Allen Sunshine: a quiet debut about a Montreal man’s emergence from grief

Like Charlotte Le Bon’s eerie coming-of-age drama Falcon Lake (2022), this debut feature by Harley Chamandy may succeed first and foremost as an envy-inducing promotion for lakeside holidays in Quebec. Shot in the Eastern Townships region two hours drive from Montreal, Allen Sunshine exudes a rustic tranquility that feels endemic to the setting. While the title character’s cabin is far more modest than the oversized mega-cottages that now pack the shorelines of Canada’s most exclusive summer getaways, it’s still got all the attributes and Instagram-ready views needed for a high ranking on Airbnb. 

Having grown up in Montreal before moving to New York to study film, Chamandy clearly knows the environment. Unsurprisingly, his debut’s vivid sense of place is one of its strongest virtues, as are the gracefulness and clarity of purpose that distinguish the best moments in this quiet drama about a man’s emergence from grief.  

It also benefits from a thoughtful lead performance by Vincent Leclerc as Allen, a music producer who has secluded himself after the suicide of his wife, a singer he made famous. He initially finds solace by venturing into the forest to record sounds, which he then incorporates into the quasi-ambient music he makes with his cabin’s assortment of synthesizers, tape machines and other vintage gear. For such renowned music-biz figure, Allen seems oddly averse to the tools and tech typical of the digital era. Then again, having made the film on Super 16mm, Chamandy clearly vies for a certain analog aesthetic in every regard. 

Either way, the scenes of Allen at his most solitary are the most convincing indications of Chamandy’s potential. Only 22 when he shot Allen Sunshine, the director exhibits an impressive control of tone and a keen eye for framing and composition, such that it’s not surprising to learn about the enthusiasm he’s elicited from Werner Herzog, whose foundation awarded the film the Werner Herzog Film Prize when it premiered at the Munich festival last June, and Sean Baker’s producer Alex Coco, who signed on as executive producer. 

Chamandy often shows his inexperience when other actors enter the action, especially during Allen’s encounters with Dustin (Miles Phoenix Foley) and Kevin (Liam Quiring-Nkindi), two boys who are staying across the lake and who help draw him out of his despair. Then again, the fact that the rambunctious youngsters seem to have wandered in from a summer-camp movie evidently shooting nearby only serves to accentuate the fundamental Canadian-ness of Chamandy’s largely endearing debut.  

► Allen Sunshine is in available to watch on Apple TV+ now.