‘Nonnas’ Review: Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon and Lorraine Bracco Bring the Right Seasoning to Netflix’s Comfort-Food Comedy

Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire and Linda Cardellini also star in the story of an unusual New York restaurant, directed by Stephen Chbosky and inspired by a real eatery on Staten Island.

Left to right: Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire, Vince Vaughn, Brenda Vaccaro and Lorraine Bracco. Jeong Park/Netflix

Like the old-school cooks in his new movie, Stephen Chbosky understands the importance of good ingredients. To tell the story of a middle-aged man’s impulsive leap into restaurant ownership, he’s gathered an accomplished cast wielding effortless charm. Nonnas is home-style all the way, forgoing jaw-dropping plating for something more reliable and predictable. It will strike a nostalgic chord or two for many viewers, and at any rate offers a welcome change of pace from Netflix’s true-crime and action offerings.

Vince Vaughn brings an unforced sincerity to the role of inexperienced entrepreneur Joey Scaravella, and the four nonnas (grandmothers) who join him in his unconventional culinary enterprise are played by Lorraine Bracco, Susan Sarandon, Talia Shire and Brenda Vacarro — heavy hitters moving nimbly. Though the movie unabashedly celebrates women in their 70s and 80s, it hasn’t the strained sensibility of those “ain’t these old gals something?” comedies that have become a subgenre unto themselves. Essentially an up-with-people optimist, director Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wonder, Dear Evan Hansen) keeps the laughs in a silly but grounded vein, and the emotional moments unfold with the same understated believability.