This movie hit me in all the feels. It follows three kids throughout a school year, and having read the book, these kids were perfectly cast. It's hard to believe that none of them have acted before considering that they dealt with such heavy subject matter like complete professionals. The adults in this movie were also incredible, and in fact I can't think of a single weak link when it comes to the acting (which is usually not the case in microbudget movies!). Shout out to Ms Hina whose facial expressions spoke volumes throughout the movie. The visuals are on point, and it feels like each shot was crafted with purpose and intent, even if that intent was to reflect the chaos of a particular scene. Plus, the story. The story! It was refreshing to see the humanity behind a community that's so often only represented by stereotypes. It was raw, it was beautiful, it was heartbreaking, and it was real. Thank you for this.

This film is beautiful and heartbreaking and captures such an authentic feel of what it's like to live in the communities that are often (purposely) forgotten by the powers that be due to race and class. The characters are complex and nuanced, and the acting is natural and compelling, especially from the children, which is so impressive considering many were first time actors and were dealing with portraying extremely tough topics like abuse, poverty, bullying, and acceptance.

In one "school year", in a low-income neighborhood, 3 children, their single / separated parents, an Early Childhood Educator, and assorted minor characters interact. The cast is diverse in race, religion, and culture, and the children each have their own challenges.

The children range from pre-school to early elementary, and often have to amuse themselves. Their parents scramble to do the best for them, which may be inadequate. The ECE often plays social worker, even as her supervisor warns against getting personally involved.

I am less enthused with this movie than some other reviewers. I think a big weakness is having the original book author write the screenplay. Consequently, there are too many characters and scenes. Some should have been cut, including some of the interactions between the nail salon employees and clients. For the length, some extra character development in the children would be helpful.

Scarborough is an "inner suburb" of Toronto, an area where the poor tend to be pushed out to, as the city core has become gentrified. The time period is set when doctors still prescribed opioids, and Toronto East General Hospital had not been renamed (2015 or earlier). So it is jarring to see some nail salon employees consistently wearing surgical masks.

With a set of depressing scenarios, I also found the happy ending to be too much of a fantasy. Can a queer boy sing Whitney Houston's I Want to Dance with Somebody (with no gender change / neutralization) to great applause?