In the Heart of the South follows protagonist Yura (Anna Lambe), who is an Indigenous artist, and a hot property. She’s big; she’s innovative; she’s ripe for opportunities to be that Indigenous voice that can school white settlers. She’s getting a lot of opportunities, including the chance to make a film based on some of her personal experiences.

She’s stressed but she’s pumped. But just as everything seems to be going Yura’s way, her past catches up with her. Her past in the form of her former friend Sesi (Zorga Qaunaq).

Sesi is, to put it mildly, odd. She doesn’t seem to have a job. She doesn’t seem to know anyone or want to keep in touch with anyone. She also exhibits odd behaviours. Plus, Yura finds odd things in Sesi’s bag. Beyond that, Yura’s life seems to get completely derailed as soon as Sesi returns. 

Despite their distinctly different lives, it suddenly seems like Yura and Sesi’s parallel existences are crossing paths and intersecting. But that can’t be right. And that certainly can’t be good.

The synopsis of In the Heart of the South mentions that this is a single white female like story. That’s a good starting point. But this story is so much more than that, because this is a story told by and about Indigenous peoples. There is so much more depth and so many layers to the story because the characters are Indigenous. They are held to a different standard. There are expectations of them that wouldn’t be for other cultures. They also have to bite their tongue a lot. 

In the Heart of the South gives a grander meaning to the horror tropes that we witness, because the horrors are more than just artifice and artificial. The colonial history, the residential schools, the generational trauma, as well as Indigenous legends—they’re all mixed together to tell a very compelling and eerie story. 

The film is kind of scary for those of us who consider ourselves to be creative and artistic. You can’t help but put yourself in the shoes of Yura. Which is something that both the director, Nyla Innuksuk, and lead actress Zorqa mentioned in the Q&A after the film. I don’t think you can help but ask yourself, “am I that kind of artist?” And that’s what makes In the Heart of the South so much more interesting. Because Yura is stuck in the meat-grinder of the industry. She’s good at what she does, but she has to play within the system to get her work out there. How does that affect her personally? That’s the question that this film is asking. 

I found In the Heart of the South riveting. But it was quite eerie from time to time. Part of me wishes it was eerier, and the other part is like “yeah, no it’s fine. I don’t need to be any more scared.”

I love the performances. Anna Lambe is so natural and effortless, and she has such wonderful screen presence. But Zorqa— my goodness! Talk about stealing the scene. You can’t take your eyes off her. She is so riveting. And she is able to balance mystery and intrigue with being rather scary. I genuinely don’t know how she did it, because seeing her in-person at the Q&A, she’s bubbly and goofy. I don’t know what Zorqa pulled out of herself to make this performance come to life, because wow, she is so freaking terrifying to watch.

If I have any criticism of the film it’s the use of a slur. I don’t understand why it was used more than once. That was an uncomfortable choice. 

The only other criticism I have is that there were a couple of moments in the second act that I wish had been sped up. But I am struggling here to even find any tangible criticisms because I was just floored by In the Heart of the South. 

What I particularly liked is that we’re not given all the answers to every single haunted moment in this film; you don’t need a justification for that when you are so enthralled by the story. I’m completely fine with that. 

In the Heart of the South is exactly why we need a diversity of voices, not only in front of the screen, but especially behind the scenes. Because without that, we cannot get the specificity of different cultures and communities and nations, which at the same time can feel so universal. We are all facing a crisis of conscience in our own ways, but how these crises are represented in art by different creators can give us answers or more questions that we need. 

I loved In the Heart of the South. I am so glad that this film was made. I hope for more such films, that aren’t just considered Canadian or Indigenous, but are seen and consumed and celebrated on a global scale. We need so much more of that.

In the Heart of the South is eerie and compelling. But at the end of the day what makes the story really work is that it’s a story about human beings and our frailties and our insecurities and our ability to accept our past and our past mistakes. This film is something else, and it’s a must-watch.

Stay tuned for more reviews from the Toronto International Film Festival 2026.