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Ron: Welcome to a bonus Stereo Geeks episode from Toronto International Film Festival 2025. I’m Ron and today, I’m reviewing Little Lorraine, which had its world premiere at TIFF.

Mon: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Ron: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

Ron: Little Lorraine is based on Nova Scotian music artist Adam Baldwin’s song Lighthouse in Little Lorraine. Director Andy Hines has directed 65 music videos and this is his first feature film. The plot of the song, and the film, is based on true events. However, during the Q&A, Hines mentioned that while the people of Cape Breton were talkative about the event, they never claimed to be part of it. He ended up with 40 different versions of events.

So, what is the film about? In 1986, a massive mining disaster claimed the lives of 10 miners. Following investigations, the mine is deemed unworkable and is summarily closed. As a result, the survivors find themselves out of a job. Among them is Jimmy, played by Arrow’s Stephen Amell. He has no prospects and the miners’ union is of little help. While his wife, Emma, played by Auden Thornton, tries to sell her art for money, it doesn’t quite work out, leaving the couple desperate.

Unfortunately, desperate people are easy to prey on. Which is exactly what Jimmy’s estranged uncle, Huey, does. Huey, played by Stephen McHattie, offers Jimmy and his friends a job as lobster trappers. It takes a while for the former miners to learn the new trade but they take to it, largely because they have no choice. 

And the lobster business seems to pay incredibly well. A little too well. It soon becomes clear that lobster isn’t what they’re after, at all. The operation is a front for something far more nefarious. 

Ron: I loved the beginning of this film. The mining accident, the despair of the white collar workers. We’re living during a time of extreme layoffs in Canada and this section of the story felt painfully relevant.

There’s a scene where Jimmy and Emma’s son, Jackson, asks for Michael Jordan sneakers for his birthday. I appreciate the film casting an actor from the disability community in the role of a character with a disability. Ontario’s Bentley Mitchell, making his film debut, uses a cane in real life, and uses a wheelchair in the film.

Back to the scene. Jimmy and Emma don’t want to tell their child about the money issues they’re having, but they really want to get him those super-expensive shoes. “He deserves them,” Jimmy tells Emma. How many stories have we heard and experienced where parents had to make that tough choice because of money? Break your child’s heart, or indulge and suffer later? 

It’s those little things that made Little Lorraine keep me staring up at the screen. As well as the breadth of characters around the three miners. The film builds out the entire world. Everybody matters. The wives have an important role beyond just being wives. The police chief has a small role but he’s not there to just run after bad guys; he’s trying to keep the peace when Interpol arrives. 

Even the Interpol agent, Lozano, played by J Balvin, has his own backstory, alongside his mission in Cape Breton. There’s a running joke about Lozano hating every cup of coffee he gets, until he finally has to get Colombian coffee sent from home.

There’s some surprising moments of humour that I quite enjoyed. Little Lorraine is a heavy film, so the humour interjects to remind us that these were real people. We find ways to laugh even when things are going very badly.

By the end of the film, we’ve met a whole bunch of people. And there’s a reason why we’ve seen them, heard from them, and got their opinions on what’s been going on on that lobster boat. It’s completely unexpected. Almost fantastical. But it feels somewhat believable because we’ve got to know these people, their way of life, their relationships to each other and Cape Breton. But I would have liked more clarity about whether that ending was based in fact or not.

The performances in Little Lorraine, I wouldn’t say they were poor, but they were fine. Nobody’s getting an Oscar nomination for this movie, but they work within the confines of the film. Stephen Amell seems to have not changed at all since his Arrow days–he looks the same, acts the same. There were moments that took me right back to watching Oliver Queen in Star City. Is that a good or a bad thing? You decide. At least, he’s consistent.

Ron: But Little Lorraine could have been better in so many ways. The moment the twist happens, Little Lorraine slows down to almost a halt. I understand adding a level of detail to the setting and characters, but this was way too much. We’re suddenly battling with everyone’s demons, everyone’s confessionals. Exposition everywhere. I would have preferred if the focus had remained on Jimmy and Emma, instead of practically every single person getting a scene. The gravitas of the situation was obvious, and the stakes had been set–why drag it out any more?

Also, the endings. What is with festival films having three to four endings every time? What is the most important part of this film? The protagonists. Why move away for an extended scene that isn’t about them? There are plot points to close, I understand, and those can be done through a quick montage. Give the audience the closure they need but keep the focus on the main story and characters.

Ron: As far as viewing experiences go, I might have got the world’s worst seat. Literally the front row in the cinema and on the extreme left. It’s not a great way to view films. Everyone looked distorted. I do not recommend. 

Despite that, I still found myself captivated, because it’s TIFF, and I love watching movies.

Ron: Wrapping up this review of Little Lorraine. I am glad I watched it. I want to see more Canadian stories, especially set in parts of Canada that don’t often get seen on screen. As Andy Hines mentioned during his introduction, he’s only ever seen Nova Scotia twice on the big screen.

While the plot meandered and the ending seemed implausible, I do hope we get to see more Canadian films, made by Canadians from different parts of the country. There are tons of stories here, and platforms like TIFF, where those stories can be shown to eager audiences.

I would still say people should watch the film. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re getting to see a story you don’t know about. And that’s always a positive.

Tune in next time for another TIFF 2025 review.