Sundance Film ‘Jimpa’ Divides Critics with Messy Queer Family Dynamics

Starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, Sophie Hyde's semi-autobiographical drama struggles with cohesion despite standout performances.

‘Jimpa’ premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
The film explores intergenerational queer family dynamics, focusing on a nonbinary teen, their filmmaker mother, and their aging gay grandfather in Amsterdam.
Critics praised Olivia Colman’s emotionally nuanced performance as the conflicted mother, though John Lithgow’s portrayal of the titular character received mixed reviews.
The screenplay and pacing were criticized for being overly didactic, unfocused, and failing to balance its emotional and thematic ambitions.
Director Sophie Hyde based the film on her personal experiences, but reviewers noted that its autobiographical elements sometimes felt indulgent and poorly integrated.