The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker August 5, 2025

The latest film from Director Wes Anderson ('Grand Budapest Hotel'), 'The Phoenician Scheme' makes its physical media debut on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Universal. Filled with quirky characters, unique and memorable dialogue, and carefully-crafted shots, 'The Phoenician Scheme stars Benicio Del Toro ('The Usual Suspects'), Mia Threapleton ('The Buccaneers'), Michael Cera ('Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'), and an assortment of well-known Hollywood actors in various supporting roles. The disc is outfitted with an excellent video transfer and an impressive Dolby Atmos track but is sadly light on substantive on-disc extras. A slipcover, and a Digital Code redeemable through Movies Anywhere are also included.

In Wes Anderson's latest, Anatole "Zsa-zsa" Korda (Benicio Del Toro) is a powerful international businessman, arms dealer, and likely also a number of other hinted at but not officially disclosed things, who has achieved an impressive level of success and financial resources. Those in the world of high finance refer to him as "Mr. 5%" as that is his universally consistent and standard rate of return on his business ventures. Over his career, he has also amassed an array of enemies, a number of deceased former wives, and 10 children; nine adopted boys and an adult daughter (Mia Threapleton) who is a nun. After surviving several assassination attempts, he currently has his sights set on two things: ensuring his legacy by passing his empire down to one of his children, and the successful completion of a massive, multi-pronged venture in Phoenicia. He just needs to stay alive long enough to corral his global consortium of partners and bring his chosen heir up to speed quickly enough to try to see the project through to completion before his enemies are able to take him out.

Almost from the beginning of the short on-disc supplemental features, it's revealed (and should come as no great surprise) that the script was crafted with very specific actors in mind to play the key roles in the film. Most critical among them was having Benicio Del Toro in the role of Zsa-zsa Korda, a seemingly unkillable man of questionable morality and ethics but incredible business acumen and an eye on the long game. With his understated performance and virtually unshakable calm demeanor, Del Toro provides the shady Zsa-zsa with an easygoing charm that's impossible to resist. Even as the steady drip of unsavory details of past ventures and previous associates continues to fill out his background throughout the film, his Zsa-zsa is always likable. A significant part ot that likability simply comes down to Del Toro's face, which has always been quite expressive. In The Phoenician Scheme, he uses it to convey an inherent sense of cunning mixed with an increasing level of world-weariness. Though he is tirelessly resilient and adaptable in the face of the numerous adversities he faces in the film, his face tells the tale. Charting the number and types of wounds he bears on his face, and how they're healing, is one of the most interesting and inventive methods of tracking the passage of time in the film. In the hands of a different actor, this may have felt almost cartoonish, but with Del Toro, it's a testament to his endurance and determination to his objectives through to the end, no matter the hardship he needs to face.

Zsa-zsa's recent near-death experience also has him keenly focused on passing his business interests and vast fortune down to the most worthy of his children, something he's long been preparing for. Not willing to leave much to chance, he's adopted an array of different sons; his contention being one never knows which among them will prove to be the most worthy, but he assumes on will be. Considering the film is set during the 1950s, Zsa- zsa makes a choice that is supremely counter to expectations. Despite the volume of male heirs he's paid to rear and educate to the best of his ability, it's Liesl, the novitiate nun, that he selects. That revelatory experience also affords the film opportunities to mix in key moments from Korda's brief time in the afterlife, meeting family, wives, and even God. These scenes provide key insight into how others from his life view him, the relevance of what he thought was important, and, in direct opposition to how tightly he attempts to control and manipulate every aspect and eventuality of his business dealings, he seems remarkably resigned whatever fate has been decided based on how he measures up on the divine scales of judgement. Clearly, in his mind what's done is done. But will it prompt him to change?

Regardless of how indestructible and self-assured Zsa-zsa is at the start of the film, and the volume of mayhem that is generated as he attempts to see his plans through to completion, his character's development affords The Phoenician Scheme a chance to add something of a heart- warming layer. Though he's a 1950s vintage headstrong tough-guy patriarch, Liesl's impact on him is unmistakable. As he attempts to transform a nun into the leader of an empire of morally questionable goals, ethics, and tactics, he softens. She becomes increasingly able to influence his actions and his priorities. Her efforts liberate the nine boys from their well-defined and carefully manicured existence and usher them into something that more closely resembles normalcy. Likewise, Zsa-zsa has an obvious and much more comedic impact on the morally upright and religiously devout Liesl. Although he doesn't exactly transform her into a criminal mastermind, his influence, presence, and their shared experiences provide her with numerous instances to partake many aspects of life which were unknown to her, if not outright taboo or forbidden. For both characters, these changes take place in a manner and are evidenced and actualized in ways that feel quite organic and believable.

