Adam Driver & Scarlett Johansson’s Upcoming Crime Drama Film Is Already A Must-Watch For Mafia Movie Fans

Published Sep 26, 2026, 9:15 AM EDT

Zoë Miskelly is an editor and second in command for Screen Rant's Movies team, having covered the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. Zoë's love of superheroes and all things Marvel & DC started out in childhood, and has blossomed into a career getting to talk about some of the biggest and best movies and shows of all time, having previously focused on comics while working at WhatCulture.

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2026's upcoming crime drama with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and more at its helm looks as though it's going to be a particularly intriguing offering for the realm of movies about the various mafias of the world. The crime drama genre has long been one that audiences have turned to predominately, in part because it's able to tell stories that are simultaneously grounded, and yet packed full of action and tension far beyond what most of us will experience in our day-to-day lives.

Of course, another factor in the success of the crime drama genre over the years has been the strength of the offerings that fall into this category, as movies like The Goodfellas and The Godfather are still held up as some of the best pieces of film-making of all time. As such, it's no surprise that many modern movies seek to draw from the sensibilities of these classic films, both in terms of also being crime dramas, and in terms of mirroring the specific qualities that made these movies appeal to audiences so immensely.

2026's Paper Tiger is one such film that already looks as though it seeks to mirror the ambience and visuals of these classic crime drama movies, and indeed that early reviews have praised for its ability to feel like a film right out of the past while still making use of the modern advancements in movie making all the same, which makes it a fascinating prospective watch overall.

Paper Tiger Is Looking More & More Like A Must-Watch For Mafia Movie Fans

A crime drama with several major acting stars in the front seat has long been a popular prospect with audiences, making Paper Tiger's cast featuring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller all the more promising from the outset.

This is of course bolstered by the early reveals about Paper Tiger's plot, which have revealed that the film will follow a traditional kind of crime drama narrative, following the story of two brothers who find themselves accidentally embroiled with the Russian mafia.

Combine this with the early reviews of Paper Tiger from its premiere at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival being largely positive, and the first poster revealed for Paper Tiger mirroring the ambience of classic crime drama movies in a way that gives it an inherent nostalgic appeal - which is further proven by Paper Tiger's trailer - and it's clear there are plenty of reasons to give the film a watch when it releases on November 13, 2026.

Paper Tiger's Reviews Make The Upcoming 2026 Movie Even More Interesting

Interestingly enough, though Paper Tiger's early reception at the Cannes Film Festival was positive, the film's reviews also reflect a range of different perspectives on the overall movie and the way in which it conveys its narrative throughout its run.

Currently, Paper Tiger has an 83% review score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a strong overall showing, though not one that's void of more negative responses to the film.

While many reviews praise the film and director James Grey's work as old-school in the best way and able to have a retro charm that meshes well with its grounded 1980s story, there are also criticisms of the way in which the movie draws from the tropes and traditions of the crime drama world, with some finding the film's approach to be uninspired and otherwise lacking.

Though this does mean Paper Tiger was not a unanimous hit with the Cannes audience, it does also in some ways make it all the more worth watching for yourself, and particularly if you're a crime drama fan, since it seems that many of the differing perspectives on the film revolve around where you stand on some trends within the genre.