‘The Debut’ Review: Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti Hog the Spotlight
TIFF 2026: Writer/director Jesse Eisenberg returns with an unbelievable ode to community theater — but not the good kind of unbelievable The post ‘The Debut’ Review: Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti Hog the Spotlight appeared first on TheWrap .
"The Debut" is a 2024 comedy written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who also stars alongside Kieran Culkin. The film explores the themes of grief and the impact of acting on individuals. Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti deliver strong performances as a repressed stay-at-home mom and an aging Broadway diva, respectively. However, the film is criticized for its one-dimensional characters, artificial plot, and artificial direction reminiscent of a community theater production.
The movie relies too heavily on the brilliance of Moore and Giamatti, making it difficult to accept the shortcomings of the other characters. While there are moments of magic, they are overshadowed by the film's tendency to hide nuances from the viewer. Eisenberg's decision to write and direct "The Debut" is acknowledged as a commendable effort to capture the experience of actors, but it ultimately fails to engage the audience and competes with other great films about live theater productions.
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