James Bond and Shang-Chi Stars Join Forces as New Movie Lands a Perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

Here’s something you won’t see every Friday: a movie about a 300-year-old tree just landed a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And if that sentence didn’t make you do a double-take, this will: it stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai (yes, the guy from 'Shang-Chi') and Lea Seydoux (from all those Bond movies). The film is called Silent Friend, and honestly, it’s pulling off a hat trick with critics that most blockbusters can only dream about.

An Epic About a Ginkgo (Not a Typo)

The premise here is either quietly brilliant or extremely artsy, depending on your mood: 'Silent Friend' takes you through the life of a single ginkgo tree via three loosely connected stories, all set in Marburg, Germany — but in totally different years: 1908, 1972, and 2020. So if you’re into time-hopping (without the sci-fi nonsense), you might be in for a treat.

Ildiko Enyedi, the Hungarian director behind On Body and Soul, is both writer and director for this one, clocking in at a pretty hefty 147 minutes. This isn’t just a European art house gig; it’s also Tony Leung’s first film made in Europe and only his second movie outside of Asia, which—given his monstrous career—still surprises me.

Who’s In This Thing?

• Tony Leung Chiu-wai (you know him from 'Shang-Chi')
• Lea Seydoux (Bond franchise regular)
• Luna Wedler (watch out for this name—she wins big at Venice for this)
• Sylvester Groth
• Martin Wuttke

Each of them pops up in different chapters of the tree’s long, weirdly compelling life.

Venice, Prizes, and That Rotten Tomatoes Score

So far, the film is cleaning up on the festival circuit. It had its world premiere in the main competition at Venice (82nd Venice Film Festival, to be specific, back in September 2025), which is no small feat.

Since then, it’s snagged some real hardware:

• FIPRESCI Prize at Venice
• Marcello Mastroianni Award for Luna Wedler
• Best Cinematography for Gergely Palos at the Chicago International Film Festival (and for good reason: he shot each era in a different format so you always know which decade you’re stuck in)

Critics are basically falling over themselves for this one:

'Most films tell a story. Enyedi presents a new way of looking at the world.' – Brian Eggert, Deep Focus Review

'A true original, one of those cinematic events that, once seen, will not be easily forgotten.' – Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com

Even the critics who didn’t give it a perfect score couldn’t stop plugging Tony Leung’s performance. IndieWire’s Leila Latif called out that Leung 'again proves why he’s one of the greats.' (No arguments there.) Guy Lodge at Variety gushed about the film’s fresh take on the natural world, and Sophie Monks Kaufman at Little White Lies was all about Palos’s cinematography.

Release Plans: Don’t Miss It (If You Can Find It)

Here’s the catch: you’re not going to see ads for this one plastered all over your city. 'Silent Friend' is getting a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on May 8, 2026. So if you’re that person who brags about seeing a Cannes winner before the Oscar buzz starts, make a note now.

Final thoughts

So, a 2.5-hour drama about a tree, starring heavy hitters from both James Bond and the MCU, helmed by a Hungarian director, and greeted with a wall of critical praise? That’s not your average multiplex fare. If you like your movies with a side of weird and a sprinkle of festival approval, this is one you should probably seek out.