THE BURNING SEASON
Starring: Sara Canning, Jonas Chernick, Joe Pingue, Tanisha Thammavongsa, Natalie Jane, and Christian Meer
Director: Sean Garrity
QUENTIN
The Burning Season is a semi-dark indie about the evolution of love, lust, and relationships that are forged in trauma. The story unfolds through a Memento-style narrative structure that enhances every revelation and is full of callback moments for those paying attention, which keeps the viewer thoroughly engaged all on its own. However, the performances of and chemistry between Sara Canning and Jonas Chernick tie it all together perfectly. It’s admittedly a small movie, and it won’t change your world, but it gave me an enjoyable and rewarding 90 minutes. What more can you ask for from a low-budget Canadian indie?
PRESTON
The Burning Season manages to expertly intertwine the ubiquitous tale of a dangerous and secretive love affair into a love story, tragically interrupted. Its mysterious, traumatic, and simultaneously romantic underpinnings unfold in reverse, where director Sean Garrity is able to flaunt his exceptional abilities. Fantastically cast, competently acted, well-written, and cinematically capable; this Canadian feature is a breezy watch, even when considering its content. My only complaint is that I wanted more from the ending and personally found it to be less than satisfying when compared to the film as a whole.
This film was reviewed by Quentin and Preston as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2024 Canadian Film Fest.