Wes Anderson’s long-awaited film The Phoenician Scheme has finally arrived in theaters nationwide, offering a complex blend of crime, comedy and found family values. Those who have been following the director’s career over the years have surely seen advertisements for the exciting new film. Critics have heaped praise on the project since its world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last month. Now that The Phoenician Scheme has finally arrived, it seems like as good a time as any to dig into the characters, narrative and unpack the star-studded film‘s explosive conclusion. Those who have not yet seen The Phoenician Scheme in theaters should be advised that the following write-up contains major spoilers. For everyone else, let’s dive right in and see what we can learn from Wes Anderson’s latest off-beat outing.

What is the plot of ‘The Phoenician Scheme’?

The Phoenician Scheme opens on a mysterious industrialist by the name of Anatole ‘Zsa-Zsa’ Korda. Having spent the first half of the twentieth century ruthlessly scamming and hostile takeover-ing his way through the continent of Europe, he has now become the object of numerous assassination attempts. Despite this, Korda manages to evade death constantly, and even convenes with a divine court as they calculate his worthiness to get into heaven. By 1950, these near-death experiences finally begin to catch up with Korda, prompting him to mend his relationship with his daughter Liesl. Liesl, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her father at first, is found working as a nun at a local church, in stark contrast to her slick-talking scammer dad. After meeting with Liesl and becoming acquainted with her administrative assistant, Bjørn, Korda explains that he has concocted his greatest scheme yet.

His plan, as it turns out, is to create a massive infrastructural overhaul, which would lead to the construction of bridges, dams and tons of public works facilities all over the Mediterranean. This surprisingly selfless plan is being threatened by a gang of wealthy business owners, who have conspired to hike the cost of construction materials in order to make a fortune on the back of Korda’s life’s work. Liesl and Bjørn eventually agree to assist. However, they are frustrated to learn that their presence is mostly a smoke and mirrors operation to swindle other investors into closing a major funding gap. As the trio travels along the Mediterranean, Korda is repeatedly attacked by bandits, foreign adversaries and even suicide bombers, each seeking retribution for one of his shady business ventures of the past.

Liesl and Korda’s bizarre relationship

Though the funding of the construction project is the main plot of The Phoenician Scheme, the relationship between Korda and his daughter is the heart of the film. As we learn early in the narrative, Liesel blames her father for her mother’s death, and even considers the possibility that he murdered her mother in a fit of passion. Midway through the film, as the father-daughter duo continues to peel back the layers of their estranged relationship, we learn the truth. After narrowly surviving one of the many attempts on his life, Korda meets with an angelic representation of his deceased wife. In this discussion, we learn that Korda suspected his wife to be having an affair with his brother, Nubar. In a jealous rage, he lied to Nubar and told him that she was also cheating on him with a third man, prompting Nubar to kill her.

When Korda reveals these details to Liesel, she is enraged, though she agrees to continue supporting the Phoenician scheme in order to find proof of the murder and put Nubar behind bars. Things are complicated even further when Bjørn reveals himself to be a spy who initially signed on to sabotage Korda’s plan from the inside. Luckily, Bjørn has fallen in love with Liesel over the course of their adventures and has switched sides, ultimately becoming a true believer of the Phoenician public works project.

How does ‘The Phoenician Scheme’ end?

As the narrative ramps up to its thrilling climax, Nubar appears at a party for Korda’s investors and reveals himself to hold a majority stake in the operation. Apparently, he has been working against Korda the entire time, and has been commingling his finances with the gang of business owners looking to short construction supplies. Having failed to assassinate Korda during his travels, he attacks his brother himself, and the two engage in a brawl in front of the whole board of investors. Korda ultimately comes out on top and decides to change his ways to spare his daughter from his generational trauma. He sinks every last time of his personal fortune into the Phoenician scheme to cover the funding deficit, bankrupting himself to get the project over the finish line. Ultimately, Korda manages to live just long enough to see his vision come to life.

Meanwhile, over the course of many years, Korda repairs his relationship with Liesel and even hands down a ring which Bjørn uses to propose to her. She leaves the church and begins anew with Bjørn, though they are penniless thanks to Korda’s philanthropy. Still, Liesel explains that she is content to have some semblance of happiness in her family, as she feels that love is a much stronger bond than finance. In the end, she and Bjørn live out their days co-owning a small bistro and serving those who stop along the highway routes designed by Korda.

Where can you stream Wes Anderson’s latest movie?

At the time of this writing, The Phoenician Scheme is available to watch exclusively in theaters. Those looking to hold out until the film hits home streaming may need to wait several weeks or months before the option becomes available. Since The Phoenician Scheme is a Focus Features production, it will likely wind up hitting NBC’s Peacock before landing a streaming syndication deal with any other service. If we use other recent film releases as a barometer, we can anticipate that The Phoenician Scheme will be available to stream at home sometime in early to mid-August. Of course, there’s no guaranteed timeline for the latest Wes Anderson outing just yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Phoenician Scheme rated R?

Though some audiences anticipated The Phoenician Scheme to land with an R rating from the MPAA, the film has actually secured a PG-13. This rating is caused by several instances of adult themes, including violent content, bloody images, sexual material and smoking. Despite these adult themes, The Phoenician Scheme is not loaded to the brim with F-bombs nor full-frontal nudity, so it should be relatively appropriate for teens and young audiences with parental supervision.

Why does Wes Anderson always use the same actors?

Over the years, Wes Anderson has developed an essential chemistry with his core convent of actors. With the release of The Phoenician Scheme, many of Anderson’s frequent collaborators have returned, while a number of newcomers have been added to the roster. While many filmmakers employ these repeat casting choices, Anderson has become known for his repeated use of performers, including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and Edward Norton. Wes Anderson spoke to the New York Times about his decision to reuse actors back in 2021, stating, “I don’t know who gravitated toward whom, but as soon as Owen Wilson and I started making a movie, well, I wanted Owen to be involved with the other movies I would do. As soon as I had Bill Murray, I wanted him on the next one. I wanted Jason Schwartzman. It was natural to me.”

What is Wes Anderson’s next film?

Obviously, it’s far too early to know for sure what Wes Anderson is cooking up to follow The Phoenician Scheme. However, having consistently released films over the last several years, it seems clear that we won’t be waiting for long to hear about the acclaimed filmmaker’s next big project.

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