In “Who by Fire,” 10 artists and old friends meet up at a secluded log cabin in a Canadian forest. As Quebecois writer-director Philippe Lesage understands, putting strong personalities in close quarters is like a chemical experiment. Will it lead to harmony — or an explosion?
The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release in March 2025, ultimately making critics’ year-end best-of lists. Despite receiving practically no recognition at award shows, the film’s marriage of dialogue-heavy scenes with wordless shots of nature’s sublime beauty makes it one of last year’s most underrated.
Lesage opens “Who by Fire” with an appreciation of the forest — cinematographer Balthazar Lab gorgeously tracks a single car driving down a winding path surrounded by endless green. Middle-aged screenwriter Albert Gary (Paul Ahmarani) drives while his son Max (Antoine Marchand-Gagnon), daughter Aliocha (Aurélia Arandi-Longpré) and Max’s best friend Jeff (Noah Parker) are crammed into the back seat. They are traveling to spend a few nights at the log cabin of Albert’s friend, filmmaker Blake Cadieux (Arieh Worthalter).
Jeff emerges as the film’s awkward protagonist, a hormonal 17-year-old aspiring filmmaker obsessed with Blake’s work and glimpses of Aliocha’s exposed skin. However, Jeff quickly becomes disillusioned with his idol during three dinner scenes — each shot in one take, lasting around 10 minutes — that quickly devolve into personal attacks. Albert and Blake trade insults about each other’s artistic ambition, parenting ability, dead wives and just about any other topic their fragile male egos can conjure up.
During the first dinner, Blake’s editor Millie (Sophie Desmarais) changes the topic, only for Albert to jump back in half a second later: “Really, you’re lecturing me? In your cottage, lost in the woods, crammed with stuffed animals?” The pair are addicted to their fiery fight, as are we watching it.
The one time the group gets along is an electric dance scene set to “Rock Lobster.” Aliocha and Millie lead the charge, enticing everyone to dance to The B-52’s bizarre lyrics and striking sound effects. It’s the kind of dance that’s not cringe-inducing because the actors wholly commit to being drunk old friends partying without inhibition.
Even Jeff has a few too many drinks and joins in on the dance. But for the majority of the movie, he’s better described as the titular person beside the blazing fires of these artistic personalities, observing, but never fitting in. It’s an understandable scenario, especially for students just leaving their bubbles in college: Who hasn’t felt anxious hanging out with people you think are way cooler than you?
You almost feel bad for Jeff, that is, until he does something really stupid. And he does many stupid things in “Who by Fire.” But such are Lesage’s observations on the shifting tides and flickering flames of emerging adulthood.
“Who by Fire” is available to stream on Kanopy.
Off the Radar is a monthly column surveying overlooked films and shows available to students for free via NYU’s streaming partnerships.
Contact Ethan Li at [email protected].