Review of “Miles & Kicks”: Barbie Ferreira in a Charming Romantic Comedy That Feels Like an Indie Version of Almost Famous

Directed by Chandler Levack, the film stars Barbie Ferreira—best known for the series Euphoria—in a comedic, semi-autobiographical role that strongly evokes a sense of relatability

Written by: Katie Rife

Editor’s note: This review was first published at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Samirian Pictures will release the film in cinemas starting Friday, April 17, 2026.

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, can we really blame a critic for frowning when they see a character pull out a notebook in the middle of a concert? Cinematic portrayals of the world of criticism are usually, at best, sharp and at worst, deeply personal and cutting. But critics watching Miles & Kicks, the latest feature by Canadian writer-director Chandler Levack, can breathe a sigh of relief. Levack, who has a background as a critic herself, is skeptical about certain things—but criticism and critics are not among them.

Like her previous film I Like Movies, this work is also based on personal experience, this time drawing from a summer she spent in Montreal as a young, aspiring writer trying to find her path. The protagonist, Grace Pine (Barbie Ferreira), follows a similar trajectory, convincing herself—as many young people do—that moving to a “cooler” city will fix her life. She also tells everyone she is working on a book about Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill, despite having neither a contract nor even a draft. Grace has recently completed an internship at a cultural weekly, where her editor told her she had writing talent (more on that later). In reality, all she learned there was how male music critics often treat younger women with condescension and sarcasm.

“I don’t work there anymore, so I don’t mind saying that my personal nickname for the group of white male managers at the magazine where I started my career was ‘the flannel dads.’” And just as I Like Movies accurately captured life in a suburban video store, Miles & Kicks also effectively portrays the complexities of being a young female music critic. The situations feel entirely recognizable—who hasn’t ignored editor emails with anxiety?—and so do the conversations, such as a debate over the superiority of different Hüsker Dü albums, interrupted by Grace and met with mocking laughter from her colleagues.

Set in 2011 but carrying the atmosphere of the late 2000s (accurately so), the film’s attention to detail is clear from its opening titles, which use a clean, advertising-style font reminiscent of a clothing brand campaign. This visual motif reappears in a key scene where a spotlight follows Grace’s face at a party. The flat, bright lighting evokes the aesthetic of Terry Richardson’s photography, capturing both the era’s mood and its sexual risks.

The film is also distinctly rooted in Montreal (including a scene with a figure resembling Grimes seen at an underground party engaging in drugs near a toilet) and is filled with references to Canadian culture. One monologue about the life cycle of a young Canadian will likely resonate strongly with local audiences, though it remains accessible to viewers from elsewhere, including the American Midwest.

Juliette Gariépy, previously seen in Red Rooms, plays Grace’s DJ roommate Madeline, a French-Canadian model who initially finds the naïve newcomer from Ontario amusing, but eventually grows frustrated with her failure to pay rent and her unauthorized use of the fridge. Her character is somewhat underdeveloped, serving more as a guide and mirror for the protagonist—one of the film’s weaknesses.

Grace is a protagonist who can be frustrating at times; she makes self-destructive choices in pursuit of fleeting pleasures and validation from men who are clearly not worth it. Yet this also makes her feel real. In contrast, some supporting characters—especially an exaggerated, irritating boy named Chevy—feel too cartoonish for the film’s otherwise grounded tone.

Here, Levack’s skepticism becomes visible: the film struggles to believe how often intelligent women might make poor decisions around men who put in minimal effort. This is reflected in a sex scene that is both funny and narratively essential, in which Chevy lies passively on the bed while Grace, confused, does all the work herself.

In contrast, her romantic rival Archie, played by Devon Bostick, is an odd but more believable character, and his scenes with Barbie Ferreira generate a kind of shy, intelligent romantic chemistry. However, their inner lives and motivations are not explored beyond their function as competing male interests in a love triangle. This limitation may also stem from the protagonist’s perspective. At the same time, seeing men reduced to simple romantic archetypes feels refreshingly unusual.

At times, Miles & Kicks shifts toward broader, more exaggerated comedy reminiscent of 1980s teen films. Some of these jokes land well, but the tonal shifts occasionally require the film to recalibrate. Still, this flexibility suggests Levack could handle more chaotic comedy well, including her upcoming project with Adam Sandler.

In contrast, the film’s emotional beats are handled with precision. A storyline involving workplace #MeToo dynamics (connected to Grace’s former editor, played by Jay Baruchel) is more effectively integrated here than in Levack’s previous work, perhaps because Grace herself is directly involved. One of the film’s most heartbreaking moments comes when Grace, often the last person in the office, waves her hands under motion-sensor lights to keep them on while crying alone.

Barbie Ferreira delivers a compelling, empathetic performance, giving Grace a vulnerability that keeps the audience rooting for her even as she unravels her life. She wants to be a critic, but she also desperately wants to be liked. This tension carries a gendered dimension, which Grace only comes to understand when she finally writes something she truly believes in. (It helps, of course, that through Levack’s lens, Grace is genuinely a good writer.)

Learning to navigate that tension takes experience—perhaps the subject of Chandler Levack’s next film.

Rating: B

Miles & Kicks premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.