Scarlett Johansson’s debut as a director, Eleanor the Great, is an emotionally rich film that blends comedy and drama in a way that feels familiar and a bit unsettling. Starring June Squibb as the fiery 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, the movie explores grief, identity, the stories we tell ourselves, and the ones we tell others.
At the beginning of the film, Eleanor’s life takes a turn after her longtime best friend Bessie dies. She moves from Florida to New York to live with her daughter (Jessica Hecht) and grandson (Will Price). Lonely, she ends up at a meeting for Holocaust survivors by mistake, but instead of correcting them, she takes on Bessie’s story as her own. Her lie grows, especially when she strikes up a friendship with Nina (Erin Kellyman), a young journalism student who is also grappling with her own loss.
Squibb is absolutely magnetic in the role. She is sharp, brusque, hilarious, and heartbreaking, sometimes all within the same scene. Her depiction of Eleanor creates a character who uses humor and stubbornness as armor. Squibb’s character balances the strength of Eleanor after a loss and the weakness that leads her into this lie.
At its heart, the film is asking tough questions about memory, legacy, and truth. Why does Eleanor lie? Is she just trying to belong, or is it deeper? Is this her way of keeping her friend alive inside of her? The movie treats Eleanor’s deception not as a punchline, but as a complicated act born of grief and loneliness.
That said, some critics argue that the film softens the moral consequences too much. Eleanor’s lie is serious. She is impersonating a Holocaust survivor, and a few reviews suggest that the movie doesn’t fully reckon with how hurtful or dangerous that can be. Peter Bradshaw for the Guardian writes, “Holocaust survivor imposture is a serious issue, because such cases can be seized on by neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers. And it is very fatuous for the ‘journalists’ in this movie not to mention this at all.” In our modern world, a lie about such a horrific part of history is not one that can be taken lightly, but the movie just brushes it aside. According to Monica Castillo’s review, there’s a “thorny question” at the center of the story that is never quite answered: “Does Eleanor’s loneliness justify the hurt she unintentionally causes?”
Johansson’s directing leans into simplicity, letting the actors carry the emotional weight. Cinematographer Hélène Louvart gives Eleanor a warm, glowing presence, especially in close-up shots that let us see her mischief, her regret, and her panic when her lie spins out of control. The pacing is gentle, sometimes too gentle, although it’s effective in building character. At times the plot feels a little too tidy or sentimental.
There are many moments in the film that land: the humor (often sharp and dry), the sadness of loss, and the bittersweetness of friendship across generations. Watching Squibb in distress is difficult. Her pain doesn’t feel theatrical but deeply lived. For many viewers, the heart of the film is in the relationship between Eleanor and Nina: two very different people, tied together by grief, truth, and the need to be seen.
At the end of the film, it was clear to me that the conflict was not resolved and tied up with a bow. Instead it gets to stick around. The morality of Eleanor’s actions has been a question that is tossing and turning throughout my head, and I still don’t have a firm answer to whether her lie is excusable. To me, a film that sticks with you and leads you to think deeply is a film worth watching, so I am glad that I watched Eleanor the Great.
If you are looking for an interesting movie to watch with multiple generations of your family, I would recommend you watch Eleanor the Great, currently streaming on Netflix.
Image credit: IMDB