MISTY GREEN
Starring: Rosalind Eleazar, Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, Anna Kendrick, Topher Grace, and Chris Rock
Director: Chris Rock
ADRIANO
Considering how much writer/director Chris Rock is throwing at the wall, you’d assume that something would stick. But in Misty Green, Rock attempts to tackle racism, sexism, mental health, and industry satire all in the same package. None of it is organic, and, as a result, despite the talent on display, we have an unfunny comedy with weak dramatic beats. It’s all thematically confused about itself, and by the time we get to the third act, it face-plants so hard that there’s just nothing reparable. This is not the reaction I thought I’d have, but this was a major miss.
BODE
Chris Rock doesn’t step behind the director’s chair very often, so there’s immediate intrigue from me whenever he does. Hence his latest venture, Misty Green, which finds him covering some of the same terrain as Top Five (Hollywood sucks, amiright?) to comparably lesser results. It’s got some pretty funny and biting moments, and Rosalind Eleazar makes a real impression as the title character, selling her talent and penchant for self-destruction. The problem is Rock tries to do too much narratively, and that leaves it in a pretty scattered state, especially near the finale. There’s compelling stuff here. It’s just in search of a coherent story.
QUENTIN
I saw writer-director Chris Rock do stand-up just after getting divorced, and you could tell how bitter he was. Misty Green seethes with that same bitterness. To be fair, he's right to be angry about racism, sexism, mental health treatment, and the underbelly of the Hollywood grind; however, he throws it all at the screen with little-to-no cohesiveness and zero additional insight. He's just yelling at clouds. It doesn’t help that Misty (a star-making turn from Rosalind Eleazar) is wholly unlikeable and borderline irredeemable since her problems are her own fault. If you want me on your side, Mr. Rock, give me someone to root for.
This film was reviewed by Adriano, Bode, and Quentin as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2026 Zurich Film Festival, respectively.