The Cost of Heaven
| The Cost of Heaven | |
|---|---|
| French | Gagne ton ciel |
| Directed by | Mathieu Denis |
| Written by | Mathieu Denis Alexandre Auger |
| Produced by | Hany Ouichou Nadim Cheikhrouha |
| Starring | Samir Guesmi |
| Cinematography | Sara Mishara |
| Edited by | Nicolas Roy |
| Music by | Olivier Alary |
Production companies | Coop Vidéo de Montréal Tanit Films |
| Distributed by | Maison 4:3 |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
The Cost of Heaven (French: Gagne ton ciel) is a Canadian thriller drama film, directed by Mathieu Denis and released in 2025.[1] The film stars Samir Guesmi as Nacer Belkacem, a man who has seemingly built an enviable career and family life, but who has in fact accumulated significant debt from overspending and bad investments, and who thus hatches a desperate plan to stave off financial disaster.[1]
The cast also includes Crixus Lapointe, Meriem Medjkane, Brett Donahue, Marie-Josée Bélanger and Samir Firouz in supporting roles.
The film received production funding from Quebec's Société de développement des entreprises culturelles in 2023,[2] and was shot in Montreal in fall 2024.[3]
The film premiered in the Centrepiece program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.[4] It is also slated to screen in the Borsos Competition program at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival.[5]
Cast
- Samir Guesmi as Nacer Belkacem
- Crixius Lapointe as Felix Boyd-Novak
- Meriem Medjkane as Farrah
- Vincent Leclerc as Richard
- Adrien Bletton as Thibaud de Balanthier-Lantage
- Mohammed Marouazi as Rafik
- Victoria Diamond as Sarah Novak
- Brett Donahue as Michael Boyd
- Vlasta Vrána as Ben Novak
Critical response
Sarah Gopaul of That Shelf wrote that "as Nacer’s fallacy turns into delusion, his grip on right and wrong erodes. While the camera views are mostly traditional, there are two key points in the narrative that intentionally stand out. As Nacer goes past the point of no return, the camera rotates to reflect his unstable mental state. Viewers can guess what Nacer going off the deep end will look like, but it’s not exactly as you’d expect. The revolving perspective acts as a turning point in the story."[6]
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | 2025 | Outstanding French-Language Feature Film | Mathieu Denis | Won | [7] |
| Kingston Canadian Film Festival | 2026 | Best Film (Playback Prize) | Won | [8] |
References
- ^ a b Charles-Henri Ramond, "(TIFF 2025) Importante sélection québécoise". Films du Québec, August 10, 2025.
- ^ Victoria Ahearn, "SODEC doles out production funding to 14 fiction features". Playback, May 4, 2023.
- ^ Félix Poncelet-Marsan, "Mathieu Denis pousse plus loin sa démarche et ses collaborations sur « Gagne ton ciel »". Qui Fait Quoi, January 28, 2025.
- ^ Jamie Casemore, "Three Canadian world premieres slated for TIFF’s Centrepiece". Playback, August 5, 2025.
- ^ Andrew Tracy, "Youngblood, Akashi among Whistler’s Borsos Award nominees". Playback, October 28, 2025.
- ^ Sarah Gopaul, "The Cost of Heaven Review: TIFF 2025". That Shelf, September 9, 2025.
- ^ "‘Out Standing’ and John Candy doc take audience awards at Cinéfest". Sudbury.com, September 28, 2025.
- ^ Jamie Casemore, "Mathieu Denis’ The Cost of Heaven wins Playback Prize at KCFF". Playback, March 2, 2026.