dave s
Strangely enough, Sleeping Giant's greatest asset also turns out to be its greatest weakness. Set on the shore of Lake Superior in northern Ontario, Adam is a shy and insecure fifteen-year-old spending his summer holidays with his parents. After befriending a pair of cousins, both prone to abhorrent behavior, his demeanor begins to undergo significant changes. Despite being overdone, the coming-of-age concept never seems to grow old. On paper, Sleeping Giant sounds wonderful. However, the cousins are so consistently repugnant, especially the younger of the two, that it's difficult to feel anything for them other than disgust. If you can get over the cousins' considerable negative traits, it's worth watching for the performance of Jackson Martin as Adam and the opportunity to see some beautiful scenery.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Brian K
A very good, small, Canadian film about 3 teen guys coming of age, during one summer in Northern Ontario cottage country (outside Thunder Bay). A purposefully loose -- but fast paced -- plot fits teen boys experiences of having a good time, questioning and fitting in, and developing other relationships, adding up to a very Canadian, but universally accessible, film.
Very high quality production values and strong acting throughout, adds to a very worthwhile film experience. The ending works, as summer ends and teenage freewheeling years transition to adulthood with harder and longer-term consequences.
Note: For a French-Canadian perspective on teenage coming of age in the summer at lake/woods, a slower-moving but similarly very effective movie is the 2022 Falcon Lake, based on a graphic novel. (mostly French, with subtitles)
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
04/16/24
Full Review
Audience Member
Coming-of-age films are amongst my favorite types of films, but they are often tricky to make. A good film, should give you feelings of nostalgia and form a bond between yourself and at least one of the characters, while a bad one can seem to be nothing more than an episode of Jackass. This film has a bit of both. Sleeping Giants is the story of three teenage boys, spending the summer with their families on Lake Superior and as you might expect, circumstances bring them together. There are some funny moments, trouble to be had, and of course a girl who gets in the middle of everything. What this film has going for it, is that the cast was actually teens, ones whom have very limited acting experience. That being said, it seems as though, the writers also have somewhat limited experience, as this film is your very standard, text book, run of the mill story. What you'd expect to happen in this situation is exactly what happens, and while I like the fact that the story features real teens and new faces, the truth is that nobody really stands up or shows anything more than just kids hanging out. That could honestly be the title of this film, kids hanging out. Sleeping Giants isn't bad in any way, but it's nothing special either, an all-around forgettable experience.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This movie is really good. But, it has a bizarre homoerotic edge that never really goes away. Well filmed and acted.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
12/03/18
Full Review
Audience Member
Excellent and moving film. Had elements of Harmony Korine's Gummo and Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher (two other strong films). Sleeping Giant was a little more accessible than those, which was OK for me because it still had a lot of grit and several beautiful scenes.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
07/22/18
Full Review
Audience Member
a powerful movie about a group of teenagers’ summer in Ontario!
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
07/21/18
Full Review
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