The Actor

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2:19

The Actor

2025,

Comedy/

Drama/

Mystery & Thriller

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78%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

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Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, The Actor finds Paul Cole (André Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Gemma Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can't be trusted, and it's unclear which of his identities is real.

Critics Consensus

Blending classical storytelling with a bold, experimental style, The Actor offers an intellectually rich exploration of identity and memory for those open to its enigmatic, artful rhythm.

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (LAist)

May 13, 2025

The theatricality of this movie... worked pretty well.

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Zachary Barnes

Wall Street Journal

Mar 15, 2025

While Mr. Holland is a clear talent with a screen presence at once natural and vivid, his character is passive to the point of emptiness.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Mar 14, 2025

2.5/4

An undeniably haunting piece of work, a story that’s out of place and time in a world that’s like our own but not quite. Rod Serling would have dug it.

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John Serba

Decider

Sep 2, 2025

It’s easy to appreciate The Actor’s ambition – on paper. In reality, the film never finds its rhythm or dramatic momentum.

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John Stark

Mac the Movie Guy

Aug 7, 2025

77/100

Andre Holland is The Actor, and Duke Johnson is The Director, and these two come together to create the cinematic equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting. You might not get it, but some people will be blown away by it. Art is in the eye of the beholder.

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Maxance Vincent

FilmSpeak.net

Jul 11, 2025

B-

As a technical exercise and demonstration of Holland’s acting prowess, The Actor more than shines. As a surreal thriller, it has the striking images but none of the execution to warrant Lynchian comparisons.

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Duke Johnson

Director

André Holland

Actor

Gemma Chan

Actor

May Calamawy

Actor

Asim Chaudhry

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The Actor: Trailer 1

2:19

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Synopsis

Based on the novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake, The Actor finds Paul Cole (André Holland) stranded in a mysterious small town with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Without a sense of identity or purpose, he starts from scratch and begins courting a local costume designer Edna (Gemma Chan). As bits and pieces of his past slowly emerge, he attempts to find his way home, but time is slippery, appearances can't be trusted, and it's unclear which of his identities is real.

Director: Duke Johnson
Producer: Abigail Spencer, Duke Johnson, Paul Young, Ken Kao
Screenwriter: Steve Cooney, Duke Johnson
Distributor: NEON
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 14, 2025, Limited

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