The Phoenician Scheme review — Wes Anderson returns with one of his most stylistically assured and emotionally resonant films to date. With The Phoenician Scheme, the director blends his trademark visual precision and dry wit with a story that cuts deeper than expected, resulting in a film that is both charmingly absurd and quietly haunting.
Set against a fictional Mediterranean backdrop, the story follows Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda (Benicio Del Toro), a flamboyant and morally ambiguous industrialist who survives a failed assassination attempt. Sensing the end of his reign, he calls upon his estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a convent-raised recluse, to take over his empire — and perhaps exact revenge.
Wes Anderson’s Style Meets Something Deeper
Visually, The Phoenician Scheme is peak Anderson: symmetrical framing, pastel color palettes, and deadpakn performances executed with surgical precision. But what elevates this entry in his filmography is its emotional current. Critics have long accused Anderson’s work of being emotionally detached — beautiful but hollow. Here, that critique no longer holds.
Liesl’s internal journey provides a beating heart to the elaborate aesthetic. Mia Threapleton, in a breakout performance, conveys vulnerability, quiet strength, and a restrained fury that anchors the film’s emotional stakes. Her scenes with
Del Toro offer a strange but poignant father-daughter dynamic, layered with irony and tension.
Anderson doesn’t abandon his signature quirks — far from it — but he uses them to frame human emotion rather than obscure it. The script is witty, packed with deadpan humor, multilingual wordplay, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visual gags. Yet beneath the comic surface lies a meditation on legacy, estrangement, and the moral rot that comes with unchecked ambition.
Critical Response and Where It Stands in His Filmography
The Phoenician Scheme has drawn praise for its willingness to experiment within the familiar Anderson formula. Publications like The New Yorker and /Film hailed it as a return to form — even a creative rejuvenation. While The Film Stage noted a sense of narrative overload, most critics agree that Anderson strikes a better balance here between structure and spontaneity than in his more recent work.
Supporting performances from a stacked ensemble — including Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, and Tilda Swinton — provide richness without distraction. Alexandre Desplat’s score complements the film’s whimsical melancholy with elegance.
Watch the The Phoenician Scheme (2025) – BTS footage
Whether The Phoenician Scheme will win over Anderson’s detractors remains to be seen, but for longtime fans, it is a gratifying reminder of what makes him such a singular voice in contemporary cinema. It’s not just a return to form — it’s a step forward.
