Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Tom a la ferme is probably the most commercial of Dolan's films up to this point in his career. I say this because the movie includes a lot of the features that a good psychological thriller uses to keep its audience engaged. The chasing scenes, the intense score, the many close ups of our main character played with intensity and magnetism by Dolan himself. Dolan introduces a complex relationship between the villain and the victim, one we don't often see in this type of genre. While the villain here always remains violent, dangerous and cruel, at time he's also seen to be extremely vulnerable, and in a way is in need of his prey not for food, not for fulfillment of the usual need for sadism that describes such villains, but for company and affection. In his own twisted way Francis is dependent on Tom not leaving, as he does not want to go back to this lonely and secluded life he found himself in after choosing to stay behind and take care of his mom. This duty Francis feels to please his mom and help her with the farm as well as the mother's sorrow and pain felt in the aftermath of her son's death is one of the prominent topics in Dolan's films, the bond between mother and son. At some point in the film, this desire of Francis to keep Tom in the farm goes beyond the need for compassion, with scenes of sexual tension between the two becoming more and more common as the movie progresses. After attempting and failing to escape, Tom starts to find the eerie and intense life in this dysfunctional household get to him as he refuses Sarah's offer to get him out of the farm, and in a way developing a Stockholm syndrome. The lamb that once needed to escape the wolf's nest, now finds his position there and realises his importance in consoling the grieving mom and helping out the man that needs him and at the same time abuses him – this strange co- dependency is in fact what makes this thriller so intriguing. This comes to an end when Tom finally realises the danger he's facing after he finds out about Francis' past. All in all, while the film provides a storyline engaging enough to keep the audience watching, it never really manages to wow the audience at any point, nor does it manage to convince us of the credibility of its characters, with a lack of justification for many of their actions.

.... and I think Xavier Dolan threw in a subconscious symbolic message no one has picked up on.If you want to read about the plot of this movie there are plenty of reviews here that focus on that. I want to write something here that occurred to me maybe 3 or 4 days after viewing 'Tom at the Farm'.Near the end of the film after Tom has escaped from the farm and evaded the attempt by Francis to capture Tom in the woods, we see Francis walking away from the camera and on the back of his jacket is an American flag! That image left me a bit confused as to why a bold American flag. Then it occurred to me that maybe Dolan is making a statement that Francis represents what the USA is today - a neurotic phobic bully. And that is what we are given in the Francis character. The mother 'Agathe' represents the many citizens of the US that refuse to see or try to comprehend what is happening in their country. The unknown 'victim' of Francis represents the countries that have dared to 'talk-back' to what America does. And Tom, he represents the friendly nations to America and what Francis does to Tom is what the US has and is doing daily to it's friendly nations.I realize this may be reading more than really exist in this movie but ... this is the effect 'Tom at the Farm' had upon me.

This was really something else. I had never seen a film from Xavier Dolan so I didn't know what to really expect, but this is that type of film that you're not sure just how good it really is, or if it even is good, but it's impossible to turn away. When all is said and done, its narrative is actually pretty thin, pretty simple, but it has a sort of intense, maddening tone with a bunch of scenes that come off both so weird and uncomfortable. Again, this makes it feel like a pretty distinctive experience, but once it's over the spell was sort of broken. It reminds me a lot of Stranger by the Lake in that regard, feels like it's great while watching it but after watching it you're not quite sure what you saw was of merit, but unlike that film, this one didn't leave such a bad taste in my mouth and was a lot more entertaining. Maybe not a great film, but a very interesting one at least, and it's pretty admirable that someone so young would do this. The last 15 minutes do take away a lot of its intrigue though.And maybe it says something about me, but I found Pierre Ives Cardinal so unbelievably sexy. So, so wrong but I just couldn't help it.

Finally I got the chance to see the fourth film made by Xavier Dolan. First of all, congrats on getting into Cannes. Looking forward to see Mommy soon.I have been waiting to see Tom at the farm for way too long. I have to say I hate an ending like this but I don't see any other way to end strongly and kind of liked the ending. Many people seem to be doing it (If memory serves, C.O.G. has the same ending). I like how the movie captures the aspect of what every character wants, needs and fears. It was thrilling and make me really want to know what happens the next second. I have to say I love the depiction of the desire to control and to submit. Nothing else is more satisfying to experience.Good job. As always, there is a mother figure that is interesting to consider. Just like Tom, I'm completely subjected to the brother and I love the part that the brother yells "I need you in my life". /Sorry if I got a little personal there.I watched the end title through and there is a little plot left in the very end. It's not very necessary, but I guess it gives some people who must need a resolve some consolation. Still thinking about the corn field scene. I have been expecting to see a sex scene but I'm happy with the fact that there isn't one. Making a exciting movie without a sex scene is like writing a good song without cursing, which makes it all more powerful.