There’s no mistaking a Wes Anderson film. Within seconds of “The Phoenician Scheme,” his latest feature, the familiar markers snap into place: The pastel color palette, the symmetrical framing, the rapid-fire dialogue delivered with detached precision—check, check, and check. But while Anderson’s signature is undeniable, his latest film raises a familiar question: Is it still enough?

This time around, Anderson transports us to a fictional 1950s-era Phoenicia, the story follows industrialist Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a secretive arms dealer with plans for a massive infrastructure project in a politically unstable region. After a near-death experience (just one of many assisination attempts), he’s reunites with his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton), who’s now a nun. Helping (or complicating) things is Bjørn (Michael Cera), a nerdy entomologist hired to be Korda’s personal tutor, who quickly becomes smitten with Liesl.

Del Toro, in his first major Anderson collaboration, delivers a solid performance. He helps anchor the film – which is definitely needed as Anderson’s tendencies toward the whimsy can often have his characters becoming part of a dollhouse of oddballs. 

Cera, meanwhile, proves to be a natural fit for the Anderson universe—his comic timing, meek physicality, and slightly befuddled energy are a natural within the frame.  At times, his performance veers toward overly precious, but there’s heart in the portrayal that keeps it from tipping into parody.

All-Star Cast

As always, Anderson’s Rolodex is stacked. Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray—they all drop in for brief, stylized turns. Willem Dafoe even appears in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo that seems designed purely for the fans. At this point, Anderson has entered the same rarefied air once held by Woody Allen (before the fall): a director that has carved out an admirable artistic niche that actors line up for even the smallest role, eager to be part of the aesthetic machine.

But that machine is starting to show its limits. While “The Phoenician Scheme” is as polished as anything Anderson has made, it also feels like it’s spinning its wheels. The plot is more decorative than compelling, the characters more curated than lived-in. We get the sense we’ve been here before—and lately, it’s harder to ignore the diminishing returns.

At the screening I attended, a row of film students sat in front of me, nodding with academic admiration at every crafted frame. For them, the film was probably gold: the visual language, the pacing, and the auteur voice. But outside the classroom – and even for longtime Anderson admirers – this latest effort may feel like more of a showpiece than a story.

The Phoenician Scheme isn’t a misfire so much as a beautifully rendered shrug. It’ll please completists and craft geeks, but others may find themselves wishing Anderson would shake up the snow globe.