The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

The Eyes of Tammy Faye is the rare biographical drama that feels less like a history lesson and more like a front-row seat to a uniquely American spectacle—glittering, unsettling, and strangely moving all at once. Jessica Chastain doesn’t just play Tammy Faye; she inhabits her with such warmth and ferocity that the mascara and pageantry become a mask you can see through, revealing a human being aching to be loved and heard. Michael Showalter keeps the film brisk and entertaining even as it darkens, letting Andrew Garfield’s eager charm curdle into ambition while the world around them swells into a neon-lit sermon of fame, money, and faith. It won’t be for everyone—especially if you’re allergic to showbiz religion or stories that sit in moral gray zones—but if you want a character-driven rise-and-fall tale with real compassion and bite, this one delivers.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye wants to be a glossy rise-and-fall biopic that reclaims Tammy as more than a punchline, and in that sense it’s sincere and often compassionate. Jessica Chastain is the main reason to watch—she’s fearless, human, and oddly moving even when the film around her feels like it’s rushing through decades on fast-forward. The problem is the storytelling: it smooths over some of the messier, sharper edges and settles for broad beats, so the scandal and power dynamics can feel simplified rather than truly examined. If you’re hoping for a hard-hitting, deeply investigative take on televangelism’s machinery, you may find this too soft and shapely; if you’re in it for performance, makeup-driven transformation, and a sympathetic character portrait, it delivers enough to justify the time.