| Jimpa | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sophie Hyde |
| Written by | Sophie Hyde Matthew Cormack |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Matthew Chuang |
| Production companies |
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| Distributed by |
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| Release date |
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| Countries | Australia Finland Netherlands |
| Language | English |
Jimpa is a 2025 drama film starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow. It is directed by Sophie Hyde and written by Hyde and Matthew Cormack, of Closer Productions in Adelaide, South Australia. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on 23 January 2025, and will also be screened at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2025. It received mixed reviews from critics.
Synopsis
Hannah and her nonbinary teenager, Frances, travel to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather Jim (known as Jimpa). When Frances wishes to stay with their grandfather for a year, Hannah is forced to re-examine her parenting and her past.
The story is largely based on Hyde's own family history.
Cast
- Olivia Colman as Hannah
- John Lithgow as "Jimpa"
- Bryn Chapman Parish as young Jim
- Aud Mason-Hyde as Frances
- Tilda Cobham-Hervey
- Kate Box
- Daniel Henshall
- Eamon Farren as Richard
- Cody Fern
- Deborah Kennedy as Katherine
- Hans Kesting as Uri
- Zoë Love Smith as Isa
- Romana Vrede as Mirjam
- Ani Sidzamba asYoung Mirjam
- Jean Janssens as Bis
- Frank Sanders as Dede
- Kanea Blokland as Dylan
Production
Jimpa is directed by Sophie Hyde, written by Matthew Cormack, and co-produced by Liam Heyen, Bryan Mason, and Marleen Slot. It is an Australia/Netherlands/Finland co-production.
Some filming took place in Adelaide in March 2024, followed by filming in Amsterdam and then Helsinki, Finland. As of October 2024 the film was in post-production in Adelaide.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 23 January 2025. It will have its Australian premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2025. Following the Sundance premiere, it was reported that the film was struggling to find a US distributor, with some citing the rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in the country following the second inauguration of Donald Trump as a reason for the lack of studio interest.
Critics' reviews after Sundance were mostly lukewarm, praising the performances of Colman and Lithgow, but suggesting that Hyde tries to cover too much ground, resulting in a meandering plot. Robert Daniels writing on RogerEbert.com, criticised the film's lack of nuance and subtlety, and called it a "sprawling endeavor" that lacks focus.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
References
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (11 December 2024). "Sundance 2025: JLo, Sly Stone, Putin, Ayo Edebiri, André Holland, & Ex-NZ PM Jacinda Ardern Films Among Park City Festival Offerings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ Jacoby, Cortland (29 January 2025). "Sundance 2025: 'Jimpa'". Punch Drunk Critics. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Lee, Benjamin (24 January 2025). "Jimpa review – Olivia Colman soars in otherwise muddled queer family drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Rooney, David (24 January 2025). "'Jimpa' Review: Olivia Colman and John Lithgow in a Well-Intentioned but Numbingly Earnest Inter-Generational Queer Family Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Siemienowicz, Rochelle (9 May 2024). "Jimpa: First look at Sophie Hyde's new film". ScreenHub Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Noble, Kelly (7 May 2024). "Olivia Colman and John Lithgow to star in South Australian film Jimpa". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Frater, Patrick (7 May 2024). "Olivia Colman and John Lithgow Lead LGBTQ Family Heartwarmer 'Jimpa,' Launching at Cannes Market From CAA and Protagonist". Variety. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- "Olivia Colman and John Lithgow Star in Sophie Hyde's New Project JIMPA". Screen Australia. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- Dare, Laura (8 October 2024). "SA's screen scene is popping! Here's what to watch where". The Post. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- "Program Guide". 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- "Acting royalty's Adelaide role". InDaily. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Brent Lang, Rebecca Rubin (29 January 2025). "Sundance Freezes Over: Where Were the Deals, Anti-Trump Politics and Drama That Gave the Festival Its Sizzle?". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- Adlakha, Siddhant (28 January 2025). "'Jimpa' review: Does Sundance's buzzed-about queer family drama live up to the hype?". Mashable. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- Daniels, Robert (25 January 2025). "Sundance 2025: Twinless, Ricky, Jimpa". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- "Jimpa". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- "Jimpa". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 27 January 2025.