It’s quite remarkable seeing actress Barbie Ferreira evolve over the years since she made a splash on the controversial and equally celebrated HBO series Euphoria. Since the show, she has continued to go from strength to strength, especially when playing flawed, lonely, but compelling characters in films such as Bob Trevino Likes It and the impressive Faces of Death relaunch; she also turned in a standout supporting performance in Jordan Peele’s Nope.
She’s like a female Gen Z version of Paul Giamatti. When you see her in a film, you know she’s going to bring nuance to the role with a mix of humor, wit, and sadness. In fact, I really hope Alexander Payne writes a character for her one day, because that would be a dream match. And even though her recent films appear to be targeted more toward the 20–25 crowd, she brings such a rich authenticity to the material. Her emotions are so universal that they should gain a wider appeal; I can confidently say that audiences older than 35 or 40 should still check out Chandler Levack’s sophomore feature, Mile End Kicks.
Ferreira plays Grace, a young woman who, following a bad breakup and a period of uncertainty about her life’s direction, moves from Toronto to Montreal’s Mile End district. As a music critic for Spin magazine, Grace aims to write a biography on Alanis Morissette, specifically chronicling the singer’s journey from Toronto to Los Angeles just before the release of Jagged Little Pill in the ’90s. Much like Morissette, Grace is attempting to reinvent herself, armed with a list of goals to help her find a true sense of belonging.
Grace finds a roommate in Madeleine (Juliette Gariépy), a French-Canadian whose boyfriend, Hugo, is in a local indie rock band called Bone Patrol. The band has high aspirations of releasing studio albums and going on tour. Grace’s journey to Montreal starts off promisingly when a publishing company gives her an advance to begin writing the Morissette biography. She also gets the green light to write a feature on Bone Patrol, which leads to her finding herself attracted to two of the band members.
She is initially drawn to Devon (Archie), the bassist, who also happens to be her neighbor. When Grace makes a move, Devon turns her down, claiming to be celibate. Rebuffed, she finds herself drawn to the frontman, Stanley (Chevy Olsen), who sends her a series of conflicting messages. Though he flirts with her at the shoe store where he works, he grows awkward and distant whenever she tries to show affection.
Meanwhile, Devon begins developing genuine feelings for Grace and disapproves of the games Stanley is playing. It eventually comes to light that Devon isn’t actually celibate; rather, he is hiding his embarrassment over having contracted oral herpes from an ex-girlfriend, using celibacy as a cover to avoid passing it on to a potential partner. The narrative ends up becoming an “indie” love triangle with its messy social dynamics.
Levack, who also wrote the original screenplay, has created an incredibly refreshing and hip story viewed through a sharp cultural lens. Grace is clearly navigating a quarter-life crisis; as she struggles to reinvent herself and find her true identity, the mounting pressure causes her to lose the drive to write her book.
As her income becomes scarce, tensions rise with her roommate, Madeleine. We also learn that Grace is carrying trauma from a past relationship with a former boss at a music magazine who abused his power for sexual favors. To make matters worse, he still owes her money for articles she wrote about sex toys and has scrubbed her work from the magazine’s website—effectively erasing the very portfolio pieces she needs for her resume. Amidst this turmoil, Grace strives to find a genuine support system within Montreal’s vibrant community of artists, hipsters, musicians, filmmakers, and poets.
The love-triangle plot has been done to death, but Levack brings a fresh twist to the trope, offering a female perspective on how men’s insecurities can hamper a woman’s growth. Each character is crafted with a significant amount of nuance, avoiding simple archetypes.
Since the film is set in 2011—the height of the Montreal indie rock boom—the soundtrack is a substantial part of the narrative. It functions as more than just a “vibe”; it actively drives the story, reflecting Grace’s passion for music history. The soundtrack perfectly captures the “Pitchfork era” with tracks that would have been on every hip playlist in 2011, including “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire, “Time to Pretend” by MGMT, and “Fuck the Pain Away” by Peaches. Of course, the iconic songs of Alanis Morissette are sprinkled throughout, serving as the film’s emotional anchor.
This is the sophomore effort from Levack, whose third feature, Roommates, is now a Netflix original film available for streaming. Levack possesses immense talent as a filmmaker, and you can sense that Ferreira is very much at home in her world. Ferreira also serves as an Executive Producer here, and she feels like an auteur in her own right. Given her skill for tapping into the human condition, one has to wonder if she will write and direct her own films one day; I certainly hope so.
Overall, Mile End Kicks is a celebration of many things—womanhood, identity, the search for community, and modern romance. It truly stands out, and thanks to its specific setting and atmosphere, it already possesses a timeless quality. I really love this film, and it is a piece of cinema I can see myself revisiting often.
MILE END KICKS is now showing in theaters
This sounds really interesting
Have not heard of this film but will watch it based on your great review, Robert.