A scene from 'Whitetail'

Whitetail review: TIFF 2025

‘Whitetail’ is a slow but sustained drama that follows a woman forced to confront a past she tried so hard to put behind her.

Jen (Natasha O’Keeffe) is a ranger working to conserve a small forest in southern Ireland. While patrolling one day, she makes a grisly discovery. Surveillance footage reveals a poacher roaming the protected area. As she tries to convince the local police to investigate, another problem arises with the return of her first love, Oscar (Aaron McCusker).

The pair were involved in a horrific accident that changed the course of their lives. The unexpected reunion causes Jen to regress. Her renewed trauma is overwhelming and she lacks the tools to manage it, so she revives old habits instead.

Read the full review of Whitetail at thatshelf.com

Similar Posts

  • Review: ‘Two Days, One Night’ is an inspiring one-woman tour de force (Includes first-hand account)

    Job security is practically an oxymoron in today’s economy. Companies are still filing for bankruptcy with alarming frequency and downsizing or “reorganizing” is a common cost-cutting strategy. Taking extended leave for any reason can be frightening as it gives the employer the opportunity to realize they can operate at full capacity without you. Unfortunately that is the case in Two Days, One Night as one woman tries to overturn her dismissal.

  • Review: ‘Bridge of Spies’ is a stirring but welcome crossing (Includes first-hand account)

    Regardless of one’s opinions of Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks, when the two come together to make a film there’s generally little doubt that it will be good. The topics of their collaborations have varied over the years from the war to immigration to a clever criminal. In Bridge of Spies, they add espionage to the list, though the actor thankfully is not the one sneaking around stealing government secrets.

  • Review: ‘Promising Young Woman’ passes judgement where justice fails (Includes first-hand account)

    To this day, a segment of society finds women with power problematic. More notably, they find women who take power uncouth and even frightening. A woman who seeks to level the playing field or — heaven forbid — gain the upper-hand, is a threat to the status quo and thus a threat to the patriarchy. Therefore, when a movie portrays this change in dynamics, but doesn’t adhere to the way these situations have typically been portrayed, it’s deemed to be lacking or false. If a woman is going to assume a position of power, it has to be in a manner that is expected and, consequently, acceptable because it was designed by men. Promising Young Woman throws all of that out the window.

  • The Cost of Heaven review: TIFF 2025

    ‘The Cost of Heaven’ follows one man’s attempts to achieve his dreams of a better a life, even though the one he has is already envious.