Film Review: NONNAS (2025): Vince Vaughn is Solid in a Sweet Movie That Will Put a Smile on Viewers’ Faces

Nonnas Review

Nonnas (2025) Film Review, a movie directed by Stephen Chbosky, written by Liz Maccie and Jody Scaravella and starring Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Susan Sarandon, Joe Manganiello, Jimmy Smagula, Drea de Matteo, Jamie Eddy, Adam Ferrara, Jack Casey, Kate Eastman, Karen Giordano, Dee Roscioli, Tammy Pescatelli, Ali Lopez-Sohaili and Quincy Dunn-Baker.

I always thought of Vince Vaughn as a serious dramatic actor. He made one of my favorite movies, Return to Paradise, early in his career in 1998. His career ended up taking him on a different path than I had hoped for him as he appeared in many goofy comedies which were far from superb in terms of overall quality. It’s great, however, to see Vaughn take on the role of an average guy named Joe Scaravella in Netflix’s hilarious and poignant new dramedy, Nonnas. Vaughn’s work would be enough to enjoy the movie given the quality of his performance here, but the icing on the cake is that he’s joined by screen veterans Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Brenda Vaccaro in a movie about heart, perseverance and good family recipes.

This is, after all, a movie about food though it is also about Joe’s upbringing and how he managed to make a miracle happen by opening a restaurant with grandmother cooks in Staten Island, New York. As the film opens, we meet Joe as a kid and see how he was inspired by food, desserts and good Italian cooking. When we see him in the present day, his mom has passed away and her hairdresser, Gia (Susan Sarandon) wishes him well as he tries to figure out the next steps in his life.

Joe is left an inheritance of $200,000 which he invests in a restaurant that he believes would serve the community as a place where nonnas (grandmothers) would be the central chefs and provide a meal like no other. Linda Cardellini serves as a woman named Olivia with whom Joe had a history back in high school. Joe and Olivia reconnect and may just find a sparkle in their relationship even after all these years have passed.

Lorraine Bracco, always superb, plays Roberta, a woman who has a rocky past, but may just have what it takes to get back to work as Joe wants to hire her and the feisty Antonella (Brenda Vaccaro) to work as the nonnas cooking the food. Joe places an ad on Craigslist for one more cook and finds a former nun named -what else?- Teresa (Talia Shire). Gia reluctantly comes on board to make the desserts as well.

Things get off to a shaky start when the oven goes on fire and the fire department declares a major problem with the restaurant’s set up. Joe is also trying to maintain employment with the MTA and he has his friends cover for him at work while he puts his energy into setting up the restaurant in an attempt to open it to the public. Things don’t go as planned as Joe can’t get publicity for the restaurant as easily as he had hoped to. This movie feels like Restaurant of Dreams, a spin on the title Field of Dreams. We all know if Joe builds it, they will come, but the film is heartwarming and pleasant to watch as it goes through the fact-based story of how the restaurant came to be.

Vince Vaughn is fabulous in his best work in years. Joe forms a solid bond with Linda Cardellini’s would-be lawyer character and the two look ever-so-cute together on-screen. Cardellini is heartfelt in her lovely turn here. Of course, it’s also fun watching the nonnas trade zingy barbs that will have you laughing out loud. While Shire’s character is a bit reserved, Roberta and Antonella go at it as they argue about the different parts of Italy they come from and much more.

Shire’s performance is not without its touching moments either. Shire loved before and lost, so this restaurant is another chance for her to shine. Ditto Roberta and Antonella who also have become bored by the mundane details in life and need this opportunity to work out in order to enjoy their twilight years to the fullest. Sarandon is the one who never married and is the most attractive of the nonnas and Sarandon’s work is nothing short of sublime here as she has a great time on-screen.

This is Vince Vaughn’s movie all the way through and he is properly supported by the likes of the nonnas as well as Drea de Matteo and Joe Manganiello as his emotional support people who try to help guide him along the way. Like Costner’s character in Field of Dreams, Vaughn’s character must do what everyone around him tells him not to do to achieve the impossible. If you can dream it, you can make it happen in reality. That’s the lesson at the heart of the movie. It’s a familiar lesson, but with a cast like this, you’ll certainly enjoy the atmosphere and have a great time throughout.

Rating: 7.5/10

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