A24‘s The Debut is receiving rave reviews ahead of its theatrical premiere later this year. It’s a new musical comedy movie written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, who also stars alongside Julianne Moore.
The Debut had its world premiere at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival on September 5 and is also selected for the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Ahead of its theatrical release on December 11, the movie has already begun garnering positive critical appreciation, with particular praise for Moore.
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes, “At heart, the film is a twisted love letter to the glory of community theater. What holds it together is the suppleness of Eisenberg’s voice as a writer-director, and the utterly astonishing performance of Julianne Moore.”
Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter says, “Maybe it’s not everything it could be. But as I howled over the lengths Mona would go to for the sake of what Jerry unkindly but accurately points out is, in the end, just some ‘thankless tertiary character,’ it felt like more than enough.”
Deadline’s Pete Hammond praised Julianne Moore’s “instant classic example of comedy timing and delivery” and called her performance “priceless.”
Additionally, Bilge Ebiri for Vulture writes, “As it starts, we might suspect we’ve seen this type of story before. But The Debut grows to become something altogether wilder, a fire-breathing encomium to the reality-altering power of acting.”
Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut puts a fresh, absurd spin on community theater
The Debut follows Mona Friedman (Julianne Moore), a shy New Jersey housewife who auditions for the Brook Arts Center production of a fictional musical called “Nosy Neighbors.” She ends up getting cast in the supporting role of Miss Danielle. As Mona falls under the sway of the enigmatic director Jerry, played by Paul Giamatti, she begins to lose herself in the role while her personal life steadily unravels.
Alongside Moore and Giamatti, The Debut also stars Jesse Eisenberg, Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Bernadette Peters, Patrick Fabian, and more.
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on ComingSoon.
