Final Rating: 5/5
By way of an industry connection who was bringing clients to screenings (shoutout to you Sarah!) I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the world premiere (as in the literal first ever public screening) of Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! After a brief introduction which included alluding to the fact that Yo-Yo Ma was coincidentally playing in the next building over, as well as Tony Gilroy reminiscing how he has lived near the Lincoln Center for decades, making NYFF his local film festival, we were treated to this love letter to the art of scoring films.
In the post-film Q&A, Gilroy mentioned that in his years of working in Hollywood he felt that the energy and passion he saw in recording studios was apt for a compelling narrative; when he realized no one had made such a film, he decided he would be the one to do so.
Following the story of professional cellist Alex (Pedro Pascal), Behemoth! nonlinearly tracks different chapters of his life, which has led him back to Los Angeles to care for his aging mother as well as reconnecting with his brother Andy (Will Arnett). A former prodigy and the son of two musicians, Alex has these chapters in his life ranging from romance to heartbreak to apathy to drama to even action.
Cleverly, each section is teed up as present day Alex and his fellow musicians record backing tracks for different films of different genres, the score leading into the applicable scene from Alex’s past. There is even one section where listening to a podcast about how his father used to record cartoon music, he watches his brother argue with his wife in a slapstick manner, slide whistles and all timing up perfectly with the chase around the dining room.
In many ways, I almost consider Alex to be the opposite of Lydia Tar, played by Cate Blanchett in Todd Field’s eponymous film. While both are clearly talented, one embraces their greatness and lets it lead them down the path of self destruction, while the other wrangles with the greatness within and the intergenerational trauma it has wrought.
Pascal plays Alex subtly, without a lot of showy dramatics, but also with enough convincing emotion that crescendoes at the end of the film without words in a way only music can share. Which, credit to Pascal for actually learning how to play the cello well enough for this role.
Of course, the core of this film is the score. Working with nine of the greatest living composers today who are being credited as “The Behemoth! collective,” Gilroy has been able to wrangle each one’s unique style into a collective score that works harmoniously. As noted, the music is the foundation of this film as the inspiration.
From the characterization, to the editing, to the narrative and plot progression, to the resolution at the end, it all flows through the score. I would argue that the score is as important to the film as the sound design of Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest is for that film. The only question in my mind as to whether or not it’s win competitive for Best Score at the Oscars or whether crediting themselves as a collective instead of individuals will let it be eligible in the first place.
Most folks will also want to shout out Olivia Wilde for her comedic role throughout the film, and while I appreciate what she brings, she is ultimately tangential in my mind and mostly comedic relief beyond setting up his character early on.
I do want to shout out newcomer Kaya Ralls, an actual cellist who was cast as one of Pascal’s fellow musicians in the studio, a small role that adds depth to Alex’s character. There are also some choices I personally would have made differently regarding what is and isn’t shown to the audience at the end, but I see what Gilroy is going for and it ultimately works.
While I can’t say that Behemoth! does anything novel in terms of its screenwriting or characterization (we’ve seen nonlinear stories about great prodigies and how they reckon with their talents and how it impacts others before), it is in the execution and passion where it really sings.
Behemoth! was seen during the 2026 New York Film Festival.
