The Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony, starring Dominic Sessa, has landed a perfect critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes in its first round of reviews posted on the site.
An internationally renowned chef, author and Parts Unknown travel documentarian, Bourdain died tragically on June 8, 2018, at age 61. In the film, Sessa (The Holdovers) plays Bourdain at the beginning of his career, where in 1975, at age 19, he happens upon the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen — a discovery that will shape the course of his life.
Directed by Matt Johnson, Tony also stars Antonio Banderas, Emilia Jones and Leo Woodall.
Rated R, Tony opens in limited release on Aug. 7 before expanding to theaters nationwide on Aug. 21. The review embargo for the film lifted on Wednesday, and to date the film has a 100% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 30 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus, Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.
Note: This article will be updated as more reviews are posted.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Tony’?
Barry Hertz of the Globe and Mail is among the top critics on RT who gives Tony a “fresh” score, writing, “It might focus on the origins of a beloved pop-culture figure, but there are so many moments in which you can forget about the beats and markers of Bourdain’s real life and simply enjoy it as a story about one man’s voracious aspirations and appetites.”
In his “fresh” take of the film, William Bibbiani writes on RT, “Tony does earn our affection, mostly because it never pretends Bourdain has. We are invited to view the genius as a work in progress.”
Also praising the Tony is David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, who writes in his “fresh” RT review summary, “A slender slice of a famous life, the movie feels a little wispy in its mix of scrappy and sweet, rough-edged and yet bathed in the balming glow of nostalgia. But it has an idiosyncratic charm that fits the title character.”
Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent also awards Tony a “fresh” score, writing on RT, “As a film about what it means to embrace what’s in front of you and not what’s in your mind, it’s a lovely and deeply likeable work.”
Monica Castillo of AV Club is also a fan of Tony, writing in her “fresh” RT review summary, “Beyond its dutiful biopic services, Tony reminds its audience of the sharp turns and unlikely encounters that can change the course of our lives and give us stories to share over the dinner table.”
David Ehrlich of IndieWire also gives Tony a “fresh” score, but he has some reservations. Ehrlich writes on RT, “Tony struggles for an ending, but it doesn’t really need one; the real fun here lies in paving the way to parts unknown.”
Rated R, Tony opens in limited release on Aug. 7 and expands to theaters nationwide on Aug. 21.