Wes Anderson’s latest cinematic entry, The Phoenician Scheme, released in theatres on May 30th, 2025, takes place in the world of a fictional Mediterranean port town, Phoenicia, in the 1950s. Directed by Anderson and produced under American Empirical Pictures alongside Indian Paintbrush, the film stays faithful to his signature visual storytelling and obsessive attention to detail.
With an ensemble that reads like a dream cast, Benicio del Toro, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed, Mia Threapleton and Michael Cera, The Phoenician Scheme offers dry wit, painterly frames, and meticulously absurd dialogue. But while it looks and sounds like a vintage motion picture, it doesn’t always feel like it holds the emotional gravity to match its premise.
Premise
At the heart of the film is Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro), a flamboyant arms dealer and industrialist with a flair for dramatic gestures and an ever-expanding list of enemies, faces death, when his luxury jet nearly plunges into the Mediterranean due to a failed bombing attempt, he walks away with his life in his hands, literally, his guts were out, and yet a renewed awareness of his fragility.
Korda, realizing he has no successor and faced with the looming threat of his empire crumbling, Korda makes a decision that flips the entire narrative on its head.
He reaches out to his estranged daughter, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a novice nun in the quiet confines of a distant cloister. Korda, in his urgency, names her his heir, tasking her with running his vast empire, one deeply entangled in illegal weapons trades, debt diplomacy and ethically murky dealings. Liesl, whose world is built on silence, grace and faith, is suddenly shoved into a space of power, deceit and moral ambiguity.
This premise to my best understanding, positions The Phoenician Scheme as a comedic collision of extremes, where life greets death in a grand style. It is a story where convent discipline collides with corporate ruthlessness, where forgiveness and guilt tug at each other.
As Korda sets out to pay off his debts, end famine and coerce his allies into “filling the GAP” before retiring, Liesl must decide whether to uphold the legacy or return back as a Nun.
Sister Liesl is not merely a nun; she is a novice, still undergoing her rigorous training within the serene, whitewashed walls of a remote cloister. Her life, steeped in prayer, contemplation, and the quiet pursuit of spiritual enlightenment, is the polar opposite of her father’s tumultuous, morally ambiguous existence.
Korda’s sudden summons and his astonishing proposition – to name her as the sole heir to his vast estate and, more bewilderingly, to entrust her with the reins of his multi-million dollar “family business” (which, it soon becomes clear, primarily involves armaments and other less-than-legal enterprises) – throws Sister Liesl’s peaceful world into utter disarray.
The plot in The Phoenician Scheme brilliantly sets up a clash of worlds, a comedic exploration of innocence thrust into the heart of corruption, and the poignant, if often humorous, complexities of family legacy.
The core question becomes: can a novice nun navigate the treacherous waters of international arms dealing while simultaneously grappling with the truth her existence as a Nun has withheld, and all the irony she was used to. Her father, Korda, introduces her to his business allies, all of which he must either convince, bribe or coerce into filling a percentage in the GAP, so he can retire in good fortune. Will all these be possible? Will he be able to accomplish all while escaping death?
Cast and Performances
Benicio del Toro as Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda
Del Toro is magnetic in this role. He swaps his usual intense persona for something more flamboyant and surprisingly vulnerable, bringing Korda to life as a man teetering between arrogance and anxiety. Everything he does feels deliberate, from lighting a cigar during a bombing to handing a live grenade as a token of friendship. Del Toro threads the needle between excess and empathy. Beneath the bravado, there is a sadness to Korda, a loneliness he conceals behind designer suits and curt negotiations.
Mia Threapleton as Sister Liesl
Threapleton delivers a delicately poised performance. She captures Liesl’s restraint and depth with subtlety, letting her eyes do most of the work. Her presence is serene, even when chaos swirls around her. Her ability to forgive, pray and remain composed, even when confronted with news of her mother’s tragic past, is compelling. Threapleton finds a rhythm in Liesl’s discomfort, portraying her not as naive, but as someone constantly choosing peace.
Michael Cera as Professor Bjorn Lund
Cera brings the perfect level of awkward charm to Professor Lund, a bumbling entomologist with a double life. His fascination with insects and fluency in Morse code makes for a subplot that is both bizarre and strangely endearing. He is the unexpected romantic interest for Liesl, and their chemistry, quiet and sincere, gives a welcome softness in an otherwise calculated world of The Phoenician Scheme.
