Misty Green Review: Chris Rock Exposes Hollywood’s Uncomfortable Side

Misty Green Review: Chris Rock and Slow Horses Star Rosalind Eleazar Expose Hollywood’s Dark Side

Rosalind Eleazar delivers a commanding performance in a stressful but compelling film about fame, desperation, and second chances.

I attended an advance screening of A24’s Misty Green, written, directed, and produced by Chris Rock, who also stars in the film. And while I can’t say I enjoyed watching it, I certainly found it compelling. There’s a difference. Misty Green is a stressful movie, one that takes us into the seedier corners of Hollywood and follows a once-successful, Emmy-winning actress whose career has taken a nosedive.

Misty, played by Rosalind Eleazar, is living in Los Angeles, auditioning for roles she considers beneath her, and desperately hoping for a comeback. She’s been involved with a powerful Hollywood figure for a few years, while drugs, alcohol, and the endless party scene have become distractions from the career she’s trying to revive.

Misty is talented, but she’s also self-destructive. She wants another chance at success, yet seems incapable of escaping the habits and people keeping her from it. Complicating matters is her brother, played by Daniel Kaluuya, who struggles with mental illness and needs her help. Misty feels responsible for him, even as her own life is falling apart.

A disturbing look at wealth and desperation

One of the film’s most unsettling sequences involves a lavish party in Dubai, where Misty must decide whether to pursue a legitimate acting opportunity in Vancouver or accept a lucrative invitation that could provide the money she needs to help her brother. Adam Driver plays a Hollywood insider who arranges for a group of women to attend the party. What happens there is particularly disturbing. At one point, expensive Birkin bags, jewelry, and money are thrown into a pit, and the women scramble over one another to grab whatever they can.

I found the scene degrading, not only because of the women’s willingness to participate, but because of the wealthy men who treat their humiliation as entertainment. It’s an ugly display of power, money, and the lengths people might go to obtain both. Misty knows what she’s getting into, but her desperation makes it difficult to walk away.

And that’s one of the film’s more uncomfortable questions: How much of Misty’s predicament is the result of Hollywood’s exploitation, and how much is the result of her own choices?

Rosalind Eleazar is impressive

I particularly enjoyed watching Rosalind Eleazar, whom I’ve been following in the current season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. Her character in Misty Green couldn’t be more different. In fact, I spent part of the movie waiting to see whether her American accent would slip and reveal even a trace of her natural British accent. It never did! Eleazar is convincing throughout, and the role demands a great deal from her, both emotionally and physically. She’s in remarkable physical form, and we even get to hear her sing.

She brings an intensity to Misty that makes it difficult to look away, even when her character makes one terrible decision after another. If you’ve been following my Slow Horses Season 6 recaps, you’ll recognize Rosalind Eleazar, although her performance in Misty Green reveals a completely different side of her acting abilities.

Chris Rock brings humor and humanity

I also loved Chris Rock in this role. His character, Jordan, is one of the more likable people in Misty’s chaotic world, and Rock brings warmth and humor to a film that otherwise offers very little relief from its tension. There’s even a brief stand-up comedy sequence in which he addresses the racial inequalities and indignities Black people continue to experience, whether in Los Angeles or elsewhere in America. It’s a short scene, but it reminds us of Rock’s extraordinary ability to use comedy to make observations about uncomfortable social realities.

I thought he did an excellent job, both in front of and behind the camera.

What Misty Green made me think about Hollywood

What stayed with me after the screening wasn’t just the disturbing party scene or Misty’s seemingly endless string of bad decisions. It was how little I normally think about the process of casting a movie. When I watch a film, I rarely question why a particular actress was chosen for a leading role. I don’t stop to consider how many auditions she attended, how many times she was rejected, or what sacrifices she may have made along the way.

Take someone like Anne Hathaway, who has appeared in numerous films. At her level of success, I imagine some roles come through offers rather than traditional auditions. But not every actress has that kind of recognition or influence. For someone like Misty, a former star trying to reclaim her place in Hollywood, the process can be humiliating.

And while the movie is fictional, it made me consider the enormous differences between established stars and actors still struggling to get noticed. Hollywood is a business built around dreams, but it doesn’t necessarily reward talent alone. Connections, timing, luck, and personal circumstances can be just as influential.

My verdict

Misty Green isn’t an easy movie to watch. Its characters are deeply flawed, its situations are uncomfortable, and there’s a persistent sense of anxiety as Misty moves from one questionable decision to the next. But I found it compelling.

Rosalind Eleazar delivers an impressive performance, Chris Rock brings some welcome humanity and humor, and the film offers plenty to think about regarding ambition, exploitation, and the pursuit of success in Hollywood. It’s not a movie I would describe as enjoyable, but it’s definitely worth watching. And perhaps that’s the point. Not every good movie needs to make us feel good. Sometimes it’s enough to make us look at something familiar in an entirely different way.

Misty Green (2026)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
In theaters: October 9, 2026
Distributor: A24