If you’re seeing The Phoenician Scheme with the intention of seeing a Wes Anderson film, then you’re in the right place. If you’re seeing The Phoenician Scheme with the intention of just seeing a movie, this might not be the one for you. The singular, whimsical world of Wes Anderson continues to be a sight to withhold, but has also become increasingly insular. Either you’re onboard for his vision or you’re not. But his movies are losing mass appeal and seem to exist now only for those in the fanclub. And because of this, or maybe the cause of this, Wes is doubling down on his style and moving further and further away from any semblance of a “real world”. I’m always entertained by Wes’s world, although it doesn’t always move me.

The Phoenician Scheme has been described as an “espionage comedy” and is one of Wes Anderson’s most complicated narratives yet. The film tells the story of Zsa-zsa Korda (Benecio del Toro), an industrialist in the 1950s who has survived many attempts on his life. After briefly dying in a plane crash, Zsa-zsa begins to think about his life and legacy. He decides to name his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as the heir to his empire. Liesl doesn’t want the job. She is planning to become a nun and also disapproves of her father’s business (and life) practices, morals, and ethics. Eventually she agrees to a trial period and accompanies her father on a trip to finalize deals for his latest venture: a three-part infrastructure project consisting of a Trans-mountain Locomotive Tunnel, a Trans-desert Inland Waterway, and a Trans-basin Hydroelectric Embankment across the fictional Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia. The catalyst of the plot is what Zsa-zsa calls “the gap”. His enemies have fixed the price of a key tool, which has in turn increased the cost of construction around the region. Now, he must convince and manipulate his business partners in the deal to contribute more money so they can shrink the deficit. You’re following all of that, right? Honestly, me neither. In addition to the typical Wes chapter cards that divvy up the story, we also see live updates on the cost breakdown percentages of the project and how they change after each meeting. It’s a helpful tool to comprehend more of the math involved, but, ultimately, fully understanding all of the plot mechanics of The Phoenician Scheme is not essential to enjoying the film. And thankfully so because it is pretty dense and overly complicated. At a certain point you just have to stop trying to make it make sense.

Benecio del Toro is great as Zsa-zsa and gives a perfectly deadpan comedic performance. Liesl is played by Mia Threapleton who I had never seen before and found out while doing research for this review that she is Kate Winslet’s daughter! Knowing that now, it makes sense because she looks so much like her. But even before finding that out, I was impressed by her performance as a newcomer to acting going up against such heavy hitters. Accompanying Zsa-zsa and Liesl on their quest is Michael Cera as the Swedish tutor Bjorn. I thought he was fantastic and one of the funniest parts of the movie. Cera fits in so well in Wes’s sphere, I need to see them work together more often. Then comes the laundry list of others stars: Riz Ahmed as Prince Farouk, Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston as Leland and Reagan (who play basketball in one of my favorite scenes in the film), Jeffrey Wright as American shipping magnate Marty, Scarlett Johansson as Zsa-zsa’s second cousin Hilda, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Zsa-zsa’s evil brother, Uncle Nubar. Wes likes to work with a recurring troupe of actors so many of these are familiar faces.

Not only does the plot make The Phoenician Scheme one of Wes Anderson’s most ambitious projects yet but so do the themes. The tone of the entire film is slightly darker than his other films and the movie is fixated on weightier ideas. Religion. Family. Greed. Death. When Zsa-zsa dies briefly at the beginning of the film, he enters a black-and-white liminal space that seems to represent heaven. We return to this place in different moments throughout the film to confront questions of morality and mortality. What’s really important in life? What legacy do we leave behind? What does amassing a fortune matter if you can’t take it with you? Did you spend your time on Earth in a worthwhile way? That’s some pretty heavy existential stuff for a filmmaker whose work often looks like a perfectly in-place dollhouse. And it’s not immediately obvious what his point is with all of this religious, afterlife imagery. It’s dense enough that the film may benefit from repeated viewings to really become clear to audiences. The most overt idea is that family is worth more than money and the relationship between fathers and daughters is particularly special. A win for the girl dads. 

In my review of Wes Anderson’s previous feature film, Asteroid City, two years ago I said, “… your enjoyment of the movie really comes from what you want out of it. Most Wes Anderson, this film in particular, is as deep as you want it to be. You could take it at face value as a fun, quirky, cute movie that’s really incredible to look at (it could be worth watching for just the visuals alone) and has a few laughs. Or, you could try to find meaning in the structure or the odder moments or more poignant lines of dialogue.” 1) It’s weird that I’ve been doing this for long enough to be able to quote myself but, mostly, 2) the same sentiment applies to The Phoenician Scheme. It’s funny, entertaining, and has great visuals but, compared to Asteroid City, it fell a little flat for me. While the ideas in The Phoenician Scheme were deeper, the emotion in Asteroid City was stronger and the sentiment was more poignant. Asteroid City has an inexplicable yearning quality that resonates in a way The Phoenician Scheme doesn’t on any level. Most people don’t go to a Wes Anderson movie for the feeling, they go for the aesthetic. And in that area, it delivers. But if you want any more than just what you see on the screen, there are better options than The Phoenician Scheme. And even better Wes Anderson options.

2025 Count: 36 movies, 28 seasons of television, 3 specials