall, whose performances bring a tremendous amount of humor, depth, and heart to the story.”
Casey Loving of The Wrap calls Tony an effective coming-of-age drama, “Matt Johnson’s #Tony is obviously more straightforward than his other 2026 release, but it’s also a really effective coming-of-age drama with stellar performances from Dominic Sessa and Antonio Banderas. I wish more biopics were this focused on portraying a slice of life.”
Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture goes into depth about his love of the film, “Yes, Chef! Matt Johnson finds the right balance between restraint and punk-rock abrasiveness in his sharp approach to Anthony Bourdain’s early years. This is a portrait of a young man drifting through life, lying to himself and those around him, long before discovering the purpose that would eventually define him and influence so many others. Led by another captivating performance from Dominic Sessa, this should firmly cement him as the real deal after “The Holdovers.” His mentor-mentee dynamic with Antonio Banderas is one of the film’s stronger elements, while Leo Woodall nearly steals the whole movie as the tattooed, foul-mouthed restaurant co-worker who couldn’t care less but seems to win everybody over with his charm despite his determination to make one bad decision after another. His on-screen relationship with Bourdain kind of feels like the embodiment of the film in that way: Rough and brutally honest, but also surprisingly tender.”
Tony comes out on August 7th. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments.
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