After his impassioned outbursts on the ice ruin his chances of playing professional hockey, Dean Youngblood gets one last shot playing for the Hamilton Mustangs. Desperate to prove himself, the 18-year-old rookie struggles to reconcile the overbearing influence of his father with his coach’s rigorous expectations. A talented goal-scorer who never backs down from a fight on or off the ice, Youngblood finds his standoffish attitude challenged by a budding romance with Jessie, the coach’s daughter, whose own experience pursuing her dreams causes him to reconsider the chip on his shoulder.
Ostensibly a remake of the 1986 film starring Rob Lowe, director Hubert Davis (2022’s Black Ice) takes the source material and elevates it. Stepping into the director’s chair following the passing of Charles Officer, Davis balances high-octane hockey action with subtle, character-driven drama and nuanced explorations of race, gender, and prejudice within the sport. A rousing, feel-good sports drama about overcoming adversity and taking responsibility, Youngblood could be a new Canadian classic.
Ashton James, Blair Underwood, Henri Picard, Shawn Doyle, Tamara Podemski, Donald MacLean Jr.
Canada
2025
English
Racism, bullying
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Bill O’Dowd, Emerson Davis, Mark Slone, Zanne Devine, Allan Fung
Producer
Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen
Screenwriter
Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout, Seneca Aaron, Charles Officer
Cinematography
Stuart James Cameron
Editor
Matt Lyon
Production Design
Adriana Bogaard
Original Music
Todor Kobakov
Hubert Davis
Filmography: Invisible City (2009); Giants of Africa (2016); Black Ice (2022); The Well (2025)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Round Midnight: Ardeshir Plays Dexter Gordon
Loosely based on Bud Powell's time in Paris, Round Midnight (131 mins) is maybe the greatest of all films about jazz thanks to the towering performance of real-life jazz great Dexter Gordon. Saxophonist Ardeshir channels Gordon's vibe in his live set.
Montreal, ma belle
In this Valentine to discovering love later in life, the ever-elegant Joan Chen plays Feng Xia, a 53-year-old Chinese immigrant and mother in Montreal whose world is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with a young Quebecoise.
Sirât
A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.