By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Moving out to a new, unfamiliar community is scary enough, but what happens when your new neighbours show animosity towards you right off the bat, barely giving you a “Hello”?
What do you do? How do you cope? How do you survive?
August 29, 2025, marks the one-year anniversary of the release of the Canadian comedy-drama film Loathe Thy Neighbour, directed by Sergio Navarretta and starring Burlington-raised actor Brennan Clost, also known for playing Shane in the Netflix drama Tiny Pretty Things. The film’s advanced screening took place in the town of Owen Sound on August 25 before being released in cinemas throughout Canada four days later. It was produced by Taconic Pictures and New Mountain Films.
Clost plays Will Larkfield, an awkward, anxiety-ridden city marketing executive who is bound by the terms of his father’s will to relocate from the city to a rural farmhouse in the fictional Burns Valley (real-life Bruce County). Will is allergic to pretty much everything, so the dusty old building he’s now calling home is less than ideal for him. To make matters worse, his new next-door neighbour Wanda Bellerose, played by Lauren Holly, is a grumpy beekeeper who takes an immediate dislike to him.
Joe Dickinson (Shaun Benson) is Will’s father’s former business partner who steps in to give Will some guidance about adjusting to his new life as a remote worker and farm owner. Wanda’s spunky, estranged adult daughter Valerie Bellerose (Brittany Raymond) seems nice at first but only adds fuel to the fire as the domestic rivalry between Will and Wanda escalates to ridiculous proportions. Attempts to build connections and make amends lead to catastrophic failures, and lives and prospects are ruined in the process.
Clost plays Will as well-meaning in his quest for adult independence but socially tactless and bad at picking his battles. Holly plays Wanda as a jaded, scorned, anti-social recluse who failed to find her footing after a bitter divorce. The two actors portray a convincing, nonstop back-and-forth melee between their characters, in which there are no winners, only losers. Life on their farms becomes unbearable for both. The film’s slow pace only intensifies their feud. It’s obvious that they’re partially acting this way out of sheer boredom, as both have restless personalities unsuited for gentle, slow-paced country lives.
Despite being a dark comedy, the film is also strictly serious in depicting how mental health deteriorates when people are rejected from their communities. Will’s sanity takes a plunge and so does Wanda’s, so the two are compelled to find some sort of common ground between them before it’s too late.
Loathe Thy Neighbour is, unfortunately, a rather realistic depiction of the casual xenophobia that can emerge in tight-knit communities where strangers are mistrusted and treated with suspicion. The film makes the point that antagonizing newcomers is not only emotionally immature behaviour, but also counterproductive to the welfare of a community, which needs cooperation and civility to thrive and grow. Will and Wanda’s story comes across as something of a cautionary tale. A basket of muffins is a more appropriate welcome gift than a dead animal tossed in a swimming pool.
Burlington, where Clost is from, has experienced significant population growth in recent decades. The City of Burlington website has a welcome page for newcomers that provides information about transit accessibility and recreation. It’s a rather different approach than Will’s “warm” welcome to Burns Valley, which starts off immediately with a spat over a missing EpiPen.
Loathe Thy Neighbour is available for free on Tubi. Readers can visit Local-News.ca for more articles about films with a Burlington connection, such as an actor, director, or filming location.
