Movie Review: Chili Finger (CCFF 2026)
Jessica Lipki (Judy Greer) is going through it. Her daughter is off to college, leaving Jessica with only her husband Ron (Sean Astin) in their suburban Wisconsin home. Ron and Jessica love each other, but there is a sense that they are more used to each other than passionate about one another. While they both have jobs, they aren’t doing great financially, as they couldn’t afford to travel with their daughter to help her move into school, which puts an emotional strain on Jessica. Ron seems unconcerned about the money or his daughter getting to college safely. Ron truly cares about two things: his men’s club and Blake Juniors, a fast-food restaurant reminiscent of Wendy’s that serves burgers, fries, and chili, among other things, which hosts his men’s club.
While having lunch at Blake Juniors, Jessica finds a finger in her bowl of chili. Blake Jr. II (Madeline Wise), the daughter of Blake Junior (John Goodman), meets with the Lipkis to settle the situation before it reaches the press. After back-and-forth negotiations, Blake Jr. II offers the Lipkis $100,000 to keep their mouths shut and never set foot into a Blake Juniors restaurant ever again, which crushes Ron and has him worried about where his men’s club will be hosted in the future.
As soon as Jessica and Ron get their money, it seems like all their troubles have been solved. But Blake Junior has other ideas, sending his number one guy, Dave (Bryan Cranston), out to investigate, interviewing Jessica and Ron, and looking over the crime scene, leading to a wild and unpredictable journey.
Directors Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad have crafted a film reminiscent of early Coen Brothers films like Raising Arizona and Fargo. It’s a darkly funny film about simple people who end up way over their heads after a minor incident goes horribly wrong. It also happens to star Coen-favorite John Goodman. The script by Stephen Helstad is a perfect balance of humor and darkness, filled with interesting characters, unique dialogue, scenes of violence and heart, and constant surprises. It touches on current themes of money troubles in suburban America and modern marriages, as well as timeless themes like greed, integrity, and honesty.
Benda and Helstad assemble an incredible ensemble cast for Chili Finger. Astin is excellent as the seemingly dopey, but good-hearted Ron. Cranston is having a blast as the veteran Dan, who gets stranger the more we learn about him. And Goodman is an absolute force as Blake Junior, commanding the screen whenever on it. But the star of the show is Greer, who gives the best performance of her illustrious career. She is the heart and soul of this movie, even if some of her actions are questionable. We’ve all been in Jessica’s shoes before. We’ve all been on the verge of breaking down and just needed a break. Jessica found her break, but at what cost? Greer shines as the sympathetic and desperate suburbanite.
Led by a stacked cast, an original script, and a perfect mix of comedy and thriller, Chili Finger is one of the biggest surprises I have seen in 2026.
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