All’s Fair co-stars Sarah Paulson and Naomi Watts reunite in the extraordinary new movie called Closing Night. Like All’s Fair, it pulls back the curtain and reveals the family drama that happens at home when glamorous people show their true selves.
The legendary women play estranged sisters Sandra (Sarah Paulson) and April (Naomi Watts). They grew up as rivals and then stopped speaking for 30 years. Even though they make amends when April visits her son Theo (Toby Wallace) in New York, Sandra feels overwhelmed. When her family finally comes to see her onstage, Sandra has a seizure and then the actress receives an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Understandably, watching your mind and body go downhill in real time is scary. And she can’t deny she needs to strengthen weak family ties to help her deal with the diagnosis. A luxurious hospital room can’t solve her problems or reverse early retirement. The scene in the movie poster is actually from Sandra’s doctor’s office where she transitions from performer to patient.
One minute April is at the theater drinking from a souvenir cup with Sandra’s face on it and then she becomes a caregiver. Naomi Watts is perfectly cast as the ordinary sister with dark secrets. She was originally cast as the lead in The Liberation, but the casting really worked out for both movies.
Some critics have mislabelled Closing Night as a melodrama, which disregards how it portrays genuine emotions and fears. This movie effectively focuses on five core characters without extraneous actors to distract you. By featuring three intertwined generations, it offers different reasons to sympathize with them. Sandra’s situation could happen to anyone, but there’s something fascinating about seeing it happen to someone who’s rich and famous.
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I previewed this film as part of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).