Matt Johnson · 2026 Tony
Part Anthony Bourdain origin story, part love letter to life, the Tony movie will butter your soul like that perfect Cape Cod lobster roll.
This isn't the Aaron Sorkin of Bourdain biopics. Stop your whining, bro.
But wanna watch the early chapters of Kitchen Confidential come to life, with a 19-year-old Bourdain chasing a girl to P-town, MA, circa 1975, washing dishes in a lobster shack and falling in love with the noble (and not so noble) way of life that is professional cookery?
Brigade in unison: Oui Chef!
Granted, the script's not quite a perfect medium rare, but you ain't seeing this one for the story.
The cinematography of Cape Cod summer days is so good you can practically smell the iodine from your theater seat. Banderas's performance is phenomenal. Plus, there are enough Kitchen Confidential Easter eggs, subtle BOH idiosyncrasies, crude cooking banter, and Lobster Thermidor to satisfy the most hardened of die-hard Bourdain fans. And did we mention the killer soundtrack featuring everyone from The Stooges to Brian Eno?
"I'll be right here. Until they drag me off the line. I'm not going anywhere. I hope. It's been an adventure. We took some casualties over the years. Things got broken. Things got lost. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
By Helaryous