TIFF 2025: Left-Handed Girl Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Last year was the year of Sean Baker. The beloved indie filmmaker finally received the widespread industry recognition he’d long deserved with Anora, the acclaimed Palme d’Or winner that went on to claim five Academy Awards. Four of those Oscars were won by Baker himself, making him the most awarded individual in a single ceremony in the Academy’s history.

While his latest film dominated awards season, Baker’s longtime collaborator and frequent producer Shih-Ching Tsou, who co-directed Take Out with Baker, was notably absent from the project. That’s because she was busy completing her own passion project, Left Handed-Girl. Though Tsou may have missed out on sharing in Anora’s Oscar glory, she could soon be celebrating her own Academy award nomination as Netflix acquired the film, and it has been officially selected as Taiwan’s submission for the Academy Awards.

Set in Taipei, the film follows Shu-fen (Janel Tsai), a single mother running a humble noodle stall in the city’s bustling night market while struggling with debt, depression, and the challenges of raising two daughters. I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma), a restless and rebellious 20-year-old who finds her self delving into the world of sex work, and I-Jing (Nina Ye), a bright and curious five-year-old. Told largely from I-Jing’s perspective, Left Handed-Girl offers audiences an unflinching portrait of a family caught between tradition and modernity. When her grandfather tells her that using her left hand is the “mark of the devil,” I-Jing begins to internalize shame and confusion, channeling her feelings into quiet acts of rebellion, in a world where her sister and mother are also constantly making the wrong choices. 

Baker not only produced the film, but also served as co-writer and editor, so for fans craving more Baker, his style is embedded into the film, although the Taiwanese setting certainly gives a different feel. The film is going to be inherently compared to Baker’s work of late, which is a high bar and one that it unfortunately does not reach, feeling far smaller and less emotionally gratifying or electric than his past work. 

Despite tackling weighty themes like class struggles and generational divides in Taiwan, Left-Handed Girl can feel somewhat slight, meandering through its runtime as it switches character perspectives multiple times without creating a fully realized portrait of any, until building to a striking crescendo where they all clash in the final act. What truly makes the film stand out, however, is its vivid depiction of life in Taipei. Director Shih-Ching Tsou captures the city with such specificity and authenticity, creating an honest, textured portrait of contemporary Taiwanese life. The performances across the board are engaging and help bring that world to life, especially Nina Ye, who carries the heart and soul of the film, despite being such a young actor.

Ultimately, Left-Handed Girl marks a strong solo directorial debut for Tsou, showcasing the promise she first demonstrated alongside Sean Baker in Take Out. While the film doesn’t quite reach the emotional or narrative heights of Baker’s more recent work, it’s a well made and thoughtful film that confirms Tsou as a filmmaker to watch.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Tristan French