I’m a little disappointed with Concessions. It occasionally hints at going somewhere, but instead meanders, much like its central characters. The piece is a remake of a short film of the same name, which Mas Bouzidi had directed in 2021. The film follows the various personalities at the Royal Alamo movie theatre on its closing day; they wrestle with moving on to the next stages of their lives, and relationships begin to strain.
This sounds like a decent set-up for a sentimental ‘coming of age’ movie with a likeable cast. However, Concessions just can’t seem to make up its mind about what it wants to be, and doesn’t particularly shine at the various things it tries. The characters feel underbaked, and those that took up the most screen time were the least likeable. Hunter (Rob Riordan) is by far the worst offender. His arc is pretty clear. His life is aimless, and he blames the theatre. Having worked there for nine years at the concessions stand, he feels the Alamo has been holding him back and welcomes the place closing. He regularly delivers long-winded diatribes about cinema – clearly influenced by his own life circumstances. Yet, we are given no reason to care about Hunter. There is nothing redeeming about him, so it is difficult to sympathise with his struggles. The film jumps around between its characters so much that we don’t get a good sense of any of them, and none of their stories feel fully realised. It impresses less as a standalone work and more like the final episode in a long-running series.
The comedic elements also fall pretty flat and, at times, get in the way of its more emotional moments. Michael Madsen (in his last ever role before his death in July this year) plays a washed-up stuntman who exaggerates his past credentials to get a free pass into the theatre. This is a one-note joke that is not only overdone (and more successfully so in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) but has little relevance to the rest of the movie, either thematically or plot-wise. Watching him walk off into the sunset works because it’s Michael Madsen; I just wish this moment were tied to a tighter storyline.
The film wants to pay tribute to cinema as a whole, but its core message gets muddled by its attempts at humour. For example, Hunter attends the last ever screening at the Alamo— the in-universe musical “Taft” (a Hamilton parody). This could work on paper; a bit of humour mixed with an emotional moment. Yet, it falls flat. This is mostly because the “Taft” character song fails as a parody. It just isn’t that funny on its own and goes on way too long. I left the screening somewhat confused as to what the film’s take on modern cinema was. Its humour is weirdly mean-spirited at times, which clashes against its more sentimental core. On one hand, the film wants to lampoon modern cinema cash grabs and rehashing old ideas. On the other, characters give teary eyed speeches about the magic of movies and the social importance of theatres themselves. Frustratingly, Concessions can’t balance these elements.
Nevertheless, there are things to like about this feature. Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead, Emancipation) gives a memorable performance as the cinema owner and has the odd funny line. Some of the film’s individual jokes land, and it is beautifully shot on 35 mm. The Alamo, as a setting, has a great atmosphere and should be a fun place to hang out in; if only I wanted to hang out with any of the people who inhabit it.
The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from 14 to 20 August 2025. Concessions screened as part of the Competition Features strand.
Press images provided by EIFF 2025 for press use.