Review: Serville Poblete’s ‘Sunburn’ is a Toronto Summer Sensation​

This right here is one of the best indie discoveries of 2026. A sensational indie creation, but also a film that is more than just a summer hangout buddy comedy. There’s real weight to this, real depth to the screenplay and what it’s getting into with teenagers today, despite all the slang & shenanigans. Sunburn is the third feature made by Canadian filmmaker Serville Poblete (who was born in Toronto, too) so far and it’s the one that is going to launch his career into the stratosphere. Sunburn just premiered at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival in their Centerpiece section (and Next Wave Selects) and I’m not the only one raving about it as one of the best films from the fest this year. This is a truly authentic Toronto indie film to really celebrate, an instantly iconic new feature from Poblete that deserves to be seen and appreciate well beyond Canada. Days later and it’s still on my mind – this is going to stick with me for a while. “If you had wings, would you stay here?” A beautiful film that’s both about loving where you’re from and also wanting so bad to get away.

Sunburn is both written and directed by Serville Poblete (following his other features Altar Boy and Lovely) and it’s set during an extremely hot summer day in Toronto. Very similar in structure & style to Spike Lee’s summer classic Do the Right Thing, but with its own cinematic choices & characters that do set it apart. “During a massive power outage, two best friends explore their sweltering city streets, seeking adventure & relief from the scorching summer temperatures.” The story mainly focuses on the two teens Shay and Vince, played by Joshua Obra and Dashawn Blackwood, who try to make the most of the day, strolling ’round the St. James Town neighborhood and chatting about anything to comes to mind, including girls of course. The ensemble cast includes Arianna Shannon, Milan Deng, Trinity Lloyd, and Ericka Leobrera. All of them are having existential conversations about what’s next in life, where are they going, will they escape their neighborhood, and all kinds of trivial things, too. As much as it seems like just this summer hang film, there’s so much genuinely intriguing depth and real thoughtfulness in every one of the conversations in this. It’s about time and place now, as much as it is about whether someone actually fits into this time and place.

Everything about this film is terrific, from the music to the cast to the way it highlights Toronto and a part of the city most aren’t familiar with. Sunburn is an obvious Do the Right Thing homage that remixes it and updates it brilliantly with its own distinct Toronto flavor, featuring a number of truly magical floating-on-air-cinema moments. The fireworks. The water balloon fight. And all the tunes really giving it even more of a unique vibe (I need the whole soundtrack right now). I want to rewatch it right away just for these glorious scenes again – and to appreciate the characters’ journeys and what they’re going through They’re chatting about their lives in Toronto and experiences as minorities, but they’re also having the kind of conversations that we all do, that we all have heading into adolescence about figuring out who we really are. Should I stay? Should I leave? What keeps me connected here? Will I miss my friends? What makes this place my home? I’m sure I’m not the only one adding “Some Place Else” by MorMore to my playlist right away. I’m going to be talking about this film for the rest of the year and beyond. And I will be watching Serville Poblete closely from now on. This is exactly the distinct, dynamite filmmaking I always hope to come across and champion.

Alex’s TIFF Rating: 9 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing

Read more posts in: Indies, Review, TIFF Reviews