Jimpa

There’s a moment early in Jimpa where Olivia Colman’s character, a filmmaker, insists that a movie can resonate without conflict. The producers she’s pitching to disagree. I’m with her on this one, not because conflict isn’t important, but because what truly engages an audience is a sense of progression. Jimpa proves this point all too well, its laborious second half, stripped of any real narrative momentum, slowly unravels the emotional connection so carefully built in the first.

The interesting thing about the film is that Colman’s character, Hannah, is essentially a stand-in for the film’s writer-director, Sophie Hyde. The project is deeply personal: like Hannah, Hyde is a mother to a non-binary child (played here by her own kid, Aud Mason-Hyde), and she had a father who fought for gay rights but didn’t live to see the full impact of his activism. In Jimpa, the film expands on this personal history by imagining what it might have been like if her child had been able to spend more time with their grandfather, Jimpa (a blend of “Jim” and “Grandpa”), played by John Lithgow. It’s a story about generational differences, evolving identities, and the ways in which family bonds shift over time. But it’s also, in many ways, a fantasy for the director, a chance to imagine a world where she and her child get to share time with her father in a way they never could.

You can tell from the outset that this is a deeply personal project, and Hyde approaches it with the kind of care that only someone intimately connected to the material can. Every character introduction is accompanied by a flashback to their younger self, and the film is packed with montages that attempt to soak in every emotional beat. That approach has its strengths, you feel how much this story means to the filmmaker. There’s a sense of lived experience in the characters, and while the cast deserves credit for bringing them to life, much of their authenticity comes from the specificity of Hyde’s perspective. The first half works especially well, mixing humor, tenderness, and melancholy in ways that feel natural and engaging. Jimpa, in particular, has some terrific lines, and there are moments where the film gracefully balances wit and sadness.

The performances elevate the material even further. John Lithgow is the highlight, fitting the role physically (we see more of him than we ever expected to) and embodying the warmth and eccentricity we associate with him. He’s funny, vulnerable, and by the midpoint of the film, we know him well enough that when other characters have to make a decision for him, we already know what he would choose. Olivia Colman, as always, is fantastic, tender but visibly weighed down by insecurities. Aud Mason-Hyde makes Frances’ struggles deeply empathetic, while the supporting cast all contribute to a family dynamic that feels richly layered and deeply connected.

But for all the film’s authenticity and emotional sincerity, Hyde overstays her welcome in the second half. After a major event, the film slows down, and it wasn’t exactly racing before that. Instead of building toward a resolution, we get more contemplation, more lingering moments that reiterate things we already understand. Even the characters, and perhaps the actors, seem to grow weary. It starts to feel like the film became too personal for Hyde, as though she were telling the story more for herself than for an audience. It’s a shame, because the first half is filled with sharp humor, strong performances, and a beautifully realized family dynamic. But without that crucial sense of progression, Jimpa ends up testing the patience of even the most willing viewers.

At a glance

3/5

“PERSONAL”

#13 of 27 in Sundance 2025 Movies RankedSee the ranking →

• #122 of 218 in 2026 Movies Ranked →

Where to watch

Kino Film Collection

Where to watch

🍿Out of Theaters

Trailer

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