As is the case with Anderson's films, there's a certain trademark quirkiness that is frequently on display that impacts numerous aspects of the film. Shots are carefully constructed, such as what is arguably the film's most iconic moment - the overhead shot of Del Toro's Zsa-zsa in the bathtub as numerous perfectly appointed nurses maneuver over the tiled floor as they go about their business while he reclines, soaks, and smokes. Elsewhere, several tableaus are constructed, with the actors holding and the camera lingering just long enough for the viewer to fully take in the moment before the stillness is disrupted and the action of the scene gets underway. Character peculiarities are also often on display. Though he considers it friendly, Zsa-zsa passes out hand grenades in much the same way that Tom Baker's Doctor passed out Jelly Babies during his beloved run on the venerable BBC series Doctor Who during the 1980s. Bjorn (Michael Cera) takes his affinity for and connection with bugs to a level that would impress Dr. Doolittle. There are more still that I won't enumerate here, as even the action sequences display some of these "Andersonian" flourishes. The Phoenician Scheme may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those who are attuned to Anderson's style, the film's world, and its characters, there is much to enjoy.

The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Phoenician Scheme has received a very solid 1080p transfer. Skin tones are consistently healthy and natural-looking. Black levels are deep and inky, and whites approach brilliance. Fine detail levels are often quite impressive - especially close-ups of Del Toro's face. As the film progresses, every fine line, wrinkle, bit of stubble, mass of swelling, scratch, cut, drop of blood, speck of ash, smear of dirt, and more besides are easily discernible. Costuming elements are pleasingly tactile and fibrous. Environmental details are also open for investigation - especially in close-up and midrange shots. Here, whether it's the upholstery of the vintage airplanes Zsa-Zsa flies in, or wood grain visible in Excalibur's meeting room and at the table where Liesl sits when we first meet her, there is a great deal to catch the eye. Colors are nicely saturated within the film's color palette, with reds having a chance to pop from time to time. Depth and dimensionality are strong, and film's fans should be pleased with the results.

The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sonically, The Phoenician Scheme's Dolby Atmos track also delights. While not bombastic and overpowering, it is frequently immersive and effectively and often subtly positions the viewer within the film's world. Heights and surrounds are leveraged to envelope the viewer in the interior of Zsa-zsa's airplanes, the echoing tunnel where he meets with Leland and Reagan (Tom Hanks and Brian Cranston), the club belonging to Marseille Bob, and other locations as well. LFE is complementary to the track's design, offering depth and realism to gunshots, airplane engines, and the like without ever vying for dominance. Dialogue is clear and front and center focused, and is easily understandable in even the most chaotic and hectic moments. Music is handled well, whether it be atmospheric or allowed to take center stage as it does briefly in the club. Directionality is precise, and objects move fluidly and realistically through he field, with the crossbow bolts being an early example in that regard. It's a great track.

The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The on-disc supplemental features for The Phoenician Scheme are a light, brief, and brisk collection of four short segments best viewed via the Play All option.

• Behind 'The Phoenician Scheme' (15.07) - Four segments, each playable individually, comprise this feature: The Cast, The Airplane, Marseille Bob's, and Zsa-zsa's World. They don't go into any great amount of detail but rather provide a modest amount of information and behind-the-scenes looks at casting, the airplane sets and a memorable effects sequence, and the club.

The Phoenician Scheme Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'll admit that I wasn't instantly enamored with The Phoenician Scheme upon my first viewing. But as I was watching the film a second time the following day, something clicked. The film and its inhabitants made sense to me, and Zsa-zsa and Liesl had me hooked. And my appreciation of the film only grew with additional viewings. The film is anchored and, to a great extent, carried by Benicio Del Toro's performance as Zsa-zsa Korda, a role which, in his hands, feels almost effortless as he understands the measure of his life up to the point of his near-death experience, reconnects with his daughter, implements the scheme, and changes in the wake of the subsequent events. It's a casually serious adventure that is funny but never silly. For fans of Director Wes Anderson, Benicio Del Toro, or any of the leads, The Phoenician Scheme 4K comes highly recommended.