Film Review: PAPER TIGER (2026): James Gray is Back on Familiar Turf With a New Tense, Dramatic Film

Paper Tiger Review

Paper Tiger (2026) Film Review, a movie written and directed by James Gray and starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, Gavin Goudey, Roman Engel, Cindy Katz, Yves Garvey, Victor Ptak, Dimiter D. Marinov, Raphael Corkhill, Roman Blat, Patrick Murney, Joel Marsh Garland, Michael Alix, Meredith Holzman, Rosslyn Luke, Grisha Reydler and Elena Solovey.

There are two major scenes in James Gray’s new 1980’s set movie, Paper Tiger, that rival some of the greatest sequences ever featured in mafia movies, new or old. Think Goodfellas, State of Grace or Heat as examples of films with stellar cinematography, and even better direction. Throw into the mix a performance from Scarlett Johansson in the new film that is among her very best, and you have the ingredients for another Queens, New York-set picture from the always competent Gray. This one is excellently written, although the movie feels like it ran out of money in its budget at the end, and simply concludes without the necessary oomph that this movie should have gone out with.

Until that last sequence, though, this is a nerve-wracking thriller about a businessman/former cop, Gary Pearl (perhaps the best work of Adam Driver’s career), who wants to bring his brother, Irwin (Miles Teller), into a lucrative business deal. Irwin may be doing fine with his day job, but the dream is always there to make more money, right? When Irwin’s two young sons (Gavin Goudey and Roman Engel) are threatened in a car by the Russian mob, the plot thickens as their dad seems to have found out a thing or two about some shady oil/waste dumping dealings with the Russian mafia.

Scarlett Johansson plays Linda, the devoted, but under-educated (when it comes to common sense), wife of Irwin and the mother of their two children. Linda turns her back on reality, and accepts her lifestyle, until she eventually realizes a.) she’s sick and probably dying and b.) that her husband has gotten involved in more than he ever bargained for through his involvement with Gary and the mob.

There’s no escaping the fact that the Russians want Gary on their side with his unique police officer connections, but Gary won’t budge. Family first, right? That is until all deals are off the table when Gary decides to go rogue in order to escape a most probable downward spiral.

Everything about this movie is especially intense. From the way Gray builds the story line to the way Johansson plays her sure-to-be recognized performance in this film. Linda becomes the very essence of the movie as she thinks the two sides of the law are simply black and white. There are good guys and bad guys she believes, but when she goes to the FBI, she further complicates an already complex dilemma.

Teller, as the average Joe, is stellar in a performance that ranks up there with the best work the actor has ever done. His character can only take so much before he realizes that things aren’t going to work out the way he once dreamed. Driver is actually the heart of the movie as the man who thinks he can talk his way out of anything, but simply has too much ambition for his own good.

Johansson steals scenes as the sick wife who wants what’s best for her sons, but doesn’t understand the way the game of life is played in the boroughs of New York City under these circumstances where heavy-hitting mob members like Semion Bogoyavich (Victor Ptak) reign supreme. Ptak is terrific as the decision maker of the Russian construct who makes his own decisions as to what he will do with Gary should he choose not to help out the team that Semion plays for so well.

As the tension builds, the drama unfolds in a gritty, no holds barred way that takes us through the mean streets of Queens as people can’t peacefully exist without making the right moves. Linda makes sure she throws the wrench into the equation because she thinks she’s going to die, and she needs to try to save her kids’ lives. She doesn’t know the consequences of her actions, but thinks the law plays fair in the world in which she has grown accustomed to. She runs the house, but doesn’t know how to play by the rules Gary knows.

Paper Tiger‘s best scene comes when Gary pulls his car over, thinking he’s being followed. He goes to the side of the road to hide in order to see if he has what it takes to survive in a game in which there can most likely be no winners. Adam Driver is astonishingly good here, and throughout his scenes in the movie, especially the scenes at the side of the road, he is amazing. This climactic sequence ranks amongst the best filmed mob movie scenes of all-time.

There’s another phenomenally rendered scene in the movie with Linda as she discovers her fate at the doctor’s and, ultimately, confronts her husband about the secrets he’s been keeping from her. When Linda confronts Irwin about the dangers he brought upon her family, Johansson hits it out of the park and scores one of the best scenes of the year. An Oscar nomination should follow. 

Paper Tiger doesn’t always work perfectly because it runs out of stream right at the end. In a hard-hitting conclusion that hammers home the points about why Irwin wanted to provide a good life for his family, the movie comes up a tad short, especially when analyzing the last scene from an advanced cinematic standpoint.

That being said. Gray knows these Queens locations like the back of his hand, and offers a compelling drama that is among his most creative works to date. Paper Tiger still strikes an unforgettable chord that cannot be undone when the final credits begin to play.

Rating: 7.5/10      

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