A new Steven Soderbergh film is always an event, and this one is a case in point. When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world’s wealthiest citizens amass even larger fortunes. The charming—and very well-dressed—founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Golden Globe nominee Antonio Banderas) are experts in the seductive ways shell companies and offshore accounts help the rich and powerful prosper. They are about to show us that Ellen’s predicament only hints at the tax evasion, bribery and other illicit absurdities that the super wealthy indulge in to support the world’s corrupt financial system.
“For a movie about how awful the world is and how it got that way, The Laundromat is kind of a lark.” — A.O. Scott, New York Magazine
“If a motley crew of movie stars is what it takes to shine more light on government malfeasance, then let Meryl carry that torch in a wig and a bucket hat.” — Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly
“Much of the movie is bitterly funny; some of it just amusingly droll. But the finale, a rallying cry that’s both galvanizing and wistful, is a wrap-up worth waiting for.” — Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
Steven Soderbergh
Jake Bernstein (book), Scott Z. Burns (screenplay)
Gary Oldman, Jeffrey Wright, Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone
Russian, English, Mandarin, Spanish
Netflix