Film screening of The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, as part of the BFI London Film Festival on Tour 2026.
The Debut screens at Watershed on Monday 19 October at 18:00, as part of the BFI London Film Festival on Tour. It's the feature film debut of Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote and directed it, and it stars Julianne Moore in the lead.
It's described as a raucous love letter to community theatre. Moore plays Mona, a housewife whose husband barely acknowledges her and whose children are about to leave the nest. On an impulse, she auditions for a local production of an original musical and gets cast as Miss Danielle. From there, she's pushed by Jerry, her enigmatic director and the 'biggest name in New Jersey community theatre'.
Eisenberg is aiming for the same balance between humour and drama he found in A Real Pain and When You Finish Saving the World, and the film is billed as being carried by Moore's performance. One practical thing to keep in mind: it contains flashing images that may affect those with photosensitive epilepsy.
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It's one of 14 previews Watershed is presenting from the BFI London Film Festival line-up, which the venue describes as its biggest year yet. The screening is part of the 70th BFI London Film Festival on Tour, so it's a first look at a film that's part of the wider festival programme. The screening is at 18:00 on Monday 19 October at Watershed.
