By entirely random coincidence, the first four films I watched at the 2026 Warsaw Film Festival in Poland all happened to be about the same thing: female empowerment & emancipation. Each with entirely different stories about unique aspects of the good/bad sides of how it happens and what many women go through, from the struggles and why freedom is so hard to ascertain, to the paths to which they can break through to gain agency and feel more empowered in their own body. These four films at WIFF were Growth of the Soil (also quite good), The Liberation, The Debut, and (the very aptly named Polish film) A Free Woman. Above all, Jesse Eisenberg’s latest film The Debut is the best of them and deserves the most praise. It’s upbeat and cheery and spry and engaging – not only a genuinely meaningful feel-good film for all the right reasons, but also an invigorating tale of finding your voice and freedom and power to be who YOU want to be. And similar to the iconic Sing Sing and other stories, it’s all about how storytelling (participating in it) is a major factor in helping people grow & build themselves up. I loved this film and I’m certain everyone else will, too.
Entirely written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who also appears in the film in a small role, The Debut is Eisenberg’s third feature film so far as a director. And yes, while it’s obvious & cliche to say, it’s all true – he just keeps getting better. Right from the start, this film has a particular pizazz and breeziness to it that sets the pace for how much fun it will be. It’s a sign we’re in the hands of an actual genuinely talented filmmaker who knows how to do more than just put script to screen, actually taking us on a journey in the film. The Debut stars Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a shy housewife in New Jersey who auditions for a local community theater production of a (fake) musical called Nosy Neighbors. She lands the minor role of Miss Danielle, the super of the building in NYC. Paul Giamatti co-stars as Jerry Blankenbuehler, the director of the play, who is a stern, but clever, theater director who will make sure that his productions turn out perfect no matter what. While the story is based around this tale of a putting on a musical, it’s ultimately a rather feminist story of Mona learning to understand herself better & find real power in becoming the character. By playing the part, she realizes her own potential, her own identity – even if it’s in becoming someone new.
In brief, The Debut is basically Self-Actualization: The Movie. Thought this is actually a good thing and Eisenberg successfully remixes this to shift it from being a Self-Help Book film into something thoroughly entertaining & deeply moving. Self-actualization is an easy thing to talk about, much harder for someone inexperienced to put into action, however here the depiction is so clear & invigorating that it might seriously get some people to give it a shot. He has masterfully crafted a delightfully vibrant, quirky, spunky, light-on-its-feet story of self empowerment and learning how to express who you are through performing as another. It’s really that simple but works wonders. While the Brook Arts Center historic theater the film takes place at does really exist, there’s a fantastical vibe as well, most notably in the way it depicts her late night encounters strolling the wild & crazy streets of New Jersey with a theatrical, oddly unrealistic style. This, in my initial interpretation, seems to be a way to let any viewer from anywhere around the world feel at home in this story and connect with it even if they’re not from New Jersey nor plan on ever visiting/moving there and joining the next local community theater production. The initial description only paints it out to be a musical comedy about putting on community theater even though it’s clearly something much more unique.
Ever since the film’s world premiere at the 2026 Telluride Film Festival, the buzz has been through the roof. It’s always a relief when catching up with a film and discovering that buzz is actually accurate and it really is that great. Julianne Moore is absolutely magnificent as Mona / Miss Danielle, as everyone else has been saying, and she deserves all the awards coming her way. The performance is a tad showy though endearing nonetheless because she’s so perfectly effervescent and charismatic. Watching her grow from her shy, tame self into the real Mona is exhilarating. Paul Giamatti is completely fantastic as well, as he always is. I’m not a big fan of encouraging people to wear “masks” all the time, but this film actually handles that concept really nicely and does so in a way that’s not only comforting, but should be deeply inspiring for many people watching. Their conversation in the car is one of the most vulnerable & moving moments of the whole film. The rest of the cast doesn’t get as much time to show off, it’s really about these two and their consequential relationship, however none of them are a weak link. The Debut is another unforgettably distinct, meaningful film from Eisenberg – whose creative ingenuity needs to be given all the support to always shine on as well.
Alex’s WIFF 2026 Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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