Review: ‘The Actor’ Crumbles Under its Filmmaker’s Ambition

Nearly a decade after delivering the Oscar-nominated stop-motion animated film, Anomalisa, writer-director Duke Johnson delivers his first foray into live-action with a stylized mystery titled The Actor. Yet, while it’s great to see Johnson’s vision unfold and Andre Holland exude emotion in every scene, The Actor doesn’t find its footing or a clear direction. 

The film follows actor Paul Cole (Holland) as he struggles to reclaim his life after suffering from amnesia and starting a relationship with a woman named Edna (Gemma Chan). Despite Johnson moving out of his comfort zone of animation, he brings a distinct eye for visuals to that blends fantasy into an otherwise grounded mystery. Johnson’s use of fake-looking backgrounds and settings distorts Paul’s sense of reality to great effect. Paul’s sudden romance with Edna has this almost palpable spark that evokes a dreamlike feel. Plus, Johnson is so good at utilizing these ’50s-inspired aesthetics that are nostalgic yet also build a growing sense of uncertainty or a detachment from reality that fits Paul’s affliction. 

Overall, Johnson excels at crafting an atmosphere full of visuals that build on the paranoia-inducing nature of Paul’s amnesia. While the film largely leans into the romantic relationship between Paul and Edna in the first act, there’s a detective-noir backbone that instantly hooks you and creates tense story beats. Whether it’s the Memento-like parts of Paul writing important things down to remember or the way every interaction has little details you want to keep track of, you quickly find yourself in a note-jotting mindset that makes these types of mysteries so easily engaging. Like Paul, you just want to know anything you can about who he was before he lost his memory, and that intrigue continues to grow as Paul heads back to his roots to truly rediscover himself. Best of all, Holland is at the center of it all, delivering a highly emotional performance that showcases the actor’s stunning range. 

While Holland mostly works in the indie film scene, performances like this really exhibit why he’s a talent everyone should have their eyes on. Not only does he make Paul’s confusion and need to understand more about himself very engrossing, but he is also able to express a wide array of frustration and desire that tugs and pulls at you. He excellently captures the overwhelming nature of Paul being caught at the crossroads of returning to his old life or living out his days in a new one. He displays crushing moments of heartbreak due to how devastating life can be without memory. Plus, he fits the noir vibes of Paul’s on-stage and real-life persona flawlessly. Holland generally holds the film together with ease and works great between other standout supporting performances from Gemma Chan and Joe Cole. 

Unfortunately, Holland’s top-notch work and Johnson’s vision are usually undercut by the way this film overstuffs itself with details and style. Once Paul decides to pursue his past more intensely, the film becomes consumed with fake-outs, abstract storytelling, and tonal shifts that continually kill the narrative’s momentum and intrigue. Certain ideas — like actors playing multiple characters — never gain a clear purpose and create confusing interactions. The entire last act is filled to the brim with thematic twists and turns that never land and make the story even harder to follow. There’s also another genre shift into meta-comedy tied to being an actor that has fun moments but makes the tonal change too jarring. Worst of all, the engaging sense of mystery gets buried under too many details being thrown at you without much notion if they’re important or even real. By the end, it’s hard to feel satisfied by what unfolds, and you find yourself scrambling through everything you just watched to only have a faint idea of what went on — which is not what anyone wants after a detective-mystery. 

There’s no denying how impressive Johnson and Holland’s efforts are with The Actor since the vision and presence they bring definitely act as the glue to the entire experience. But, Johnson’s ambition gets the best of him, which causes The Actor to become an over-complicated mystery that struggles to keep viewers engaged with its ideas or be satisfied by its conclusions. 

The Actor is now playing in select theaters.