TIFF 2025: Mile End Kicks 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.

Loosely based on writer-director Chandler Levack’s own experiences as a young music journalist in the early 2010s, Mile End Kicks, her sophomore feature, stars Barbie Ferreira as Grace, a Toronto-based writer for major publications like Spin and Rolling Stone. After a traumatic experience, she leaves Toronto and escapes to Montreal for the summer to pen a story on Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. There, she becomes immersed in the city’s vibrant indie rock scene and finds herself entangled in a complicated love triangle with two members of an up-and-coming local band.

With now two films under her belt, Levack has already cemented a distinct voice and a clear refusal to follow the conventions of the coming-of-age genre. Much like her debut I Like Movies, the film embraces the emotional messiness of growing up and discovering one’s self. Levack’s characters are flawed, often unlikeable, and prone to bad decisions. Yet, this vulnerability and self-criticism give her writing a refreshing authenticity, especially impressive in a film that’s semi-autobiographical.

Ferreira, meanwhile, continues to build an impressive post-Euphoria career, choosing intimate, character-driven projects over big studio fare. Here, she delivers another standout performance as Grace, embodying an awkward, self-sabotaging protagonist who remains relatable despite the consistent bad decisions she makes. Ferreira brings a natural charm and emotional nuance that will keep viewers invested in her journey even at her worst. Among the supporting cast, Devon Bostick shines the brightest, bringing a shaggy, stoner presence and a deadpan delivery that turn several of his eccentric lines into the film’s funniest moments.

While Mile End Kicks is engaging and full of heart, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of her previous work. The film occasionally falls into familiar love-triangle clichés, and the romantic dynamics never feel particularly compelling. Its commentary on workplace misconduct and the male-dominated world of music journalism also stays at a fairly surface level, despite this being a deeply personal story. Most disappointingly, the film only skims the surface of Montreal’s early-2010s music scene. A scene that was once bursting with life, it would have greatly benefited from a deeper exploration, making for a more well rounded and unique watch.

That being said, in spite of its flaws, Mile End Kicks remains an enjoyable watch. Chandler Levack continues to show signs of promise as both a filmmaker and screenwriter. While the film may not be as sharp or groundbreaking as her debut, it is still a funny and vibrant film that cements her place as one of Canada’s most exciting filmmakers to watch.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Tristan French