The recent release of The Odyssey and Spider-Man aside, few movies this summer have as much noise behind them as Tony. Between the built-in hype that comes with any A24 release and the lingering spirit of Anthony Bourdain hovering over it, people are definitely going to have opinions. Bourdain fans will likely debate if he would approve of the film, or if he would call BS on it. Regardless, even if you know next to nothing about him, the movie easily holds its own as a universal coming-of-age story.

We caught an early press screening, and whether you are in it for the kitchen drama or just looking for a good night out, here are three reasons to grab a ticket at VIFF:

Vashon Island

An excuse to visit Vashon Island in peak summer is rarely necessary, but if you need one, Vashon Island Film Festival’s opening night screening of Tony is a pretty good one. Best of all, the fest kicks off Thursday night which means you can make it over to the island before the summer weekend crush. The ferry lines are shorter, the main drag is still relatively quiet, and wait times at local spots like MAY KITCHEN + BAR or The Ruby Brink are still manageable. Top it all off with a movie at the historic Vashon Theatre, and you have the perfect excuse for a getaway.

The Brothers Johnson

With a movie set in the mid-1970s, you know you’re bound to hear a killer soundtrack. In Tony, the standout needle drop is The Brothers Johnson’s cover of Shuggie Otis’s “Strawberry Letter 23.” The 70s summer vibes hit as soon as those iconic opening chords land. Even if the track feels a little out of place in the scene itself, it doesn’t matter because it’s The Brothers Johnson. The overall soundtrack doesn’t rival classic 70s music-driven vehicles like Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous or even the more recent Paul Thomas Anderson flick, Licorice Pizza, but it does drop some Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and The Velvet Underground for good measure. 

Leo Woodall

There’s already plenty of buzz around Dominic Sessa as the titular Tony, and Antonio Banderas turns in a typically noteworthy performance as ‘Chef’ (even if the character is a bit underwritten). But the real scene-stealer here is Leo Woodall. Every time he enters the frame, the film’s energy instantly ratchets up. Woodall plays Sal, a loutish cook in a small kitchen where Tony eventually lands working the dish pit after chasing a high school crush to Provincetown. Sal cracks lobster, shucks oysters, smokes, and even has a handy vile of coke to keep the line buzzing. You can almost trace a direct line from Sal’s kitchen swagger to the pages of Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential decades later. Even though he completely embodies toxic BOH bro culture, Woodall plays him with such charismatic charm that you can’t help but tag along for the ride.

Tony is currently in limited release, but you can grab tickets for VIFF’s opening night before the film goes wide on August 21.