'Eleanor the Great' Review: Scarlett Johansson's Directorial Debut is a Moving Meditation on Grief, Enhanced by a Sublime June Squibb
Scarlett Johansson stepping behind the camera with a film to call her own is long overdue. Itâs no surprise that her first directorial venture, Eleanor the Great, is a sweet portrait of an unlikely friendship between two lonely people. Itâs rooted in grief, Jewishness, and a lie regarding being a Holocaust survivor. It may sound like Dear Evan Hansen, but itâs actually a good film. Itâs so good that I sobbed many times and had to go home to sleep. Damn you, ScarJo, catching my grief on an off day.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
MPA Rating: PG-13 (thematic elements, some language and suggestive references.)
Runtime: 1 Hour and 38 Minutes
Language: English
Production Companies: Pinky Promise, Maven Screen Media, These Pictures
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Scarlett Johansson
Screenwriter: Tory Kamen
Cast: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Jessica Hecht, Chiwetel Ejiofor
U.S Release Date: September 26, 2025
Eleanor (June Squibb), a nonagenarian convert to Judaism, and Bessie (Rita Zohar), a Holocaust survivor and immigrant, reside in Florida. They have been inseparable best friends since 1953. Eleanor likes to craft little white lies about practically anything as long as it allows her and Bessie to get their way.
Once Bessie passes away, Eleanor is prompted to move back home to NYC with Lisa (Jessica Hecht), her worried divorced daughter, and her laid-back college-age grandson, Max (Will Price). Lisa suggests that she visit the Jewish Community Center. Eleanor reluctantly takes her suggestion and stumbles into a Holocaust survivors group. The moment she tries to leave after a misunderstanding, she's pressured by her peers to speak of Bessie's experience as if it's her own. The story touches everyone â even Nina (Erin Kellyman), a young NYU student sitting in for her journalism class assignment.
Nina persistently asks Eleanor for an interview to share her story for an assignment. Eleanor initially declines, but she ultimately accepts Nina's offer due to her intense loneliness and ongoing struggle with grief over Bessie. After inviting her to Shabbat dinner, Eleanor discovers that she is also mourning the recent passing of her Jewish mother and residing with her anchorman father, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who prioritizes his work over her. A friendship is struck, but Eleanor finds herself deeper into the lie than ever before.
June Squibb and Erin Kellyman are the core of Eleanor the Great
Johansson channels her inner Sofia Coppola, allowing her actors to play off each other, their characters' chemistry and friendship developing organically. The narrative swiftly progresses through the intimate friendship at the outset. However, the chemistry between Erin Kellyman and June Squibb is truly irresistible. Nina is enamored with Eleanor's wisdom and lifestyle, and the two of them see each other as individuals who share similar values. Their excursions, whether engaging in a conversation about Jewish identities at a diner or embarking on an adventure at Coney Island as Eleanor once did with Bessie during the â50s, are delightful.
At 95, June Squibb continues to be one of the funniest comedic actresses right now. She demonstrates her range and underscores the injustice of this being her second leading role after last year's Thelma. Squibb leans more into her Nebraska energy here, with a fun element of unexpected, likable snark and a compassionate spirit.
Erin Kellyman, in her first real, down-to-earth role after playing in genre stuff, is remarkable. She does an impressive job of depicting this portrait of grief's intense emotions, from uncontrollable tears to deep depression. I instantly identified with Nina's loss of her mother on a personal level, so Kellyman's performance was responsible for the majority of the tears shed.
Eleanor the Great examines loss from a sensitive, sincere perspective
Eleanor the Great is inspired by screenwriter newcomer Tory Kamen and the relationship she shared with her late grandmother. As conventional as the plot is, the sweet friendship Kamen pens is reminiscent of Lost in Translation and Up. The two leads are opposite ends of the same pillar of grief, and her writing alongside the performances by the stars constructs those emotional ties that bind them.
The filmâs setup illustrates the length of love and friendship Eleanor and Bessie share. Eleanor is the "she asked for no pickles" person to Bessie's non-combative demeanor, topped off with Squibb's immaculate, sassy line readings. You feel the strong love shared between them, and you feel the immense heartbreak Eleanor has over Bessie's passing. When the lie begins, you can tell exactly where she's coming from as a means of protecting herself from pressure and wanting to preserve the memory of her late soulmate.
Eleanor utilizes several clever editing cues to flash back to Eleanor during Bessie's time around. She listens attentively to Bessie recounting her experience during the Holocaust, her eyes locked on her, offering her solace, and evoking the love they shared throughout their lives. The passion to immortalize her friend is emotionally gripping. Heck, I even threw my Dear Evan Hansen comparison out the window.
I also appreciate how Eleanor was reluctantly thrust into these choices to lie, whether by circumstance or to kind-heartedly help out a new friend who is in the same tier of loneliness as her. In Tory Kamen's script, there are numerous instances in which Eleanor attempts to divert attention from herself, but she consistently finds herself in the hands of forces beyond her control. Given the tragedy of the actual Holocaust, the screenplay's strength is its recognition of her wrongdoing.
Nina might be the character that resonated the most. Woo, dead parent club! Her grief lies in her late mom and wanting to establish a connection to her mother's Jewish identity. How Kamen ties these two characters operating on a similar spectrum of loss and finding solace in each other swept my soul and had me hooked throughout.
Eleanor the Great is charming yet abides by conventions
The moment Eleanor lies, you're anticipating the inevitable truth. As it approaches its "liar's reveal half," however, it is teetering exhaustingly into over-saccharine Lifetime energy, leaving no space for air, and is laced with messiness to get through its resolution.
For this being Scarlett Johanssonâs directorial debut, it doesnât really have much of a calling. Most of the commendable work is courtesy of Tory Kamen's well-paced, emotionally riveting script and the performances. Hopefully, Johanssonâs next venture showcases a personalized style, but as is, Eleanor the Great is a profound meditation on grief and human connection.
Final Statement
With outstanding performances by June Squibb and Erin Kellyman, Scarlett Johansson's Eleanor the Great is a moving meditation on grief.
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