Dominic Sessa Shines in TONY, a Biopic with Missing Ingredients

[L-R]: Antonio Banderas as CHEF, Dominic Sessa as TONY, Leo Woodall as SAL in TONY

Don't go into TONY expecting a hero's journey of a rising young chef and his impressive beginnings. Instead, the film focuses on a low point of Bourdain's life. Directed by Matt Johnson (BlackBerry) and written by Johnson, Todd Bartels, and Lou Howe, TONY is a movie fraught with oyster knives, dumb lies, and kitchen mishaps. Only by squinting hard could one see a hint of Bourdain's bright future underneath the guise of an overeager mop-haired emotional vacuum desperate to know he matters.

We meet Anthony "Tony" Bourdain (Dominic Sessa) in the summer of 1973. After getting turned down for a writing fellowship, he follows his college crush, Nancy (Emilia), to Provincetown, Massachusetts, with no plans and just enough cash to get the ferry home. He decides to stay after Nancy invites him to a party and fakes kitchen experience to get a job working for Chef (Antonio Banderas) at The Flagship restaurant. We witness what amounts to a coming of age summer story as Tony makes bad choices, chooses the wrong friends, and alienates everyone he really cares for.

Antonio Banderas as CHEF, Dominic Sessa as TONY

 
This movie lives or dies by the charisma of its cast. The screen loves Dominic Sessa, and he was meant to be in the 1970s aesthetic. His portrayal here feels similar to that of Angus Tully, Sessa's breakout role in THE HOLDOVERS. Sessa excels at playing intellectuals with enough wit and sarcasm to get them into trouble and just enough vulnerability to make them lovable.

We don't see Bourdain's rise to fame or what he had to overcome to earn success. Instead, this chapter perhaps helps him decide the kind of person he wants to be. His employment at The Flagship allows him to witness two models of manhood -- one in Leo Woodall's Sal, a charismatic, violent, and self-serving prick -- the other in Antonio Banderas' Chef -- a hardworking, pushy taskmaster who has a penchant for taking listless young men under his wing. Initially, Bourdain finds much to admire in Sal, who easily earns attention from ladies. But it's the patience of Chef who wins him over in the end.

Dominic Sessa as TONY, Leo Woodall as SAL in TONY

 
Viewers may be disappointed to discover that while Tony spends his summer in the kitchen of a restaurant, that's more of a set dressing than a key part of this coming of age story. Substitute cooking for sports, forming a band, or learning to dance, and the same story could be told. I expected to see mouthwatering scenes of Bourdain discovering the joy of preparing and cooking food for people to enjoy. Being a chef takes patience and creativity, both skills that writers must possess in spades. But if you didn't know Bourdain became a chef, that would not be the outcome anyone would predict.

The story does stop and take some time detailing the semi-tortuous hazing rituals Bourdain must suffer to earn his keep and become "one of the boys." These montage sequences set to era-appropriate pop tunes show Bourdain getting woken up with buckets of ice each morning or having to prove his machismo by forcing a large potato through a slicer. While entertaining, it does little to explain what kind of person Bourdain became.

Dominic Sessa as TONY

 
One aspect that is vividly described through the film's runtime is the Cape Code setting. Production designers clearly took care in making this surf town feel authentic, both in visual aesthetic and local culture. Beach towns have their quirks and special ways about them, and the Provincetown we observe feels accurately depicted and alive. One of my favorite scenes takes place when the word gets out that the annual haul of stripers has arrived off shore. All business halts as the fishing crowd and seafood restaurant owners, including Chef and Anthony, descend on the beach to get a fresh catch. There's a mad dash and adrenaline rush as everyone rushes to get their boats in the water. Then the happy buzz of a job well done as the victorious fishermen enjoy a taste of their spoils around campfires. I could have used more of that. Bourdain came to be known for experiencing food as a way of understanding culture, and this scene hints at that future.

Altogether, TONY is an entertaining coming of age story with a vivid setting and another stellar performance from Dominic Sessa. But I don't think it works as a biopic. Bourdain is a famous chef who became known for using cuisine as a kind of international passport. Making and sharing food is a universal experience that Bourdain seemed to understand could cross cultural barriers and bring people together. Even if the movie wants to show us his beginnings, I would have liked to be given a piece of the puzzle that explained his path more clearly.

Release info: In theaters August 21, 2026

Final score: 3 out of 5

Lindsey Dunn is a film critic with membership in both NC Film Critics and Southeastern Film Critics. She loves all things Cobra Kai, Netflix Dark, indie horror, and any stories about complicated relationships. You can find her at 1ofmystories.com and most social channels @1ofmystories.