Anthony Bourdain’s biopic Tony is like a punch in the gut

‘Skills can be taught. Character you either have, or you don’t have,’ Anthony Bourdain once told us. And boy, did that man have character.

Growing up in North America, Bourdain was a constant in my life. I vividly remember watching an episode of Parts Unknown as a teenager, mesmerised by his magnetic narration.

His charisma oozed from the TV even while ice fishing in Canada.

And just like that fish on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec City, I was hooked.

Since taking his own life in 2018 at the age of 61, no one has come close to emulating the man who viewed food and travel as a bridge to human connection, an adored and celebrated storyteller.

Until now.

Dominic Sessa has transformed from his breakthrough role in Alexander Payne’s Christmas comedy drama The Holdovers to a teenage Bourdain in the forthcoming A24 biopic Tony.

And for anyone saying Bourdain would hate this, open your mind.

It’s not a standard cradle-to-grave biopic – instead, Tony showcases a slice of Bourdain’s colourful life starting at liberal arts college Vassar in New York, before stumbling into the chaotic culinary world by way of a Provincetown dishwasher for a summer which changes the course of his life forever.

Forget the CNN, silver-haired, slurping bún chả and cold beer with Barack Obama in Vietnam version of Bourdain for this one. He didn’t exist yet.

Of course, we don’t know much about the younger years of Bourdain’s life, other than what he told the world in his bestselling book Kitchen Confidential back in 2000; the debauchery, vivid tales of drug use in the kitchen, the powerful bond between his culinary comrades.

It all plays out in Tony, a striking summertime coming-of-age comedy-drama showcasing Bourdain’s serious soul searching; masquerading as a writer while learning to cook under the tutelage of his head chef (played by Antonio Banderas).

The bond between the two is phenomenal – Banderas’ performance is tender, powerful, and an unexpected standout in the film.

Despite not being alive during the height of his success, 23-year-old Sessa’s portrayal of a lying, gritty, almost unlikeable teenage Bourdain discovering his purpose in life ticks all the boxes.

By his own admission, Bourdain was ‘a spoiled, miserable, narcissistic, self-destructive, and thoughtless young lout, badly in need of a good a**-kicking’, a quote which suitably opens the film and perfectly describes Sessa’s approach to this role. It feels like it was his mantra.

As well as an obvious striking resemblance to Bourdain, Sessa embodies several of his characteristics; from his lanky physical stance and hunched shoulders, to his unabashed, sultry bravado.

He flits flawlessly between a frustrated teenager punching holes in the wall of an Enter the Dragon poster in his bedroom and snorting cocaine on the clock, to attentively learning how to shuck his first oyster, recalling the life-changing moment he discovered his obsession with food as a child in France.

Tony’s intense romance with Nancy (Emilia Jones) paired with breathtaking balmy, seaside town cinematography by Michael Bauman (One Battle After Another) charmingly captures a tender heart beneath such a tough exterior.

Leo Woodall’s execution of foul-mouthed scumbag restaurant worker Sal is remarkable. He escapes from his pigeonhole romcom king status, given to him after playing Bridget Jones’ love interest Roxster McDuff, once and for all in Tony.

So much so that Woodall isn’t just responsible for injecting the humour into the film (alongside an absurdly funny Stavros Halkias) but he takes on one of Kitchen Confidential’s most scandalous moments when he engages in an explicit alleyway rendezvous with a newlywed bride.

But make no mistake: this isn’t Kitchen Confidential the film. It’s not even Bradley Cooper’s 2005 Kitchen Confidential the TV series, which Bourdain probably would have hated. It’s so much more.

Matt Johnson (BlackBerry, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie) strikes perfection in a Hollywood copy-and-paste biopic era. His unpretentious approach to beautifully showcase human flaws makes him the best person to take on a character as complex as Bourdain.

There’s always been a protective shield around Bourdain, an understandably intimate attachment between him and his fans which has extended beyond death. And for a good reason; he left an indelible mark on the world.

I was one of the people who questioned the announcement of this film two years ago; fearful of how it would be approached, concerned about the impact it could have on Bourdain’s legacy.

But any hesitations I had about Tony completely disappeared by the final scene: a cameo from his closest friend, French chef Eric Ripert – the last person to see Bourdain alive.

It’s a moving conclusion that feels like both a punch in the gut and a sigh of relief.

There was nothing to worry about after all.

Tony releases in UK and Ireland cinemas August 14, 2026.

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