The Debut, 2026.
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg.
Starring Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Bonnie Milligan, Lillie Cooper, Colton Ryan, K. Todd Freeman, Eldar Isgandarov, Susan Blommaert, Maulik Pancholy, Jared Loftin, Megumi Nakamura, Havana Rose Liu, Patrick Fabian, Cara Buono, Jonah Diamond, Becca Suskauer, Jesse Eisenberg and Bernadette Peters.
SYNOPSIS:
When an unassuming housewife is unexpectedly cast in a community theater production, she loses herself in the role under the spell of a strong-willed director.
Jesse Eisenberg’s transition to writer-director really took off with his sophomore feature A Real Pain, winning a BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay and a host of accolades for Kieran Culkin’s supporting role. His next feature The Debut, reunites him with Julianne Moore, star of his first film as director. Coming off such a success Eisenberg cleverly goes in a completely different direction following Moore’s Mona Friedman, a quiet suburban housewife who has a seemingly random urge to take part in a local community musical production where she falls under the tutelage of the stern director Jerry (Paul Giamatti).
The fictional musical within the film, Nosy Neighbors, feels real in every sense, from the plot beats to the songs within it, performed by Moore and the supporting cast. It has the feel of a musical that could well be a success on Broadway, Eisenberg himself contributing to the songs. This is a different kind of performance from Julianne Moore in a role that has her hotly tipped to get a second Oscar and sees a gradual shift as she dives into the role of her character Miss Danielle, uncovering sides to herself she didn’t know existed and realising some truths about the mundanity of her life.
As with A Real Pain, there is a real balance between hilarity and heartbreak, the first half especially has some brilliant comedic moments. Eisenberg manages to incorporate more dramatic, almost psychological thriller tones into the second half without derailing the film. There are shades of Sunset Boulevard and Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz and even if this never quite reaches the dizzying heights of those, there is much to admire and Eisenberg’s direction certainly feels accomplished enough.
Giamatti is a fine foil for Moore, Jerry showcasing both his comedic timing but also plenty of dramatic moments, cut from a similar cloth to his role in The Holdovers without feeling like a copy. It’s hard to see other actors imbuing Mona with such depth. Even after a remarkable career that has covered every genre imaginable and working with some of the finest directors, Moore continues to push herself and showcase her range in what is one of her most accomplished performances.
The Debut is built around two incredibly engaging and dynamic central performances that will both likely receive major attention come awards season. It certainly proves A Real Pain was no fluke and that Eisenberg is a talented writer/director. It might be relatively slight but there is much to enjoy from its reverential sendups of Musical Theatre and tonal mashup and with two terrific lead roles.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
