Cannes Review: Peak Everything is a Romantic Dramedy That Finds Levity in the Anxieties of Societal Ills

While there’s the oft-repeated observation that every generation thinks they are living through the end of the world, the maelstrom of anxieties (both quotidian and universal) in today’s age is particularly concerning, even debilitating for many to comprehend. Anne Émond’s Peak Everything, borrowing its title from the scientific concept that humanity is exploiting maximum levels […] The post Cannes Review: Peak Everything is a Romantic Dramedy That Finds Levity in the Anxieties of Societal Ills first appeared on The Film Stage.

May 21, 2025 - 02:05

Cannes Review: Peak Everything is a Romantic Dramedy That Finds Levity in the Anxieties of Societal Ills

While there’s the oft-repeated observation that every generation thinks they are living through the end of the world, the maelstrom of anxieties (both quotidian and universal) in today’s age is particularly concerning, even debilitating for many to comprehend. Anne Émond’s Peak Everything, borrowing its title from the scientific concept that humanity is exploiting maximum levels of everything on the planet, consolidates ubiquitous, world-ending concerns into a small-scale romantic dramedy about one man’s personal struggle to find happiness and purpose amidst impending climate disasters. While the quaint, well-observed Canadian production’s heart and mind are in the right place, there’s an overstated whimsy to these proceedings that renders its blend of romance, comedy, and real-world concerns a touch lacking.

Despite a public-facing sad-sack affability, something is deeply wrong in the mind of Adam (Patrick Hivon, embodying the role with a fitting nervous anxiety). While the dogs of his modest kennel business can prove a welcome distraction, there’s a deep-seated depression that no amount of running or meditation can cure. Erotic advances from the naive, sexually forthright Romy (Élizabeth Mageren)––his only employee––prove more confusing than satisfying. His unfeeling, know-it-all father Eugène (Gilles Renaud) and out-of-touch, lazy brother Frank (Éric Kamala Boulianne) offer little support. Willing to try anything to lighten his mood, he orders a therapy lamp, which leads him to call a line in hopes of healing his rocky mental state. When the amiable Tina (Piper Perabo) answers the call, despite telling him this is strictly a technical-support outlet (much to his embarrassment), a connection forms. One disaster later, and an adventure begins for Adam to extract some meaning from a life in disarray.

Warmly shot on 35mm by Olivier Gossot and sprightly edited by Anita Roth (The Beast), Peak Everything goes down quite easily; these are part of its shortcomings. As Adam is faced with the reality that humanity is stuck in an inescapable system we’ve created for ourselves, he even frightens his therapist, stating there is no alternative (aka T.I.N.A., the same name of the new woman in his life, one of a handful of choices bordering on the overtly quirky). While one isn’t expecting a Melancholia-level dread from this set-up, Émond’s touch often feels so light as to be evanescent. It’s a noble ambition to background a rom-com with existential fears, and with her ensemble Émond exudes a good deal of sympathy and enough witty observations about humanity’s lack of care for the world. Yet there’s a certain misplaced madcap energy that relies a bit too heavily on feel-good clichés, perhaps best exemplified in a slow-motion scene featuring Adam and Tina running through the streets, about a dozen dogs in hand, fleeing after a bit of relatively safe anarchic rebellion. In a vacuum, there’s nothing inherently wrong with such familiarity, yet this clash of darker themes with a more diverting tone rarely achieves the ideal balance.

As we learn more about Tina––who, on the surface, seems too good to be true for Adam––the film finds a needed poignancy. As layers are revealed of a home life she previously kept secret from Adam, a sadness emerges from beneath the happy veneer. “When you choose a path, you don’t get to see the other ones,” she notes, giving meaning to preceding actions that may have registered as haphazard. While Peak Everything provides hints at a larger view of a crumbling world, it’s far more concerned with staying in the purview of our lead, embracing the small moments of happiness when one can find them. This narrow viewpoint may frustrate some, particularly in regards to how much one can empathize with Adam’s all-consuming concerns. Ending on a note of physical catharsis, Émond simplifies Adam’s battle with depression, taking the crowd-pleasing route that a breezy tone foretold.

Peak Everything premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

The post Cannes Review: Peak Everything is a Romantic Dramedy That Finds Levity in the Anxieties of Societal Ills first appeared on The Film Stage.