Mildlife (2025)★ 8.7/10

There’s a movie that’s relatively young in its life, currently blowing up the film festival circuit. MILDLIFE is a coming-of-age story about Lawrence (Cory Thibert), a timid drummer who’s trying to make it big with his charismatic friend Jeremy (Tony Adams). His girlfriend Julie (Ivy Charles) wants to move to Vancouver to pursue acting, but he seems stuck in Victoria because he’s also struggling with a codependent relationship with his parents (Adam Grant Warren and Lianne Crowe), who both have cerebral palsy. We get a peek into both Lawrence’s and Julie’s family dynamic, which are very different. The acting is superb all around. Not only is Cory the lead, he’s also the director, writer, producer, and editor. It has the perfect tonal balance, using humour to convey complex emotions. Being a man with cerebral palsy, this hit me good. I’ve almost never seen people like me in movies, at least not this authentically. Granted, I don’t have kids. If I did, I would strive to give them the most accessible life possible, without giving them the oh so great burden complex that I have. It tackles some relatable issues I’ve had in my life with the utmost care and authenticity. This movie is inspiring, opening up new avenues for people with disabilities, either by seeing themselves on screen or disabled filmmakers. To me, this is fantastic all around. So far, MILDLIFE has had an honourable mention (Impact in Fiction Filmmaking) in the 2025 Woodstock Film Festival, was nominated twice (BC Performer’s Mastery Award and Best British Columbia Feature Film) in the 2026 Sundar Prize Film Festival, and won the award for Best Canadian Feature at the 2026 Victoria Film Festival. I bet you’ll be hearing more about this one in the future. Remember, self-care is important.