Most critics respond warmly to Tony’s tightly focused account of a formative summer in Anthony Bourdain’s life, praising its humour and avoidance of cradle-to-grave biopic routine. Dominic Sessa draws the most consistent approval for making young Bourdain’s arrogance, vulnerability and emerging sense of purpose convincing. The kitchen scenes are another point of agreement: the reviews value their energy, working relationships and sense of discovery, with Antonio Banderas also earning praise as a mentor.
Reservations centre on familiar coming-of-age beats, a slight story and underdeveloped female characters. The spread is wide, though approval dominates: some critics find depth in the modest scope, while others want more bite. Little White Lies finds the film entertaining but directionless, despite Banderas’s contribution. Time Out is the clearest dissenter, arguing that it fails to capture Bourdain’s passion for his craft and gives little reason to care about its abrasive protagonist.
L
Los Angeles Times
6 August 2026 · Amy Nicholson
85*
The critic calls it the most heartwarming comedy of the year, an affectionately sleazy portrait of a spoiled young lout who gets the ass-kicking he needs. It singles out Dominic Sessa's feral, fast-talking performance and the kitchen scenes that blend boot camp, hazing, and kung fu.
The critic praises this economical biopic for capturing a single formative year in young Anthony Bourdain's life as an audaciously entertaining snapshot of his abrasive character in the making. She singles out the crisp editing, nostalgic tone without sentimentality, strong performances (especially Dominic Sessa), and Matt Johnson's off-kilter direction for keeping the story fresh.
The critic calls it a tasty summer-breeze biopic true to the young Bourdain's spirit and already-formed personality. It singles out Dominic Sessa's star-making performance as an angry, voluble, charismatic bad boy and the vivid, spontaneous kitchen scenes.
The critic praises it as a charming, moving coming-of-age tale told with a commendably light touch that largely dodges biopic clichés. It delivers a rewarding story even without knowledge of its ties to Bourdain.
By avoiding the Bourdain we know, the film finds truth in his origin story as a floundering young man who learns humility and purpose in a Provincetown kitchen. Sessa's performance balances cocky angst with vulnerability under the mentorship of Banderas' chef.
The critic finds it a narrow, crowd-pleasing coming-of-age slice that filters Bourdain's experience through familiar beats yet remains counterintuitive entertainment. It singles out the comedy, Dominic Sessa's scowling vulnerability, and the revelatory kitchen montages showing Tony finding his subject.
The critic highlights Dominic Sessa's impressive performance in an unromantic, warts-and-all portrait that mostly avoids biopic conventions. It offers a bittersweet look at how close Bourdain came to squandering his potential.
The film is most interested in the passions that kept Bourdain’s demons at bay, focusing on a promising but ill-tempered young man setting himself toward being somebody through fits and starts in a Provincetown kitchen.
The film portrays young Tony as someone who wants to be a writer rather than a chef, with Sessa excelling as a calculating but transparent character who finds direction through kitchen work and mentorship.
The critic finds it a breezy but directionless biopic that entertains in the moment without much depth or bite. Antonio Banderas is singled out for stealing the show with pathos amid the cringe-com elements.
The critic calls the film thin and flavourless, a bland dish that renders Bourdain's story without capturing his passion or joy in the craft. It settles into a vinegary spin on a summer teen flick with little to root for in the antihero.
Matt Johnson's most straightforward movie is a summery ode to pretentious young louts everywhere, with Dominic Sessa shining in a briny, bittersweet coming-of-age comedy about a young Anthony Bourdain.
The critic praises Dominic Sessa's performance as young Anthony Bourdain, noting the film's focus on a formative summer in Provincetown where he discovers his vocation in the kitchen. It highlights the idiosyncratic charm but notes the narrative feels a bit wispy.
The review portrays the film as a light dramedy focusing on a pivotal summer in young Tony's life, emphasizing themes of growth, the pleasures of creation and consumption, and avoiding a full biopic scope. It singles out the strong performances, especially Sessa as an arrogant but evolving protagonist, and the authentic kitchen dynamics.
The review calls it a splendid, richly human origin story focused on a pivotal summer that shaped the future celebrity chef. It singles out the excellent performances, particularly from Dominic Sessa and Antonio Banderas as a wise mentor, for making the portrait engaging and hopeful.
The critic finds the film a satisfying slice of a formative summer that fulfills and exceeds biopic expectations. They single out the strong supporting performances, especially Leo Woodall as a brash role model for young Tony.
The critic praises the film as a compelling coming-of-age story that's poignant, funny, and satisfying, highlighting Dominic Sessa's authentic performance as young Bourdain and strong supporting turns, while noting the kitchen scenes evoke the spirit of Bourdain's work. The main complaint is the underdeveloped love interest character.
The critic finds Matt Johnson's mini-biopic of young Anthony Bourdain mostly enjoyable as a smartly scripted and well-crafted coming-of-age story with strong performances, but notes it is held back by an overly macho focus and underdeveloped female characters.
The piece examines the film as a narrow, focused coming-of-age story about a flawed, pretentious 19-year-old Bourdain finding his way in a kitchen environment, praising its avoidance of broad biopic tropes and its capture of youthful missteps and mentorship. It notes the oyster motif and kitchen culture as key elements.
The critic views the film as an almost-great biopic that effectively shows young Bourdain as an arrogant jerk who learns humility during a formative summer job in a Cape Cod restaurant. It praises the strong performances and self-aware tone but criticizes the handling of female characters and a somewhat contrived finale.
The critic calls it a tasty if familiar coming-of-age story that benefits from Matt Johnson's textured direction and strong performances. They single out Dominic Sessa's bemused, non-caricature take on young Bourdain and the excellent supporting cast for praise, while noting some reheated elements from recent kitchen dramas.
Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate
