The Phoenician Scheme (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.

My Take – Whether you love his work or not, Wes Anderson is indisputably one of the most gifted filmmakers of the modern cinematic era. In fact, he is a genre himself. Known for his signature aesthetic and uniquely quirky vibes, over the course of twelve films (including the Netflix anthology which released last year), the filmmaker has deservingly established a devoted fan following.

With each subsequent entry into his distinct filmography he has introduced us to often star-studded highly detailed cinematic worlds. Constantly winking at the audience, as he manipulates aspect ratios, colors, timelines, and moves walls aside in plain sight most gloriously. His films are not just aesthetically engaging; they tend to be hilarious and well-written in a quirky, down-to-earth way.

His latest, an espionage dark comedy, which he co-wrote with his regular collaborator Roman Coppola, too is no different. In true Anderson fashion, it’s a gloriously mad film from beginning to end that is unbothered with the exact mechanics of the titular scheme, and more enamored with its visual language, its character quirks, and its endless bits.

Once again boasting an enormous ensemble that includes several of his regular collaborators and a few newcomers, the film is executed with Anderson’s usual enjoyable tremendous dispatch as it indirectly deals with subject matters like finding belonging in family, religion and the afterlife, and how oligarchies affect business, politics and the world.

Agreed, it is somehow less inspired than some of his earlier work and there is less screwball sympathy for the characters, yet, keeping in mind the eccentric design and the weirdly composed story, this one too brings the expected big laughs and visual invention, along with some startlingly dark moments. Making this yet another winning little gem from the much talented auteur.

Set in the 1950s, the story follows Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro), a notorious plutocrat-entrepreneur and arms dealer who has narrowly escaped yet another assassination attempt when his plane is sabotaged by unknown assailants. Shaken by this latest close call, he contacts his only daughter, out of nine sons, the soon-to-be-nun daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) to name her as heir to his estate and entrust her with the family business while he sorts out his affairs.

But the two have a testy relationship, as Korda had sent away Liesl to a convent at the age of five, and is rumored to have murdered Liesl’s mother, although he denies this. However, everything is put on hold when a U.S. government department, led by Excalibur (Rupert Friend), who is in charge of stopping Korda’s unethical business practices & destroying his business empire, drives up the price of building materials.

A move which threatens to bankrupt Korda and endangers his risky scheme to overhaul the infrastructure of fictional Middle Eastern nation Phoenicia with slave labor and manipulate the agricultural market in such a way to cause famine. Joined by Bjørn Lund (Michael Cera), a Norwegian entomologist and his new administrative assistant, Korda and Liesl set to meet each of his investors to persuade them to close the profitability gap, so his complicated infrastructure deal doesn’t fall apart.

Thankfully, despite all the story elements in the air, the narrative is fairly straightforward. The plot meanders in the way that director Anderson‘s best work does, unfolding like a particularly elegant postcard collection-each frame its own tiny masterpiece, each line of dialogue its own dry, existential epiphany.

Though set, like many of his other films, in a hyper-stylized recreation of the past, this zany comedy feels awfully topical in its focus on a wealthy mogul pursuing profit without scruples, screwing over business partners, and subjecting the markets to his whims. The film has his signature visual touches, full of symmetrical compositions and exquisite textures and details, but there’s an uninviting coldness to the backdrops themselves: a rich man’s fortress, a half-built railway tunnel, a fancy but dim nightclub. It’s as if we’re seeing the hollowness of extreme wealth.

In a sense, Korda often mentions his shady business tactics including the use of slave labor and his role in causing a famine. While it is made clear that Korda, his associates and his enemies are acting unethically and inhumanely through rambling, confusing and quick-paced monologues, bursts of screaming and unusual meetings, the ramifications of these oligarchies are never examined.

This feels like a missed opportunity, and a better version of this film would explore its deeper themes more thoroughly while still maintaining its comedic integrity. But at the center of it all is the relationship between Korda and Liesl, the true heart of the film. Though it gets a little lost in the busy and, truth be told, rather arbitrary plot, their tense reunion, the clash of her moral principles with his lack thereof keep us engaged throughout.

Performance wise, Benicio Del Toro is terrific and has never seemed bigger or more unshackled than as Zsa-zsa. Like most Anderson protagonists, Korda rarely speaks above a polite monotone, but his double-breasted confidence and adventurism provides del Toro with a refreshingly uninhibited space to perform.

Mia Threapleton (the daughter of Kate Winslet and filmmaker Jim Threapleton) is excellent and her turn brings a level of heart that makes this latest visit to Anderson’s world a delight. Michael Cera brings a memorable and funny turn as the goofily accented Norwegian entomologist moonlighting as Korda’s traveling assistant.

In smaller roles, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Richard Ayoade, Riz Ahmed, Rupert Friend, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray and a mightily bearded Benedict Cumberbatch are a hoot. On the whole, ‘The Phoenician Scheme‘ is yet another unique and intricate Wes Anderson feature which even with its flaws is mighty enjoyable to watch.