Rent The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

Wes Anderson–Now Available in Beige - The Phoenician Scheme review by griggs

The Phoenician Scheme is Wes Anderson in soft focus—a film so buttoned-up it forgets to breathe. The dollhouse compositions, whimsical deadpan, and gallery of gentle eccentrics are all present. Still, it’s like someone swapped out the espresso for herbal tea. The colour palette is washed out, the pace dawdles and Benicio Del Toro keeps repeating that he feels “very safe.” He’s not wrong. Anderson plays it safe, too—no real jeopardy, sharp edges, just a muted stroll through melancholy miniatures.

Michael Cera, who usually triggers a full-body cringe, somehow sneaks past my defences, delivering a low-key performance that works in this oddly sedate world. But Mia Threapleton quietly lifts the whole thing, slipping out with the film’s emotional core tucked in her coat pocket. She’s the pulse in a movie that often feels like it’s under sedation.

The narrative is more straightforward than Anderson’s recent jigsaw puzzles, but strangely, it still lands with a thud. There’s an episodic drift that never quite connects to something meaningful. By the time the credits roll, you’re unsure what was at stake—or if it mattered. What might’ve been wry or charming comes across as wistful, almost mournful. It’s Anderson with all the props and none of the pep.

Hard Work - The Phoenician Scheme review by KB

I always like to check out Andersons films because they are a bit different and not mainstream but i enjoyed his old films (Tenenbaums & Life Aquatic) more than some of his more recent films .Although i liked Isle of Dogs & Asteroid City was decent i found this one hard going & confusing .Although i appreciate the style & effort that has gone into this i didn't find it that enjoyable .

A Vaguely Underwhelming Wes Anderson Film - The Phoenician Scheme review by GI

Director Wes Anderson's visual and storytelling style is so familiar from his previous films it hardly resonates when watching his latest which is contrived, elegant and and delightfully eccentric but seems a little lacklustre when compared with some of his previous films. This has some really funny moments and the stellar cast, many in one dimensional cameos, highlights the esteem in which Anderson is held as actors queue up to work with him. The likes of Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and others all make appearances here. But the heart of this film is Mia Threapleton who plays novice nun, Liesl. She is the daughter of über wealthy Zsa Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), who has a nasty plan to control food and agriculture in fictitious country Phoenicia by using slave labour and he wants Liesl to be the heir to his empire. She's reluctant but seems destined to inherit this poison chalice. Behind the scenes there are attempts to assassinate Korda and sabotage his plans. There's a screwball vibe to this film and it pushes its absurdity throughout as it all rattles along amiably enough in it's rectilinear visual style with some funny performances including Michael Cera as a spy hopelessly in love with Liesl. Daft, strange, funny and yet vaguely less than some of Anderson's more celebrated films.