'Euphoria' Star Barbie Ferreira's New Project Is a Charming Coming-Of-Age Rom-Com

Euphoria introduced a new generation of stars to the industry. While the main cast is reprising their roles in the third season, Barbie Ferreira is forging her own path after leaving the project.

Ferreira's filmography is expanding with Mile End Kicks, a dramedy from Canadian director Chandler Levack, known for her comedy I Like Movies. Mile End Kicks is a charming, heartfelt flick about growing up, music, and self-discovery.

What Is 'Mile End Kicks' About?

Toronto, 2011. Grace is a music critic surrounded by pompous male colleagues who don't take her seriously. She decides to write a book about Alanis Morissette's album, Jagged Little Pill.

To do so, she moves to Montreal, the singer's hometown, and immerses herself in the contemporary indie underground scene. Everything seems to be going perfectly: Grace lands a publishing contract, makes plans for the summer, and meets a local band.

But instead of inspiration, disappointment reigns. How do you write a book when you have to choose between two hipster musicians? And how do you build a career in a world where men constantly demand proof that you deserve to be on equal terms?

'Mile End Kicks' Is an Autobiographical Journey Through the Past Decade

Mile End Kicks is an important and personal project for Chandler Levack. The movie is partially based on Levack's life: like the protagonist, Grace, she worked as a journalist and wrote for the music magazine Spin.

The autobiographical nature is palpable from the very first scenes. Mile End Kicks feels like jumbled fragments of memories as someone fondly revisits the Montreal summers of their youth.

The nostalgia is heightened by the decade's faithfully recreated spirit: a warm color palette, vintage iPhones, and, of course, indie music. All of this transports you back to 2011, a year that we desperately want to romanticize today.

'Mile End Kicks' Hides a Feminist Statement Under the Skin of a Rom-Com

Levack highlights the familiar bittersweet theme of coming of age: reckless characters live in the moment, procrastinate, dream big, and act rashly.

Grace struggles to build a career in a male-dominated field, the young woman constantly has to prove that she is on par with her colleagues.

She explains her choice of Alanis Morissette's album for her book, saying it's a unique case of a woman expressing anger and achieving incredible success. As we watch, the heroine gains self-confidence, learns to stand up to misogyny, becomes unafraid to be seen, and learns to embrace her own rage.

Mile End Kicks is a memorable heartfelt film with a great soundtrack, it's an unpretentious, charming work that makes you yearn for the past decade. The movie reminds us that our twenties are a time of stupid mistakes, chaotic romances, and self-discovery.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Mile End Kicks'?

• Mile End Kicks has 88% from critics and 66% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, Mile End Kicks scored 3.3/5.0.