Late Fame

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Late Fame

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1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

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93%

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106 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet, works in the post office. After an eager and flattering young admirer 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" -- Saxberger gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle. This thoughtful, witty film is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.

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Critics Consensus

A gentle rumination on art and authenticity, Late Fame's wistful narrative is made lively by Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee's wonderfully complementary performances.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Sep 8, 2026

4/5

It’s Dafoe’s film, in the end. He’s in nearly every frame, quiet and serious, achingly sympathetic. It’s worth watching just for him.

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Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

Sep 8, 2026

3/4

The film shows how easy it is to mythologize yourself and others. But reality has this stubborn habit of getting in the way.

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Emily Maskell

Empire Magazine

Sep 4, 2026

4/5

The subtlety of Dafoe’s grounded performance clashes beautifully with Lee’s flirtatious theatricality; she sidesteps Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl cliché with wonderfully sarcastic declarations: "There is nothing more exciting than a rediscovered male genius."

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Diane Carson

AWFJ.org

17 hrs ago

A-

A thoughtful consideration, "Late Fame's" post office mail sorter Ed Saxberger wrote a book of poetry years ago. Prompted by its dominant member Meyers, the arrogant, pretentious Enthusiasm Society discovers Saxberger’s poetry and become fawning fans.

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Tom Dawson

Radio Times

4 days ago

4/5

Dafoe, who himself began his career in New York in an experimental theatre troupe, is outstanding in the lead role.

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Katherine McLaughlin

The List

Sep 15, 2026

4/5

The characterisation is nuanced and the performances all credible, with Dafoe deftly navigating Saxberger’s apprehensions with emotional and comical panache.

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DEL

3 days ago

Enjoyed the movie very much, but the ending was a surprise. But had the message the movie was trying to make if you look at the whole. Love William Defaoe performance. A good timely depiction of the selfish nature that is too often rewarded with social media. In hindsight, think the movie ending packs the most positive message. The ending is not to be missed. Worth the watch. And acting by all was on point. Excellent.

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Eileen H

Sep 20, 2026

Interesting story and excellent performances. Only complaint is the rather abrupt ending, although maybe that was the point, nothing else to say on the matter. But it wasn’t a great way to finish what otherwise is a worthwhile film.

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MovieswDan

Sep 16, 2026

A very well acted character study that feels very real-life. The pacing is strong and the story moves along nicely. There were some aspects to the plot that I wish were resolved differently, but overall solid film. Greta Lee stole the show and Willem Dafoe is magnificent as always, continuing to prove his case as one of the greatest character actors of all time (if not THE greatest).

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Janelle L

@eloracoffee Sep 10, 2026

Quiet, bittersweet and much more emotional than I expected. It's basically a movie about regret and getting another chance, and Willem Dafoe is fantastic in it.

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Lon W

@LONWOLF1968 Sep 7, 2026

I WENT TO ART COLLEGE IN THE 1970'S AND I KNEW THESE PEOPLE. IF YOU WEREN'T READING A BOOK OR CREATING SOMETHING YOU WERE WASTING TIME. LOVED HOW THE CHARACTERS REACTED TO THAT WORLD. WILLEM DAFOE IS ALWAYS SPOT ON. ONE DAY HE WILL GET A WELL DESERVED OSCAR. NICE TO SEE A SMALL FILM MAKE SUCH A STRONG STATEMENT. GOOD STUFF!!

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virginia S

@Ginny72 Sep 7, 2026

While I enjoyed the downtown nyc setting, I found this movie uncomfortable to watch. How a seemingly wise older man fell for such clearly phony intellectual wanna bees was cringe worthy.

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Kent Jones

Director

Willem Dafoe

Actor

Greta Lee

Actor

Edmund Donovan

Actor

Tony Torn

Actor

Jake Lacy

Actor

Late Fame: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet, works in the post office. After an eager and flattering young admirer 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" -- Saxberger gradually reckons with the authenticity of his newfound poetic circle. This thoughtful, witty film is a wistful yet unromantic look at a lost idea of downtown New York.

Director: Kent Jones
Producer: Pamela Koffler, Mason Plotts, Christine Vachon, Danny Roberts, H.S. Naji, Jackie Langelier, Taylor Shung, Ethan Lazar
Screenwriter: Samy Burch
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 7, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 6, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $526.4K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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