Adam Driver and Miles Teller Play Brothers in James Gray’s Crime Drama Paper Tiger

Paper Tiger, the new film from James Gray, director of We Own the Night, Ad Astra and Armageddon Time, opens in select US cinemas on 13 November before expanding on 20 November. Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller star, and Neon is distributing.

Gray wrote the screenplay himself. The film was shot on 35mm film on a budget of 15 million dollars.

What the film is about

The story is set in Queens in the 1980s. Two brothers, former policeman Gary and engineer Irwin, pursue a lucrative business opportunity and get caught up in a scheme involving the Russian mafia. The gangsters begin terrorising Irwin’s suburban family, and the brothers’ bond is put to the test.

Who is in it

• Adam Driver as Gary Pearl;
• Miles Teller as Irwin Pearl, his younger brother;
• Scarlett Johansson as Hester Pearl, Irwin’s wife;
• Gavin Goudey and Roman Engel as their sons Scott and Ben;
• Victor Ptak as mob boss Semion Bogoyavich;
• Cindy Katz as Iris Belfer.

How it was made

Filming began in June 2025 in Denville, New Jersey. The cinematographer is Joaquín Baca-Asay, the music is by Christopher Spelman and the editor is Scott Morris. Rodrigo Teixeira of RT Features is among the producers. The running time is 115 minutes.

What critics say

The world premiere took place on 16 May in the main competition at Cannes. The film holds 85% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic. Stephanie Zacharek of Time called it old school in the best way, while Owen Gleiberman of Variety described a close-knit family psychodrama that mixes the grandiose with the implausible.

When to watch

Paper Tiger opens in select US cinemas on 13 November and nationwide on 20 November. Cast and stills are on the film’s page in our AMDB database.