150 Word Review: 'Blue Heron' (2025)
The past is never dead
Memories are alive. They whisper to us. And sometimes lie. Blue Heron is director/writer Sophy Romvari’s debut, an entrancing semi-autobiographical drama about a blended immigrant family moving from Hungary to Vancouver Island in the late 90s. Romvari tells a simple story of people doing the best they can.
Iringó Réti is the mother, whose teenage son from a previous marriage suffers from mental illnesses that make him difficult to manage and understand. Ádám Tompa is the father, quiet, gentle, and he sees all. They have three children together, including young Sasha, who also sees all: her brother is troubled, and her parents don’t know what to do. The movie’s most affecting performance is Edik Beddoes as Jeremy, the oldest. He’s full of pain and violence, a young man who is still a scared boy. Blue Heron manages to observe pain from afar while remaining compassionate. The third act is devastating.