Tony (2026): A Hilarious & Profound Bourdain Origin Story

When we first saw the trailer for Tony, expectations were low. It looked like a biopic-by-numbers movie about “the coming of age of a future celebrity.” Welp, we really loved this movie and a conventional biopic was never part of Matt Johnson’s (nor his collaborators) vision.

In this episode, we break down Johnson’s evolution as a filmmaker, Dominic Sessa’s performance as a young Anthony Bourdain, and a movie built around self-invention - that of the protagonist Bourdain, the actor portraying him, and the filmmaker behind the camera.

Benji also tells the story of meeting Anthony Bourdain in Livingston, Montana in 2009.

a podcast connecting social, political, or cultural moments with moments from our favorite movies.

Hosted by Benji Wade and Luke Baumgarten

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