Misty Green

Chris Rock, comedian turned writer-director with the A24 backed Misty Green, has had a complicated experience with Hollywood – from calling out the film capital of the world for systemic racism to the city’s economic inequality, and also his assault on stage at the 2022 Academy Awards. It is unsurprising then that his latest feature Misty Green is a damning examination of the harsh realities of Hollywood, and what might happen to those one-time stars that fall.

The picture opens with a series of snapshots of Los Angeles – from celebrity red carpets to run down theatres, scenic boardwalks to homeless encampments – and finally Misty Green, the eponymous lead played in a star-making turn by British actor Rosalind Eleazar (Slow Horses, Rose of Nevada) walking the red-carpet. We hard cut to Misty nursing a perpetual hangover and it is clear the Misty hey-days are over: facing eviction within seven days, saddled with troubled brother (Daniel Kaluuya), and a career hanging by a thread due to a litany of self-inflicted scandals, Misty finds herself at a crossroads: take a low-paying role in a film by struggling director Jordan Green (Chris Rock) to rebuild her reputation, or accept a sleazy, lucrative proposal from her ex-coworker-turned-drug-supplier Zach (Adam Driver) which could solve her financial troubles overnight.

It’s an interesting concept that deals with issues of race, economic equality and fading star power in present day Hollywood and, at its best, strives to be a Sean Baker or Safdie brothers type of story, that drives through chaos with a complex lead, moral dilemmas and harsh imagery. In reality, Rock can’t quite wrangle these ideas into a compelling narrative, and the script is where the movie falters. The social message at its core about worsening wealth gaps, the treatment of black citizens in America and the realities of the American dream are well intentioned, but not always well executed – particularly Daniel Kaluuya’s subplot that, informed by a series of flashbacks, feels out of keeping with the overarching narrative. Rock handles his role as director with some exciting scene direction and imagery in Misty Green, from bookended visual motifs to expertly crafted tension – particularly in a racial microaggression which follows an altercation over who is assumed to pay the bill at a fancy Hollywood restaurant – and proves he has true capability behind the camera. However, much of Misty Green’s troubles come from in front of the lens, none the least with Rock’s own performance as Jordan Green who, primarily working across an outstanding Rosalind Eleazar, often appears out of his depth as a serious dramatic performer; while Anna Kendrick, who plays Misty’s closest friend Naomi – an ex TV-star who has since given up on her career in pursuit of marrying into money, is a strangely one-note performance in a character that feels underdeveloped and underutilised.

Bolstered by an excellent performance from its lead Rosalind Eleazar, Misty Green is an ambitious yet flawed feature hampered by some frustrating narrative decisions and directorial choices by Chris Rock that, at its heart, looks to be the antithesis to 2016’s La La Land and makes the case that Hollywood is not all happy endings.

Ronan Fawsitt

Misty Green is released nationwide on 6^th November 2026.

Read more reviews from our London Film Festival 2026 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the London Film Festival website here.