The Debut

<h3 dir="ltr" aria-level="4">THE DEBUT</h3> <p dir="ltr"><strong>★★★★★ “Whip-smart and exceptionally funny.”</strong> — <em>Time Out</em></p> <p dir="ltr">It’s 1990 in a small New Jersey town, and Mona Friedman (Julianne Moore) is a shy housewife her husband and grown children barely notice. On a whim she auditions for a musical at the local community theater. The audition goes badly. She’s terrified of singing, and the director, Jerry (Paul Giamatti), the most feared and respected name in local theater, doesn’t hide that he’s unimpressed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then things change, and Jerry casts her anyway, without much enthusiasm. Under his relentless, sometimes ruthless coaching, Mona starts to come alive. The part she’s playing begins to take over her life offstage, and her unhappy marriage starts to shift with it. Mona has been invisible for years, and now she can’t stop being seen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed the film and wrote its original songs. <em>The Debut</em> is a comedy with music about finding your voice late in life, in the last place you’d expect. Halle Bailey, Havana Rose Liu, Colton Ryan, Lilli Cooper, Maulik Pancholy and Bernadette Peters co-star.</p> <blockquote dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">“One of the funniest movies of 2026 and also one of the saddest.” — <em>ScreenCrush</em>&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <blockquote dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">“A showstopping showcase for Moore.” — <em>JoBlo</em> (9/10)&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <blockquote dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">“A rapturous and raucously funny love letter to community theatre.” — BFI London Film Festival&nbsp;</p></blockquote>MusicPT1H45M2026-12-25USen
Julianne Moore
Paul Giamatti
Halle Bailey
Jesse Eisenberg
Emma Stone
Jesse Eisenberg
Dave McCary
Ali Herting
The Debut"The Debut"

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