Mile End Kicks

Mile End Kicks
Theatrical release poster
Directed byChandler Levack
Written byChandler Levack
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJeremy Cox
Edited bySimone Smith
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 4, 2025 (2025-09-04) (TIFF)
  • April 17, 2026 (2026-04-17) (Canada)
Running time
112 minutes[1]
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Mile End Kicks is a 2025 Canadian romantic comedy film written and directed by Chandler Levack.[2] Based in part on Levack's own young adulthood prior to becoming a professional music critic and filmmaker, the film stars Barbie Ferreira as Grace Pine, a young woman who moves to Montreal, Quebec, in 2011 with the goal of writing a book about Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill but instead becomes romantically involved with Archi (Devon Bostick) and Chevy (Stanley Simons), two members of the aspiring indie rock band Bone Patrol, and takes a job as the band's publicist.[3] The cast also includes Jay Baruchel, Juliette Gariépy, Robert Naylor, Emily Lê, Hasani Freeman, Magi Merlin, and Isaiah Lehtinen.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025. It is set to be released theatrically in Canada on April 17, 2026, by Entract Films and Elevation Pictures

Production

The film's original screenplay outline, submitted under the working title Anglophone, was announced in 2016 as the winner of a competition for emerging women screenwriters staged by Zapruder Films, the production company of Matthew Miller.[4] The prize was $12,000 and the services of a professional story editor to help develop and complete the full screenplay.

Most of the cast was announced in August 2024,[3] with Baruchel's casting announced toward the end of production.[5]

The film was shot in August and September 2024 in Montreal.[6]

The Montreal indie rock band Tops wrote two original songs for the soundtrack.[5]

Release

Mile End Kicks had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 4, 2025.[7][8] The film was also screened in the Borsos Competition program of the 2025 Whistler Film Festival.[9] It was screened at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival on February 28 and March 1, 2026.[10] The film is set to be released theatrically on April 17, 2026, in Canada by Elevation Pictures (with Entract Films releasing in Quebec) and in the United States by Sumerian Pictures.[11][12][13]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 17 critics' reviews are positive.[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[15]

Shelagh Rowan-Legg of Screen Anarchy wrote that "with a vibrant palette, a terrific soundtrack, Mile End Kicks might lose a little bit of steam as it stretches out the ending, but it's a worthy entry to contemporary romcoms, one that acknowledges sex, queerness, money troubles, sexism, how any of us can get caught in the trap of not knowing our own worth, and learning to embrace our love, our anger, and our talent".[16]

Alex Hudson of Exclaim! wrote that "if there was ever a film that's a perfect bullseye for Exclaim! Magazine, it's surely Mile End Kicks, which is about trying to make it as a music critic in the halcyon days of Montreal's indie rock boom. It's got original music from TOPS, live footage of Islands, a background character named Claire who I'm pretty sure is supposed to be Grimes snorting drugs off a toilet, and even shots of an inbox full of emails from publicist Brendan Bourke."[17]

The film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2025.[18]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
Whistler Film Festival 2025 Best Screenplay in a Borsos Competition Film Chandler Levack Won
[19]
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2025 Best Canadian Film Mile End Kicks Nominated
[20]
Best Director of a Canadian Film Chandler Levack Nominated
Best Actress in a Canadian Film Barbie Ferreira Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film Devon Bostick Won
[21]
Stanley Simons Nominated
[20]
Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film Juliette Gariépy Nominated
Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film Chandler Levack Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Mile End Kicks [14A]". British Columbia Film Classification Office (Consumer Protection BC). March 18, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  2. ^ "Montreal-set rom-com 'Mile End Kicks' among world premieres at TIFF's 50th edition". Lethbridge Herald. June 26, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Slingerland, Calum (August 29, 2024). "'Euphoria' Star Barbie Ferreira to Lead Montreal-Set Rom-Com 'Mile End Kicks'". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  4. ^ Reid, Regan (October 4, 2016). "Zapruder Films selects Women First screenwriting winner". Playback. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Ritman, Alex (November 5, 2024). "AFM: 'Blackberry' Star Jay Baruchel Joins Cast of XYZ's Rom-Com 'Mile End Kicks'". Variety. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  6. ^ Casemore, Jamie (November 7, 2024). "Chandler Levack's Mile End Kicks wraps in Montreal". Playback. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  7. ^ "Mile End Kicks". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Hazelton, John (June 26, 2025). "Toronto film festival first wave includes Steven Soderbergh's 'The Christophers', Nia DaCosta's 'Hedda'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  9. ^ Tracy, Andrew (October 28, 2025). "Youngblood, Akashi among Whistler's Borsos Award nominees". Playback.
  10. ^ Laura (January 28, 2026). "Mile End Kicks". Kingston Canadian Film Festival. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  11. ^ Grobar, Matt (October 29, 2025). "Sumerian Pictures Acquires Barbie Ferreira Rom-Com 'Mile End Kicks' From Chandler Levack, XYZ Films". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  12. ^ Hudson, Alex (March 9, 2026). "Travel to 2011 Montreal in 'Mile End Kicks' Trailer". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  13. ^ Erbland, Kate (March 9, 2026). "'Mile End Kicks' Trailer: Barbie Ferreira Takes a Wonderfully Relatable Trip Back to the Early Aughts". IndieWire. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  14. ^ "Mile End Kicks". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  15. ^ "Mile End Kicks". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  16. ^ Rowan-Legg, Shelagh (September 5, 2025). "Toronto 2025 Review: MILE END KICKS, Kicking Down the Door of Self-Worthy, Romcom Style". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  17. ^ Hudson, Alex (September 9, 2025). "TIFF 2025: 'Mile End Kicks' Is the Exclaim!-iest a Movie Has Ever Exclaim!-ed". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  18. ^ Casemore, Jamie (January 6, 2026). "TIFF unveils 2025 selections for Canada's Top Ten features, shorts". Playback. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 7, 2025). "'Akashi' Sweeps Awards at Whistler Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter.
  20. ^ a b Tracy, Andrew (January 21, 2026). "Mile End Kicks, 'Nirvanna' lead noms for Vancouver critics' awards". Playback. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  21. ^ Tracy, Andrew (February 24, 2026). "'Nirvanna the Band' tops Canadian winners at VFCC Awards". Playback. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
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