Starring John Lithgow and Olivia Colman, Jimpa has a boatload of interesting ideas, but it’s really just all talk.
In Jimpa, director Sophie Hyde trades the tender, intimate tone of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande for something a little broader, a little bolder, and a little…slower? Set in the winding canals of Amsterdam, the film follows Jim (John Lithgow), a retired gay rights activist reconnecting with his daughter Hannah (Olivia Colman), a filmmaker trying to make sense of her father’s past while wrangling her nonbinary teenager, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde). It’s a story about family, queerness, polyamory, and generational divides—all set against a backdrop so picturesque, it feels like Amsterdam itself deserves a co-director credit.
The ambition here is undeniable, as Hyde dives headfirst into thorny topics with a genuine curiosity. Amsterdam, with its liberal charm and cozy coffee shops, serves as more than a pretty backdrop. It’s a metaphor for the freedom these characters crave but can’t quite reach to its fullest. But as noble as Jimpa’s intentions are, the execution sometimes resembles a boat ride that’s lovely to look at but takes forever to get anywhere. The highlight might just be getting rained on.
Lithgow is magnetic as Jim, a man whose wisdom and regrets simmer beneath his warm, grandfatherly demeanor. And yes, you’ll see plenty of Lithgow—there’s nudity in this movie, and it’s unapologetically candid rather than salacious. Colman, as always, is a delight, balancing Hannah’s vulnerability and emotional avoidance with her trademark wit. But for all their charisma, the characters often spend more time talking about their feelings than having them. The script leans so heavily into exposition that at times I expected someone to get on a stage and start scrolling through PowerPoint slides.
Visually, though, the film is a warm hug. Cinematographer Bryan Mason captures Amsterdam with such dreamy affection, you’ll want to book a ticket immediately, or at least look up some Airbnbs. Every frame dips itself in golden-hour light, and the city’s vibrant energy contrasts beautifully with the film’s introspective tone. But like a beautiful postcard that gets lost in the mail, all that aesthetic charm struggles to deliver the emotional payoff it sets up.
And here’s the thing: Jimpa doesn’t exactly do conflict. Hyde’s crafted a story where characters engage in polite disagreements over espressos rather than screaming matches. It’s refreshing in theory but occasionally tedious in practice, the equivalent of having conversations about having conversations. Especially when you’re halfway through the runtime and still wondering what the stakes actually are. Frances, played with charm and sensitivity by Mason-Hyde, provides much-needed bursts of energy and youthful zeal, grounding the film’s loftier themes in their active pragmatism.
By the time the credits roll, Jimpa leaves you feeling like you’ve just finished someone else’s very lovely home movie. It’s gentle, thoughtful, and undeniably heartfelt, but its meandering pace and reluctance to push its characters beyond surface-level reconciliation make it hard to stay fully engaged. This is a film that wants to say a lot about family, queerness, and self-acceptance but sometimes forgets the period at the end of the sentence.
That said, I’m all for movies that choose vibe over the destination. In that way, Jimpa is less of a narrative journey and more of a slow stroll through some very scenic emotional terrain. Just be prepared to make a few coffee stops along the way—you’ll need them to stay awake during certain parts.
Jimpa had its world premiere at the Sundance 2025 Film Festival. Find more of our Sundance 2025 coverage here.
REVIEW RATING
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Jimpa - 6/10
6/10
Jon is one of the co-founders of InBetweenDrafts. He hosts the podcasts Thank God for Movies, Mad Men Men, Rookie Pirate Radio, and Fantasy Writing for Barbarians. He doesn’t sleep, essentially.
