the audience applauded

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

A psychological horror, in the vein of Les Bons Debarras surrounding an isolated family in rural Quebec, I went into The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches expecting an intense experience. The trailer hinted at it. The film itself lived up to that expectations and then some. It's completely horrifying, keeping me on the edge of my seat when the father is simply giving his daughter a haircut. Horror doesn't need to be slasher, doesn't need to be zombies or cannibal serial killers. It can be a family in isolation, under an abusive parent, and it can be sexual repression. That said, there is some violence and blood on top. The girl in the shed- referred to as a monster by the brother- is nauseating to behold. Not just her horrific condition, but the prison in which she is kept. . The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches is, in large part, a mystery that unravels before our eyes, and the truth is as terrifying as we would expect.That said,. The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches is a crowning achievement in cinematography, art direction and film direction. Shot in black and white, the picture comes across as nearly silver. It's not just chilling, it's beautiful to look at. This is my pick for the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture.