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The Laundromat
2019 96 min United States of America R 18+
★6.0
Crime, Drama, Comedy
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Trailers
EN
Teaser
EN
EN
Description
When a widow gets swindled out of insurance money, her search for answers leads to two cunning lawyers in Panama who hide cash for the superrich.
Starring
Gary Oldman
Actor
Antonio Banderas
Actor
AJ Meijer
Actor
Awards
Venice Film Festival 2019
— Golden Lion
Key opinion
The Laundromat is a stylized, experimental drama that attempts to simplify the complex Panama Papers scandal through a star-studded, fragmented anthology format. While its pedagogical approach to explaining offshore finance is widely recognized, critics and audiences are divided on whether its comedic, fourth-wall-breaking tone successfully conveys the gravity of the subject matter.
| Acting | Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas anchor the film with sardonic, engaging performances as the narrators of the offshore scheme. | |
| Accessibility | The film functions as a helpful, accessible guide for lay viewers to understand the mechanics of offshore tax evasion. | |
| Acting | The star-heavy cast feels underutilized or miscalculated, with Meryl Streep’s minimal screen time failing to provide the emotional core intended. | |
| Screenplay | The fourth-wall-breaking narration and rapid-fire anthology structure are divisive, with some finding them effective for exposition while others see them as an intrusive and shallow gimmick. | |
| Theme | The comedic tone and satirical approach clash with the serious nature of the real-world financial misconduct, leaving the film feeling morally impotent to many viewers. |