At a time when so many biopics feel like formulaic compilations of a person’s greatest hits or cinematic renderings of their Wikipedia summary, Matt Johnson’s Tony feels like a breath of fresh air. The film deviates from the generic biopic structure, refusing to reduce Anthony Bourdain’s life to a glossed-over highlight reel or a rushed recap. Instead, it zeroes in on the summer of 1975, when Bourdain was 19 years old. By focusing on that one formative summer, the film gives us a deeper, richer glimpse into his early restlessness and recklessness as well as a more intimate portrait of his developing worldview and identity. The decision to make Tony a coming-of-age story allows Johnson to explore the humanity that countless conventional biopics often overlook

Stephanie Laing’s Tow is a touching, based-on-a-true-story drama that sheds light on the realities of homelessness in America. The film is anchored by a dedicated performance from Rose Byrne, fresh off the success of last year’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, another film about an imperfect mother navigating a stressful situation. While Byrne and a few of the central performances bring some sincerity to the material, much of the supporting cast feels underdeveloped, with stilted performances and side characters that lack depth and nuance. Paired with a tone that often slips into cheesy sentimentality and a story that unfolds in largely predictable ways, Tow struggles to turn its powerful premise into a compelling drama.