Late Fame

NOT RATED
2026
1 HR, 36 min
AUG 28 → SEP 3

Details

NOT RATED

Released 2026, United States

Drama

1 hour, 36 minutes

Magnolia Pictures

English

Starring

Willem Dafoe
Greta Lee
Edmund Donovan

Director

Kent Jones

The great Willem Dafoe lends his delicate gravitas to the role of Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet who works in the post office. After an eager and flattering young admirer (Edmund Donovan) appears on his doorstep, Saxberger is beckoned into a coterie of twentysomething admirers who anoint him as a rediscovered genius.

Intoxicated by the attention—and by the alluring presence of Gloria, the group’s “tragic heroine” (a sinuous, Kurt Weill–crooning Greta Lee)—Saxberger gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle. This thoughtful, witty second feature from Kent Jones (DIANE), working from a sly and hugely entertaining script by Oscar nominated screenwriter Samy Burch (MAY DECEMBER, is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.

Film Stills

Greta Lee and Willem Dafoe in LATE FAME.

Full Cast

Willem Dafoe Ed Saxberger

Greta Lee Gloria

Edmund Donovan Meyers

Additional Credits

Kent Jones Director

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Reviews

“The classic theatricality of its characters juxtaposed with the modern world gives ‘Late Fame’ the feeling of a eulogy for an artistic world that young idealists desperately want to revive.”

Jourdain Searles

RogerEbert.com

“Late Fame begins with a premise that could easily tilt toward a better-late-than-never redemption tale… Instead, Jones and screenwriter Samy Burch strike a trickier balance, taking aim at all the ripe targets without ever turning salacious.”

Ben Croll

The Wrap

“At once a satire of artistic pretensions and a tantalizing character study, Late Fame isn’t focused on big cathartic moments… But there’s a satisfying depth to it, and the movie abounds in exquisite grace notes.”

Sheri Linden

The Hollywood Reporter