Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A young man travels to an isolated farm for his lover's funeral where he's quickly drawn into a twisted, sexually charged game by his lover's aggressive brother.
Tom at the Farm is a tightly wound psychological thriller from Xavier Dolan that excels in its claustrophobic atmosphere and intense performances, particularly from Dolan himself and Pierre-Yves Cardinal as the menacing brother. The cinematography leans into widescreen rural isolation with unsettling precision, echoing Hitchcockian influences through framing and score. The plot is gripping but occasionally uneven in its pacing and logic. The premise of grief, repression, and sadistic power dynamics is explored with genuine tension, though the resolution feels somewhat abrupt and undercooked. Novelty is moderate — Dolan's voice is distinctive but the rural psychological thriller framework is familiar territory, and the film doesn't fully break new ground despite its confident execution.