The Phoenician Scheme Review: Inside Wes Anderson’s Most Philosophical Film

Explore our deep review of Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme (2025)—a visually rich, philosophical, and polarizing cinematic adventure.

• Premiered at Cannes on May 18, 2025, before rolling out internationally (e.g., May 29 in Germany, May 30/June 6 in the U.S.)
• Directed by Wes Anderson, co-written with Roman Coppola, with Benicio del Toro as arms dealer Anatole “Zsa‑Zsa” Korda and Mia Threapleton as his novice-nun daughter, Liesl.
• The tone mixes Anderson’s signature symmetrical visuals and dry wit with action—plane crashes, grenades, shootouts—and existential inquiries into morality and familial bonds.

1. Visual & Stylistic Brilliance

• Anderson’s trademark aesthetic—symmetry, muted palettes, meticulously curated props—is on full display. Production design is “jubilantly exquisite,” with black-and-white spiritual sequences, ancient-looking dioramas, and symbolic shoebox archives inspired by the director’s late father-in-law.

2. Compelling Central Performances

• Benicio del Toro anchors the film with his deadpan yet magnetic portrayal of Korda, balancing menace, pathos, and comedic timing.
• Mia Threapleton, in her breakout role, brings emotional depth as Liesl, described as the “emotional core” and often outshining cameos.

3. Genre Experimentation

• Anderson drenches his usual comedy with action-adventure flavor—assassination attempts, fistfights, high-tension scenes—ushering in what some call his bloodiest and most kinetic film yet.
• Philosophical and spiritual undercurrents: Korda’s repeated near-death experiences thrust him into celestial trials, adding existential weight.

1. Thin Plot & Narrative Overload

• Many critics note that the “scheme” feels deliberately opaque and the storyline—a string of investor meetings—can drag. Some passages are seen as convoluted or perfunctory.

2. Emotional Core Underdeveloped

• While the father–daughter dynamic is praised, some feel it never achieves genuine emotional resonance. Critics say the relationship feels more thematic than fully lived.

3. Signs of Self‑Parody

• A recurring critique is that Anderson’s trademarks—quirky characters, precise visuals—work against the film, rendering it at times mannered and self-indulgent, rather than fresh or substantive.

Colonial Fantasia vs. Real-World Critique

• The film constructs a utopian fantasy version of 1950s “Phoenicia”—a composite Middle Eastern setting that avoids historical atrocities, instead depicting sanitized Orientalism. This has sparked debate: is it a whimsical allegory or problematic escapism from colonial violence?

Death, Redemption & Moral Reckoning

• The recurring heaven sequences—echoing Buñuel and Bergman—underscore Korda’s internal conflict between material empire-building and spiritual peace.

Family Over Fortune

• At its core, the film grapples with legacy: Korda pivoting from empire to entrust his daughter reflects a broader critique of capitalism and transgenerational value.

The Phoenician Scheme is a film of extremes—stunningly crafted, boldly adventurous, and emotionally ambitious, yet often narratively adrift and thematically evasive. It’s arguably Anderson’s most personal film, rooted in spiritual exploration and generational introspection, but also his most polarizing—eliciting both praise for its confidence and criticism for its aesthetic excess.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_phoenician_scheme