When people talk about the "old guard" of Hollywood meeting the "new wave," they usually expect some kind of passing-of-the-torch moment. Something scripted. Something polished. But if you were paying attention during the press cycle for the 2023 crime thriller Finestkind, you saw something much weirder. And honestly? Much more human.
The pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Jenna Ortega is a bizarre one on paper. You have Jones, the 79-year-old Academy Award winner who is famously—perhaps legendarily—cantankerous in interviews. Then you have Ortega, the 23-year-old Gen Z powerhouse who basically broke the internet with Wednesday.
They don't seem like they belong in the same ZIP code, let alone the same movie. But they do.
The Red Carpet Moment That Went Viral
Most people actually discovered this duo not through the film itself, but through a hilariously awkward clip from the Los Angeles premiere.
Picture this: The flashbulbs are going off. The energy is high. Tommy Lee Jones, looking every bit the seasoned veteran who has seen it all, leans over to Jenna Ortega and asks, quite sincerely: "Did we have any scenes together?"
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Ortega, without missing a beat, tells him: "Yes, we have one."
It was a moment that launched a thousand memes. People joked that "Agent K had his mind erased" by a neuralyzer. But beyond the jokes, it highlighted a reality of modern filmmaking that many fans don't realize. In a massive production like Finestkind, even key cast members can be like ships passing in the night.
Jones plays Ray Eldridge, a grizzled scallop fisherman in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Ortega plays Mabel, a young woman caught up in the local drug trade. Their worlds collide because of the men in between them—played by Ben Foster and Toby Wallace—but their actual physical time on set together was minimal.
Why "Finestkind" Is the Movie You Probably Missed
If you look at the Rotten Tomatoes score for Finestkind, it’s... not great. We're talking a 29% from critics.
But here is the thing: audiences liked it way more. It currently sits at a 61% audience score. Why the gap?
Critics complained that the movie, directed by Brian Helgeland (the guy who wrote L.A. Confidential and Mystic River), couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Is it a family drama? A fishing documentary? A drug-smuggling thriller? Honestly, it's all of them.
The plot follows two estranged half-brothers who get into deep water—literally and figuratively—when their fishing boat is seized by the Canadian Coast Guard. To pay a $100,000 fine and save the boat for their dying father (Jones), they agree to a one-time heroin run.
Mabel (Ortega) is the one who facilitates the deal. She isn't just a "love interest." She's a character with her own baggage, trying to escape a cycle of crime while simultaneously dragging the protagonists deeper into it.
The Career Parallels You Didn't Notice
While their ages are half a century apart, Tommy Lee Jones and Jenna Ortega actually share a very specific trait: Intensity.
- The Deadpan Delivery: Jones made a career out of being the smartest, most annoyed person in the room. Think of The Fugitive. Ortega did the same for a new generation with Wednesday.
- Genre Versatility: Both actors refuse to be boxed in. Jones moved from No Country for Old Men to Men in Black. Ortega is jumping from "Scream Queen" horror to gritty crime dramas like this one.
- The "Workhorse" Reputation: Helgeland actually wrote the script for Finestkind back in the 1980s. It took decades to get made. When it finally did, he needed actors who could handle the grueling physical demands of filming on actual fishing boats in New Bedford. Both Jones and Ortega are known for showing up and doing the work without the "diva" antics.
What This Collaboration Says About Hollywood's Future
Working with a legend like Jones is a litmus test for young actors. Some get intimidated. Others try too hard to match the energy.
Ortega's performance in Finestkind works because she doesn't blink. She holds her own in a cast of heavy hitters. It’s a subtle shift in her career—moving away from the "teen idol" status and into roles that require a different kind of grit.
Meanwhile, for Jones, this film was a return to his roots. He has always been best when playing men of the earth—fathers who are flawed, stubborn, and ultimately fiercely loyal. His character, Ray, is the emotional anchor of the film. Even if he couldn't remember the specific scene he shared with Ortega on the red carpet, his presence in the movie provides the weight that makes the stakes feel real.
Common Misconceptions About Their Partnership
One of the weirdest rumors that circulated during the film's release involved Ortega's other project, Miller's Girl. Because that film dealt with a controversial age-gap relationship, some people wrongly assumed Finestkind followed a similar path.
It does not. In Finestkind, the relationship between the characters is strictly professional and situational. Ortega’s Mabel is involved with the younger brother, Charlie (Toby Wallace). Her "connection" to Tommy Lee Jones's character is through the shared desperation of a community where everyone is drowning in debt.
Actionable Takeaways for Film Fans
If you’re planning to watch Finestkind or just curious about how these two careers are evolving, keep these points in mind:
- Look for the "One Scene": When you watch the movie on Paramount+, keep an eye out for the single moment Mabel and Ray occupy the same space. It's a masterclass in contrasting acting styles—the quiet, internal struggle of Jones versus the sharp, defensive energy of Ortega.
- Don't Trust the Score: This is a classic "Dad Movie" that critics hated but real people find engaging. If you liked Mystic River or The Town, you'll probably find a lot to love here despite the low RT score.
- Watch the Evolution: Notice how Ortega uses this role to bridge the gap between her horror roots and more "prestige" dramatic work. It's a calculated move that is paying off as she transitions into more adult-oriented cinema.
The collaboration between Tommy Lee Jones and Jenna Ortega might have been brief, and the red carpet might have been awkward, but it represents a rare moment where two completely different eras of cinema collided. It wasn't about a torch being passed. It was about two professionals, separated by fifty years of history, showing up to tell a story about the North Atlantic and the people who survive it.
To get the most out of this film, watch it for the atmosphere. New Bedford isn't just a backdrop; it's a character. And while the plot might get a bit messy in the final act, the performances—especially from a legend who's still got it and a star who's just getting started—make it worth the two-hour dive.
Next Steps:
Go to Paramount+ and skip to the 45-minute mark of Finestkind to see the atmospheric shifts in the storytelling. Pay attention to how the lighting changes when the plot moves from the bright, open sea to the cramped, dark interiors of the town—it mirrors the shift from a family drama to a crime thriller. Afterward, compare Ortega’s performance here to her work in The Burial (another 2023 film) to see her range in the "gritty realism" genre.