Wes Anderson is back once again with the recently released The Phoenician Scheme, following one of the richest men in Europe.

When The Phoenician Scheme begins, enigmatic industrialist and classic Wes Anderson antihero Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro) has just survived another assassination attempt, which resulted in a sixth plane crash. And yet, this doesn’t stop him from following through in complex and ruthless business practices. It isn’t just rivals who are going up against him but governments are also targeting him as well. But when we meet him in 1950, he’s close to finishing Korda Land and Sea Phoenician Infrastructure Scheme, which–to no surprise–exploits a dormant region.

Make no mistake that this project comes with its own risks, mainly to his wealth. On top of it all, the threats on his life continue. And yet, Korda finds it to be the right opportunity to name his 22-year-old estranged daughter, Liesl (Mia Threapleton), as his successor. It doesn’t matter that she is currently a practicing nun. Korda is adamant about going through with it, thus beginning the fun paperwork while Korda’s other children look on. Anyway, Korda brings both Liesl and personal tutor Bjorn (Michael Cera) on the trip through Modern Greater Independent Phoenicia.

For Korda and company, The Phoenician Scheme all about closing The Gap by means of various financial partners. Otherwise, fewer partners would be holding more risk. But anyway, math was never my strong suit and that’s why I became a writer–you can deal with the financials when you watch the film. The trip does provide some opportunities. It allows Liesl to investigate her mother’s murder. Anyway, the trip allows father and daughter to bond in a way that they’ve yet to do–a storyline that is clearly personal for Anderson.

The Phoenician Scheme is pretty typical of what we’ve come to expect from Wes Anderson in recent years. There’s some very solid writing here and of course, the film surrounds del Toro, Threapleton, and Cera with a star-studded cast. Some get more screen time than others but that’s just the way it is. Anderson rounds out the film with a number of his company regulars, if we can call them that into this point in his career, while allowing newcomers into the fold. In short, if you’re coming for any actor listed after the “and,” they’re not as prominent as the core trio. But anyway, had del Toro not been interested, it’s doubtful that Anderson would have gone ahead.

In giving his lead character the last name Korda, it enables The Phoenician Scheme to pay homage to Jewish filmmaker Alexander Korda. Korda founded London Films and after the war, he owned British Lion Films, a distribution company. As far as the character himself, he’s nowhere close to his namesake. Think more along the lines of twentieth-century US robber barons. As far as the big screen goes, Korda is a larger-than-life character, much like Charles Foster Kane.

The Phoenician Scheme will obviously have its fans in the typical Wes Anderson audience, but there’s enough here for other filmgoers to enjoy.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Wes Anderson
CAST: Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera, and Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis

Focus Features released The Phoenician Scheme in theaters on May 30, 2025. Grade: 3.5/5

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