Tony

Even those who have never read, watched or eaten any of his creations will still have heard the name of the late, great Anthony Bourdain.

The original rockstar of the culinary world, Bourdain worked his way up from dishwasher to head chef, before becoming a best-selling author and television presenter. Tony focuses on the first fragment of that journey, when in 1975 a young Bourdain (Dominic Sessa) spends the summer in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, filled with frustration and a sense of helplessness after being denied a writing scholarship. Before long, he finds himself homeless, loveless, penniless and working as a dishwasher in a fast-food restaurant alongside chef Sal (Leo Woodall). He shows Anthony how to live fast, but soon becomes a bad influence on him, and it is left to his head chef, played by Antonio Banderas, to teach him how to find a passion for life again.

In a way, Matt Johnson’s Tony is a coming-of-age story that draws its primary inspiration from Bourdain’s 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. Taking place simply over a three-month summer, Johnson allows time for viewers to really get to know the troubled star, giving a greater appreciation for the man behind the fame, while also showing what a self-confessed insufferable youth he was. The plot builds upon a mountain of compulsive lies Bourdain tells to woo the likes of Nancy (Emilia Jones), rarely thinking before he acts, but it is because of these irrational acts that he is thrust into the kitchen world that becomes his forever home.

The film really breathes through its performances. For Sessa, it feels a little bit like an extension of his role in The Holdovers, but with his character locked in the confines of a kitchen from The Bear instead of a school. Both he and Woodall do a wonderful job at bringing their characters to life and providing laughs amidst some depressive undertones, but it is Antonio Banderas who brings the heart to the film as Tony’s warm mentor, showing him the path to the light and igniting his love for food.

Once Tony learns to harness his aggression and focus himself, one begins to appreciate other elements of the film. Cinematographer Michael Bauman, who has previously worked on a number of Paul Thomas Anderson movies, harnesses the beauty of Provincetown’s sandy beaches and pink sunsets, making the drama a highly pleasing visual experience, and paired with a vibey 70s soundtrack and musical score from Johnson’s partner in crime Jay McCarrol, this movie washes over viewers like the refreshing waves of the ocean.

Those looking for a display of culinary delight will be left disappointed, as any real magic in the kitchen is left cold, bar a few fleeting moments, and it never truly establishes how in love with the splendours of food Bourdain really became, but Tony is a lovely ode and tribute to the man who brought so much joy to the world.

Guy Lambert

Tony is released nationwide on 14^th August 2026.

Watch the trailer for Tony here: