#REVIEW: “HELLO DESTROYER”

Hot off its run on the festival circuit and four Canadian Screen Award nominations, TIFF ’16 selection HELLO DESTROYER makes its way to theatres with much acclaim.  Make no mistake, this is not a sports drama nor is it a hockey Film, it is so much more.

Director Kevan Funk makes his debut as a feature Director here a memorable one. The Film centers on a junior hockey player in the minor leagues named Tyson Burr (Jared Abrahamson), an enforcer, whose job normally is to respond to a violent play by the opposition.  The story truly takes off after a hockey game goes horribly wrong when he takes out a hit on the opposing team, resulting in his punishment and banishment.

Hello Destroyer centers on the consequence of action and how Tyson‘s actions impact his own destiny and how others around him treat him after he does what exactly it is that he is encouraged to do.  Through a larger scope, Funk examines more the institutionalization of violence and how society encourages young men to be aggressive and just how toxic this can be.  The same story could have been told regardless of the central sport and hockey simply is a platform for something that is very real in the world we live in today.

Abrahamson thoroughly is convincing as the inarticulate and emotionally-lost Tyson, which by no means is an easy feat to portray with empathy. While the Film often lulls in its introspection and silence, Funk truly makes an important statement and we look forward to what’s next in what looks like a promising career ahead.

For upcoming screenings, click here.