The Debut Film Review: Charming & Witty

Witty, emotional, funny, and with surprisingly catchy songs, The Debut is a movie made for theatre kids about the magic of performance.

The film immediately immerses the audience into the rehearsal process. Unlike other movies about musicals or theatre shows where we don’t often see the character actually rehearsing, The Debut is not afraid of showing us what really happens in the rehearsal room, even when this means repeating songs and scenes more than once.  Eisenberg embraces this process by finding ways to always film the scene differently, using different camera movements and different angles. In doing so, the director ensures that the audience never gets bored in seeing the same musical number multiple times. Watching multiple rehearsals is key to the film, as it allows viewers to notice changes in Mona’s acting and witness all the hard work that went into the musical; seeing it all come together makes us instinctively want it to succeed.

Julianne Moore is excellent throughout, with impeccable comedic timing that we do not often see from her, but it is Paul Giamatti, as director Jerry Blankenbuehler, who steals the show. Much like in previous projects, such as The Holdovers, Giamatti manages to create moments, within the same scene, that are both incredibly funny and very deep and emotional. His performance adds an extra layer to this movie, heightening the sentimental aspect of it and bringing a uniquely witty humour to the story. The chemistry between Giamatti and Moore is compelling to watch as they start mirroring each other while their relationship grows and changes. The characters are fascinating on their own, but it is only when they are together that the audience learns who they truly are as they finally let each other in.

As a movie depicting the production of a fictional musical, the songs are essential in The Debut. All 13 original songs for Nosy Neighbors are original and were written by Eisenberg, who impressively managed to create a cohesive look and sound for a fictional musical. Not only are the songs very catchy and incredibly fun to hear during the movie, but they are also key to the narrative. This is especially true of “This City May Have Chewed Me Up (But It Hasn’t Spit Me Out)” which becomes Mona’s big number and her chance to shine under the stage spotlight during opening night. The song gives us an insight into her character’s life and feelings, but it also mirrors what Mona is going through in real life as Nosy Neighbors allows her to truly find herself outside her role as a wife and a mother.

The Debut is a movie that reflects on the transformative power of performance and on what we can learn from momentarily becoming someone else, as Mona has to step into Miss Danielle’s shoes and perhaps even embrace some elements of her character’s personality along the way. At the same time, Eisenberg’s film really works a satirical look at community theatre and amateur drama groups, and their desperate need to be taken seriously. Both a love letter and a witty analysis of the theatre, the film works precisely because it embraces each of these  elements and is not afraid of depicting the realities and struggles of community theatre.

Unfortunately, there are elements in The Debut that don’t entirely work. When Mona hallucinates an encounter with Serena Cherry, the movie moves away from the realistic storyline it has created up till then in terms of both storyline and visuals. This ends up taking away from the overall story, as it feels very jarring and not entirely aligned with the tone of the film as a whole. The movie also seems to exclusively focus on actors within the context of a theatre production, suggesting that everybody wants to be centre stage when there are many other interesting and valuable roles in theatre. While this may be true both in real life and for some of The Debut’s characters, it takes away from the fact that any job with different theatrical departments, from costumes to sound or lights, which we never see in this film, is essential and can be someone’s dream, just like acting is for others.

Overall, The Debut is a witty and charming comedy musical that will have audiences laughing out loud through its entire run time while also embracing some more emotional moments that allow the audience to get to know these characters on a deeper level. With choreographed dance sequences and catchy and memorable songs, Eisenberg incorporates the musical elements really well, creating a movie that former and current theatre kids will love.

The Debut was screened at the BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2026. The film will be released in select U.S. theaters on December 11, 2026 and in U.K. cinemas on January 15, 2027.