Paper Tiger (2026)
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A suburban American family's life is upended when two brothers become entangled in a lucrative but dangerous scheme with the Russian mafia.
The story
In 1980s Queens, two brothers pursue a lucrative business opportunity that leads them into a dangerous scheme involving the Russian mafia. As they become entangled in the criminal underworld, the situation begins to terrorize their suburban family. The escalating conflict puts the brothers' sibling bond to the test as they struggle to protect their domestic life from the growing threat of the mob.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Set in 1980s Queens, the story follows two brothers who seek out a lucrative business opportunity, only to find themselves caught in a scheme involving the Russian mafia. The criminal involvement begins to terrorize their suburban family, creating a high-stakes situation that tests the bond between the siblings. The film explores the domestic fallout of this criminal entanglement, focusing on the family's struggle against the fearsome Russian mob boss, Simeon Bogoyavich. The narrative weaves together elements of a crime drama with a domestic psychodrama, highlighting the personal consequences of the brothers' choices.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 115
- Production countries
- United States; Brazil; Italy
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Gray
- Writers
- James Gray · writer
- Cast and characters
- Adam Driver · Gary Pearl; Scarlett Johansson · Hester Pearl; Miles Teller · Irwin Pearl; Gavin Goudey · Scott Pearl; Roman Engel · Ben Pearl; Victor Ptak · Simeon Bogoyavich; Cindy Katz · Iris Belfer; Yavor Vesselinov · Alexei Yunov
- Genres
- crime-drama
- Themes
- sibling bonds; crime; family dynamics
- Tone and mood
- grandiose; implausible; domestic psychodrama
- Setting
- 1980s Queens
- Premise and plot tags
- brothers; Russian Mafia; crime drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- original piece of material
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with some describing it as 'old school in the best way' and others characterizing it as a 'mouthy, close-knit Jewish domestic psychodrama.'
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 79 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- The film was shot on 35mm.; The film received a 10-minute standing ovation at its world premiere.; The film was selected as the opening film of the 2026 New York Film Festival.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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