Prayer has been at the heart of cinema in 2026 in a way that it usually is not, from Wake-Up Dead Man to Sentimental Value to A Little Prayer. Even Superman, one could argue, as a helpless boy clings to his name as men with guns point them at him, following orders. They show us prayer as a plea for help. Prayer as the expression of despair, prayer as a query. But The Phoenician Scheme stands out for it’s equally valid dialogue on prayer as formality.
“When I pray no one answers. So I just do what god would suggest. It’s usually obvious anyway.”
“It’s usually obvious anyway.” In Youth Group and as a student at a Christian college, “God told me we should get married” was a pickup line my female friends put up with from my fellow man. “I felt confirmed in my decision by a sense of peace when I prayed about it” was one my father would say at the dinner table. “We prayed about it and we’ve decided to go in another direction” was how I was once rejected from a role of authority by someone who didn’t like me very much. What is epiphany and what is divine inspiration? Where is the line between taking the time to pray, and taking the time to think? What is intercession, and what is bias confirmation? What is excuse and what is prayer?
The Phoenician Scheme is Wes Anderson’s interrogation of the line between resolve and faith, predestination and desired will. It is the story of a man and his daughter deciding how much to risk, how much of their real feelings to say plainly, and how much to hide behind ritual and platitude. In one line of dialogue, a lifetime of questions about the nature of prayer, moral action, and personal desires is laid out. The moment is plain and understated, like the most fervent prayers, the ones that speak themselves before we’ve had a moment to consider them. It’s the moment in cinema this year that had me say “amen” in a crowded screening room. — Andrew Eisenman (2025)
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