TONY (2026) The hit bio film about Anthony Bourdain. Starts Sept 10 – Free Bourdain book giveaway! at The Park Theatre

The new film TONY takes an affectionate, energetic look at Anthony Bourdain long before Kitchen Confidential, television fame and his transformation into one of the world’s most beloved culinary storytellers. Set during a pivotal summer in 1975, the film follows 19-year-old Tony (Dominic Sessa) to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the cocky, restless aspiring writer unexpectedly lands a job washing dishes in a seafood restaurant. What begins as simply a way to get by becomes an introduction to the exhilarating, unruly culture of the professional kitchen—and the beginning of the path that will ultimately define his life. Directed and co-written by Matt Johnson (BlackBerry), the film draws inspiration from the early chapters of Bourdain’s bestselling memoir Kitchen Confidential, while freely dramatizing events rather than presenting them as a strictly factual biography.

Dominic Sessa, the breakout star of The Holdovers, brings an appealing mixture of arrogance, insecurity and vulnerability to the young Bourdain, while Antonio Banderas gives one of the film’s most acclaimed performances as the seasoned chef who becomes an unlikely mentor. Emilia Jones plays Nancy, Tony’s romantic interest, and Leo Woodall supplies considerable energy as Sal, a charismatic and reckless kitchen veteran who introduces Tony to another side of restaurant life. Rather than trying to encompass Bourdain’s entire extraordinary career, TONYconcentrates on the moment when an uncertain young man discovers the camaraderie, discipline, danger and sheer excitement of the kitchen. The result is a funny, bittersweet and surprisingly warm coming-of-age story about finding the place where you belong.

CAST

• Dominic Sessa — Tony / Anthony Bourdain
• Antonio Banderas — Chef
• Emilia Jones — Nancy
• Leo Woodall — Sal
• Stavros Halkias — Stavros
• Dagmara Domiczyk — Gladys Bourdain
• Rich Sommer — Pierre Bourdain

Director: Matt Johnson Distributor: A24 Genre: Biography / Drama / Comedy Rating: R — pervasive language, drug use and sexual content/nudity Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes (106 minutes) Wide U.S. Release: August 21, 2026

CRITICS ARE RAVING

“Miraculously, it’s the most heartwarming comedy of the year.” — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times

“Raw and earnest, sulky and swaggering. And occasionally poetic.” — Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

“One of the finest and thorniest coming-of-age films in recent years.” — Siddhant Adlakha, IGN

“Sessa has the goods.” — Owen Gleiberman, Variety