Eleanor The Great

TIFF REVIEW: BY DARREN ZAKUS

September 25, 2025

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Eleanor the Great is a deeply moving story of love, truth and healing that is equally as heartwarming as it is guaranteed to have audiences bursting into tears, that with a stellar lead performance from June Squibb that ranks among one of the year’s best performances, allows Scarlett Johansson to conjure up a hilarious and tearjerking film in her directorial debut that is certain to delight viewers.

For decades, June Squibb has been enchanting audiences on both stage and screen, but with her latest film, she finds one of the greatest roles of her career. Alongside Scarlett Johansson, making her long desired directorial debut, they create a film that has that heartwarming experience that is wholesome, making for the perfect film to watch with your grandparents, but one that is also reflective in its exploration of storytelling, grief and forgiveness. Against the backdrop of Holocaust survivor stories, the character development and narrative that unfolds in this dramedy helps to create one of the most emotionally moving films of the year, all while Squibb creates one of the best characters of the year: the wise-cracking, utterly hilarious and charming Eleanor, who audiences are bound to fall in love with in Eleanor the Great.

Stories dealing with the Holocaust and its survivors require grace, respect and dignity, and with a story about someone taking on the identity of a Holocaust survivor and presenting them as such to the world, Eleanor the Great could have gone south very quickly. But, Tory Kamen’s screenplay threads a difficult balancing act, creating compassion for Eleanor with the situation she has found herself in while telling Bessie’s story that she never shared and was afraid would be forgotten while not shying away from the gravity of and hurt her actions caused. Interweaving moments of uncontrollable laughter and levity with its themes of loss, history, loneliness, grief, and forgiveness, Kamen’s story becomes a beautiful tale that will remain with viewers long after the credits have stopped rolling, quickly squashing any concerns that it would disrespect the important subject matter at the centre of the story.

Complementing Kamen’s writing is Johansson’s direction. Infusing the entire film with a care and levity that highlights the dual nature of the story, Johansson keeps the emotions of Eleanor’s journey at the forefront throughout the film. Ensuring that the comedy never overtakes the seriousness of subject matter, as well as telling the Holocaust elements of the story with an authenticity with consultation and having real life Holocaust survivors to play the support group members in the film, Johansson never lets the screenplay’s ideas of forgiveness and love fade but instead champions them to ensure that every emotional beat of the story reaches its full potential. Even though Eleanor The Great does not showcase a visionary direction from Johansson, her dedication to this story and telling it with an authenticity and loving touch at every possible moments not only promises great things for her behind the camera in the future, but reminds what beautiful stories can unfold on the screen when someone invests their heart in bringing it to life.

If audiences weren’t aware of it before watching Eleanor the Great, this film confirms Squibb as a true cinematic treasure. With an effortless, quick witted and precise comedic timing, Squibb brings to life Eleanor with a joy and sense of humour that will have audiences erupting into laughter as she calls the world as she sees it, giving both the titular character and the film an inspired and pitch perfect sense of spunk. At the same time, Squibb brings an emotional resonance to the story as Eleanor grapples with the story she has been telling everyone and the weight of being the only one who knows Bessie’s secret, instilling the entire film with a warmth and compassion that makes sure the story lands its emotional conclusion. It’s a beautifully nuanced performance, that like Johansson’s direction, is respectful of the film’s subject matter and its importance, that is certain to tug on audiences’ heart strings and the waterworks to be flowing by the end of the film. Not only does Squibb give one of the most delightful and endearing performances of the year, it remains one of the best lead performances that hopefully will not be forgotten come this awards season.

There is no stealing the film from Squibb, who is luminescent as Eleanor from start to finish, though the supporting cast is more than worthy of sharing the screen alongside her. Erin Kellyman, after starring in some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood in recent years, truly gets to showcase her range as an actress as Nina, the young woman who befriends Eleanor and bases her article around Eleanor’s story while coping with the loss of her own mother. Bringing an emotional honesty to Nina’s grief, Kellyman is captivating while creating an excellent dynamic on screen with Squibb in all their scenes together. Despite having a smaller amount of screen time, Chiwetel Ejiofor has some powerful moments as Nina’s father Roger, especially the film’s climactic moment as he delivers one heartfelt speech, while Jessica Hecht is a great comedic partner for Squibb as Eleanor’s daughter Lisa. Though, it is Rita Zohar who is the scene stealer of the supporting cast as Eleanor’s long time friend Bessie, perfectly matching Squibb’s comedic chops in the film’s opening scenes to create some of the funniest moments of the film, at the same time as giving a gut wrenchingly beautiful performance as she shares her story with Eleanor that will reduce viewers to tears.

Not only does Scarlett Johansson elicit one of the year’s best performances from June Squibb who is as wonderful, hilarious and sentimental as ever, it is without question one of the best performances of her entire career. Grappling with grief, love and forgiveness in a profoundly moving story, Tory Kamen’s screenplay takes this tale of an elderly woman adjusting to a new life to unforgettable places which is only bolstered by a great cast of June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rita Zohar. With the sensational and captivating performance of June Squibb as Eleanor at the centre of the film, Eleanor the Great becomes a joyous, heartfelt and emotionally stirring cinematic treat that while grappling with profound themes and challenging subject matter, becomes a crowd pleasing treat from Scarlett Johansson in her direction debut that is guaranteed to have audiences simultaneously laughing and crying