Closing Night

Actor Cody Fern (American Horror Story, The Great Darkened Days, TIFF ’18) makes a sensational directorial debut with this sharp, emotionally astute story about family bonds and buried truths. When an internationally renowned movie star (Sarah Paulson) invites her estranged family to the opening night of her Broadway play after decades of silence, old wounds resurface almost as quickly as old habits. Her emotionally fragile sister (Naomi Watts, The Friend, TIFF ’24) remains determined to hold onto a lifetime of resentment, while her nephew (Toby Wallace, Finestkind, TIFF ’23) sees an opportunity to forge a relationship with his famous aunt.

Co-written by Fern and fellow actor Devon Bostick, the film's terrific screenplay offers its exceptional ensemble richly layered roles that continually surprise. Paulson, Watts, Wallace, Odessa A'zion (Marty Supreme), and the incomparable Dianne Wiest (I Care A Lot, TIFF ’20) relish every deliciously barbed exchange, creating a family that is equal parts chaotic, exasperating, hilarious, and all too recognizable. Fern has enormous fun with relatives who know exactly how to wound one another, yet can't quite stop showing up when it matters most. Every confrontation crackles with wit, and every insult conceals an old hurt.

But just when you think you're settling into a wickedly entertaining family drama, Closing Night quietly reveals another heart beating beneath the surface. Without ever losing its acerbic edge, the film evolves into a compassionate reflection on love, sacrifice, and the difficult choices we sometimes make for those we cherish most, asking whether even the deepest fractures can be mended when everything is finally laid bare.

JASON RYLE

Content advisory: mature themes