Riz Ahmed as Prince Farouk
Ahmed’s Prince Farouk is all precision and poise. He exudes a quiet authority, delivering each line with a knowing calm. His portrayal is regal and enigmatic, suggesting hidden depths and a shrewd understanding of the political landscape. Farouk is not merely a figurehead; he’s a player, and Ahmed conveys this with subtle power. His dialogue delivery is smooth and deliberate, often laced with a gentle irony. While his screen time might not be as extensive as some of the other leads, Ahmed makes a lasting impression, embodying a character who is both elegant and subtly dangerous.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Uncle Nubar
Cumberbatch is absolutely mesmerizing as Uncle Nubar, the Rasputin-like uncle figure. He is a truly unsettling presence, radiating an eerie, almost hypnotic charisma. Cumberbatch transforms himself, adopting a gaunt appearance and a piercing gaze that makes Nubar feel ancient and emotionally distant. His delivery is slow and deliberate, each word dripping with a cryptic wisdom that hints at a disturbing influence over the Korda family.
Scarlett Johansson as Cousin Hilda
Johansson, as Cousin Hilda, is a dull and her somewhat displeasing presence, offers a contrasting feminine energy compared to Sister Liesl. Hilda is worldly, but not so stylish, and perhaps a bit of an opportunistic lady, who navigates the core Korda family’s affairs with a very unwelcoming expression on her face. Johansson as Hilda in The Phoenician Scheme is the exact opposite of what you’d expect her to be, she is emotionally distant and plays a boring and almost insignificant character. While her role is somewhat smaller than the main leads, she makes the most of her screen time, contributing to the film’s rich ensemble feel.
What I Liked About The Phoenician Scheme
I’m on the fence for this one but as always, Wes Anderson’s distinctive visual language is a feast for the eyes. “The Phoenician Scheme” is meticulously designed, with every frame a skillfully composed art. The vibrant color palette, symmetrical compositions, and intricate set designs are instantly recognizable and contribute to a world that feels both fantastical and oddly real.
The film’s premise is genuinely captivating, and the concept of a novice nun inheriting an arms dealing empire offers a rich vein of comedic and dramatic potential. The individual performances are a joy to behold, with many actors shining in their roles no matter how little screen time they got.
I also loved the fact that I was able to get at least seven book recommendations from Korda’s library. And myself, being a huge fan of Mary and Max, and Memoir of a Snail, to a higher degree, I was able to flow with the style The Phoenician Scheme is made in.
What I Didn’t Like About The Phoenician Scheme
My usual struggle with Anderson films persists. There’s often a gap between style and substance. I admire everything on screen but rarely feel it in my gut. The emotions stay distant. The characters, while charming, feel slightly too curated. The dialogue, as beautiful as it is, never lets you forget it is dialogue, I found myself glaring at the subtitles instead of enjoying the movie.
Sometimes I get lost. The parallel visual worlds, the vibrant Mediterranean and the bleak black-and-white segments, felt like two different movies. I wanted to understand more. Maybe I missed something, maybe not. The theatre was empty except for me, so I had the luxury of rewinding scenes I found confusing.
I was so close to not reviewing this movie and opting for something else to see, but despite its complex timing, transitions and dialogues, The Phoenician Scheme is quite unique and true to its nature.
Verdict
The Phoenician Scheme is unequivocally a Wes Anderson film, no doubt, his styles are quite repetitive, through and through. It’s a visually stunning, meticulously crafted, and undeniably charming movie with a stellar cast delivering pitch-perfect performances.
If you are a devoted fan of his unique cinematic language and appreciate his distinctive brand of polished storytelling and irony, you will undoubtedly find much to adore.
However, if, like me, who sometimes yearn for a deeper emotional resonance beneath the layers of carefully arranged singularity, The Phoenician Scheme might leave you admiring its beautiful surface while wishing for a stronger emotional current beneath. It’s a delightful and undeniably unique cinematic experience, that, in itself, makes it worth watching.
My Rating
Myself, I’d feel very safe rating The Phoenician Scheme a 2.5 out of 5.
