BOXCUTTER - Mark Reviews Movies

Boxcutter, Film Movement

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Review by Mark Dujsik | October 23, 2025

It's not enough to have a dream and to do the work of achieving it. That's a fact Rome (Ashton James), an aspiring rapper living in Toronto, knows, and Boxcutter is all about why this young man won't take that next, obvious, and necessary step of putting all of his hard work into the world for people to hear.

One of the fascinating things about Reza Dahya's debut feature is that we never hear one of Rome's songs, either recorded or performed live. It's irrelevant if he's any good, because this isn't some story about an up-and-comer going from rags to riches or someone whom everyone knows could be the next big thing.

Rome is simply an ordinary guy here, working a day job while he does his music during his downtime, and more to the point, he's someone who can't bring himself to believe that he and his music are worthwhile. For us to hear that music would almost be to ruin the illusion one way or another. Either we'd wonder why someone so obviously talented would be so insecure, or we'd only watch with a little pity that someone who clearly doesn't have it has revolved part of his life around the possibility that he does. It's likely that a lot of people will relate more to Rome and his perpetual uncertainty than one of those other, more definite alternatives of who this character could have been.

That makes Chris Cromie's screenplay a bit of a circle, since it's all about how Rome stalls and otherwise procrastinates in working toward his big dream. However, the film uses a couple of tricks to prevent it from becoming repetitive. One of them is the narrative gimmick of the entire story being set over the course of one day, with Rome looking as if he might actually have a very specific goal to accomplish by the end of it. The other is how the film uses the city of Toronto itself as its backdrop, showing it to be a place that is at once sprawling but oddly cozy, that is undergoing changes right in front of everyone's eyes, and that is filled with people just like Rome, waiting for their shot at success or trying to navigate it for themselves.

One could watch the film as an everyday travelogue of sorts, since it is not about the tourist attractions and sites but does give a sense of how people who live in the city spend their days. Movies often overlook or take their settings for granted (or are filmed in such disparate places than their supposed setting as to look generic), but Dahya clearly knows Toronto and wants us to get a sense of it, too.

The plot gives Rome plenty of reason to travel all over the place, as well. He lives in an apartment with his friend Sid (Viphusan Vani), who also has dreams of making it in the music business but behind the scenes as a promoter. You'd think, of course, that the two friends' career goals would align quite well, and while Sid desperately wants to get his roommate on a stage and has even talked to some local club owners about making that happen, Rome refuses the chance. It seems to be pride or practicality talking on the wannabe rapper's part, since the few offers coming his way require Rome to pay for stage time, but as the young man's long day keeps going, his reason for staying out of the spotlight become more apparent.

While at work at a shipping warehouse, Rome's co-worker Eric (Clairmont the Second) mentions that he'll be at a party that night, where big-time music producer Ritchie Hill (Rich Kidd) will be making a quiet appearance. Since Rome regularly talks—and all he does, by the way, is talk—about his own music, Eric offers to let his work pal be his plus-one at the party. Rome rushes home to get his songs from his laptop, but he's met by a pair of burglars, who steal all his equipment and knock him unconscious.

This is a very, very bad situation for Rome, who needs his songs for the chance of meeting the producer and doesn't have either a physical or online copy of any of them. Since he has been working with several different producers (All of them are also dreamers of sorts with different side gigs—working as a DJ or a sound engineer, for example—going on) on those tracks, Rome has to travel all of the city, hope everyone will understand his predicament, and get his entire album assembled by tonight.

Along for his escapade is Jenaya (Zoe Lewis), the sister of one of Rome's "producers," who lives in her mother's house with her brother while the siblings pursue their dreams. She's a photographer and graphic designer, and Jenaya can see right through Rome's hesitation unwillingness to let anyone, except those who have to, listen to his songs. The two walk, talk, commiserate, and encourage each other as best as they can—or as much as Rome will let Jenaya offer him encouragement.

Boxcutter is a small, simple film about people literally and figuratively wandering. Its excursion through the streets and neighborhoods of Toronto provides a genuine sense of a place that feels real, and the film's study of incapacitating self-doubt and the fear of being seen comes across honestly, too.

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