Set in the suburbs of Quebec City, Toy Gun Bandit follows Felix (Felix Munger), a young man who’s struggling to find his place. He’ll do just about anything to feel included but can’t seem to develop healthy relationships. Things change though when he meets Dave (David Beaudoin), a man who invites him to help earn some extra cash… by knocking over banks. Enticed by the idea, Felix finally gets the attention he wants but finds himself spiraling into a criminal world that puts his relationships (and his own life) at risk.
Directed by Rémi St-Michel, Toy Gun Bandit is a wild ride to the dark side. Billed as ‘almost a true story’, St-Michel builds his fictional world on the one he knew growing up (and, more specifically, an unnamed friend who took a similar path to Felix). Painting the screen with neutral blues, St-Michel wants this world to feel bleak or, at the very least, morally-gray. Every space here feels devoid of life and it reflects Felix’s experience well.
After all, Felix’s journey is a slippery slope. With every decision, the young man finds himself increasingly over his head. But rather than fear the outcome, he becomes increasingly addicted to the adrenaline. Every heist pushes him closer to the edge… yet he slides with an increasing smile. In crossing the line, Felix finds something that he’s been missing. But it’s more than simply the fun of raising hell.
He finds friends.
Though simple, St-Michel’s script is smart and effective. This isn’t meant to be a story that’s dissected or analyzed. It’s a story that you feel. With every job, we feel the thrill of the heist. But, in Felix’s fall from grace, St-Michel wants to elicit our empathy and sadness. In doing so, Toy Gun Bandit becomes an emotional doorway into Felix’s teenage world. In some ways, he’s almost any teen, beginning with hope and eventually choosing the wrong outlet for his personal needs. But, at all times, he’s fascinating to watch.
Toy Gun Bandit is playing at TIFF ’26. For more information, click here.
