Film Review: ICONOCLAST: Gabriel Basso Stuns with a Terrifying Film About One Man’s Poor Grip on Reality [Tribeca 2026]

Iconoclast Review

Iconoclast (2026) Film Review from the 25th Annual Tribeca Film Festival, a movie written and directed by Gabriel Basso and starring Gabriel Basso, Rain Spencer, Courtney Eaton, Michael Flynn, Ryann Bailey, Jake Brown, Gabriel Casdorph, Noah Centineo, Maria Camila Giraldo, Kiernan Shipka and Benjamin Tamanikaiyaroi.

Filmmaker Gabriel Basso’s slow-burn thriller, Iconoclast, is a ground-breaking piece of filmmaking. Coming 50 years (half a century) after the Oscar-caliber Network, Iconoclast is a look inside the world of a man whose life isn’t as noteworthy as the lead character from the 1976 drama. Basso plays the lead in Iconoclast, Connor, and it’s a gritty performance for the record books.

Connor works a job as meaningless as can be. As he opens an electrical appliance store with very few daily customers coming and going, Connor clings on to thoughts of his favorite female influencer, Nika (Courtney Eaton). Nika does livestreams which fascinate Connor. Connor works out regularly in the hopes of a better life and becomes immersed in his own bizarre world, even going as far as to get ahold of a gun. Connor could have a real relationship with the similarly troubled co-worker, Morgan (Rain Spencer), but she’s just as mixed up as he is albeit in a different way.

This film is a slow burn, to say the least. It examines the life of Connor underneath a microscope, so to say. We see his daily interactions, his endeavors and get to learn about his hopes and dreams which are about as far away from reality as he, himself, is. What makes Iconoclast so special is its focus on the minute, minor details of Connor’s dead-end existence. We know his chances at a better life are dampened by his lack of a grip on reality. Yet, the film keeps the viewer wondering which way Connor will turn next and if there’s any chance at a happy medium for him to reach.

Iconoclast has some of the best end credits of all-time. The end credits come up in chat box as a key person speaks about what she’s looking for in a potential romantic partner. I won’t tell you who it is, but Basso’s use of this structure at the end plays perfectly, debunking the depressing ending which hammers home some major points about the human struggle for happiness and emotional satisfaction.

Iconoclast is a Network for the internet age. Instead of someone popular, though, the new film zeroes in on an everyman of sorts who could be the guy next door for all we know. Basso is fantastic in terms of the way he creates the character he wrote for himself and develops him throughout the picture. Rain Spencer is also equally commanding with a turn that could break the viewer’s heat with its earnestness and frankness.

It is the perfect time for a movie like Iconoclast. It feels things have gotten worse in America since the aforementioned 1976 film in some respects, especially for the lower-class group that the new picture focuses on. Connor is mad as hell, and he is going to face his comeuppance sooner rather than later if he doesn’t straighten up and fly right.

Courtney Eaton is a revelation as Nika as she makes the viewer understand Connor’s obsession with her work. What Nika does is just that, though – work. Eaton understood the assignment and is nothing short of breathtaking as the influencer whose maddening influence over others can reshape the lives of people she will never ever truly know personally whether they contacted her or not.

Basso never hits a false note here. In 1976, someone was “mad as hell” and wasn’t going to take it anymore in Network. In 2026, a new character, Connor, is. What Iconoclast says is that those who feel that way can be easily silenced because they’ll be plenty of people who can keep taking it – if they want to live their lives peacefully, that is.

Iconoclast does have a few minor flaws. Its slow pace could make getting to the finish line a chore for people who don’t relate to Connor. Basso does his best to make the character interesting and compelling so that viewers should stick with him until the end. There’s no question that Connor is going to meet a dire fate, it’s just how. How long can Connor live a dead-end life with little hope for a better one?

Iconoclast does the right thing. It develops its characters and drives its points home with a subtle sledgehammer. Nobody at my Tribeca screening applauded this movie. That’s not because it isn’t good. It’s because people simply may not be ready for something as profound as this movie is. If you think you can face the themes this movie hammers away at, then you are in for one of the most thought-provoking experiences of the year.

Basso is a star who knows his character inside and out and plays him accordingly. There is never a false moment in terms of the direction, and the picture elevates the material to where it needs to be to get under the viewer’s skin. 50 years after the challenging Network, Basso shows that hopes and dreams don’t come true in the world for those who can’t accept the harsh realities in which they are accustomed to. This film is a dark, but urgent, cinematic achievement that shouldn’t be missed. The power of the movie grows on the viewer days after seeing it which is a true rarity these days.

Rating: 8/10

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