Mile End Kicks is writer/director Chandler Levack’s wonderfully earnest tale of a young girl coming to terms with some major uncertainties in her life. Barbie Ferreira plays Grace Pine, a 20-something-year-old music critic who goes to Quebec from Toronto to try to make something of her life.
She yearns to write a book about Alanis Morissette, fall in love, have “actual sex,” and a few other things that are easier to think about than to actually accomplish.
The beauty of Levack’s film is that it is just as frustrating as life can be sometimes, and the fact that we can share the themes of the story with such a relatable character is almost everything here. Meanwhile, the lead actress, Ferreira, is perfectly cast in her role and plays it with sincerity, emotions, and genuine humor, making the movie a true winner all around.
As the film opens, Grace is employed as a writer. We eventually (much later on in the film) learn that her boss, Jeff (Jay Baruchel), isn’t the most decent of guys, which helps make things difficult for Grace as she tries to settle down in an apartment in her newly chosen area of Quebec all on her own.
Grace takes a liking to a musician named Chevy Olsen (Stanley Simons). This guy is in a band that Grace would like to help promote through her “music critic” credential. She really likes him and wishes that he’d like her too.
Grace’s roommate is Madeleine (Juliette Gariépy), who has a boyfriend who is also part of the band that Chevy is in. Mile End Kicks isn’t conventional in any way, shape, or form, and is all the more endearing a movie to watch as a result. All of the characters are truly original creations, and the movie gets a boost from the creativity on hand here.
Rounding out the central cast of characters is Archie Webber (Devon Bostick), a sincere guy who isn’t looking for intimacy or romance any time soon and is also a part of the same band as Chevy. Archie and Grace begin to form a bond as the movie develops, and it turns out that Archie lives right next door to her! How convenient?
Mile End Kicks is the name of the neighborhood shoe store where Chevy works. Grace tries on some fancy red shoes in front of Chevy to try to make a good impression on him with cute results. Grace is really trying to work her magic on Chevy, but is he capable of returning her romantic feelings towards him?
Mile End Kicks has all the necessary intelligence and requisite ingredients that any movie about journalism and writing needs to be successful. It knows its subject matter, and it lets us appreciate the main character, Grace, for all her creative quirks.
Ferreira is a true gem in this role and is, perhaps, deserving of awards consideration for the depth and sophistication that she brings to the role.
Madeleine is well-developed, as her character also has artistic dreams of her own. Speaking of Madeleine, the movie is realistic about the landlord/tenant situation that develops. Grace falls behind on rent, even with her $500 book advance that gets spent rather quickly as she is living on her own without her parents’ financial support.
Mile End Kicks has some rather vulgar language that is sporadically used by characters in it at given times, but the dialogue fits the nature of the storyline.
Ferreira, without a doubt, has a solid grasp on a particular sex scene where she bares all, both emotionally and physically. For Ferreira being brave enough to be vulnerable on-screen in this sequence, she deserves serious accolades.
While the young men from the band are well-developed, this is definitely Ferreira’s movie to own from the beginning all the way until the very end. She has a natural charisma on-screen that makes her character quite pleasant to watch and to root for. Devon Bostick has some nice chemistry with Ferreira that helps the movie out significantly as well.
Chandler Levack knows these characters like the back of her hand and has a fondness for the writing profession and those who are brave enough to tackle a potential career in it.
Barbie Ferreira takes risks that pay off greatly in Mile End Kicks. Every choice her character makes has a consequence, for better or worse. This is one of the most genuine characters to “grace” the silver screen in years!
It’s also the type of movie to see with an audience, as almost any viewer watching this film will feel sympathy for Grace’s complicated situations. Audience members could even find themselves talking out loud to the character to give her some sage advice.
Mile End Kicks is a true find. It’s the type of movie that genuine artists and cinema fans go out to the theater to see. When one can feel such a relatable vibe with the main character, it is truly a gift that films rarely give us these days.
Chandler Levack has crafted the first truly great comedy of 2026.
Mile End Kicks is now playing in theaters!
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Thomas Duffy
Thomas Duffy is a Critics Choice member who has written film reviews for most of his life, starting at age 11 when he crafted his first full length movie critique on the film, "Roxanne," a Cyrano story featuring Steve Martin. As a result of that review and other movie obsessive writing, Thomas was awarded a creative writing award in sixth grade. Thomas is the proud author of nine books, including two highly acclaimed novels, "To Never Know" and "Social Work." Thomas can be found on X (formerly known as Twitter) or at a New York City movie theater watching the latest hit or independent movie. You can also run into him at Tribeca or at the New York Film Festival.