Movies

‘North of North’ is all sunshine, even if set in an icy Arctic locale

BBG News

As a movie critic, I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on “North by North,” a delightful small-town comedy, now streaming on Netflix and set amidst the captivating landscape of Canada’s northernmost Indigenous territory, home to the Inuit people. This heartwarming tale, much like many small-town comedies, is seasoned with a generous helping of romantic entanglements, adding an irresistible dash of romance to its charming narrative.

Initially, the series portrays a lighter mood compared to the typical Arctic image of endless nights, presenting instead extended daylight hours. This suggests that the overall plot will be comfortably familiar yet unexpectedly exciting in small intervals. The narrative is filled with intense emotions, turmoil, and crucial decisions, but above all, it aims to bring joy to its characters and viewers.

In Ice Cove, our protagonist Siaja (Anna Lambe), aged 26, describes the location as if you’ve ventured to the most northern point in your lifetime, and then kept going further. This modern Inuk woman, who questions her label, feels it’s time for a change. As spring arrives, melting the lingering snow on the tundra, Siaja has made a decision: she’ll prioritize herself after years of placing others first.

Her husband Ting (Kelly William) was once the golden boy of the town, but their marriage and their 7-year-old daughter Bun (Keira Bell Cooper) have been secondary to her life for too long. While we get hints as to why Siaja feels she’s outgrown Ting, he seems to be a decent father. However, their relationship is clearly strained, with lines such as “I’ve been dying inside for a long time and you never noticed” and “You really think you can do better than me?” revealing the cracks in their union. It’s clear that Ting will have to face some challenges in this narrative.

I, much like my mother, Neevee (Maika Harper), have the weight of her legacy upon my shoulders. Once a recovering alcoholic, wild child, and a woman labeled as “slutty,” “shameless,” and godless by some townsfolk, Neevee is also revered as a legend by others, including my friend Colin (Bailey Poching), who happens to be Maori and gay. Despite her tough exterior, Neevee is endearing and makes for an exceptional, playful grandmother to Bun. On occasion, she even invites me to help her sort through ammunition, as if it were the most ordinary of tasks.

Similar to its characters, Ice Cove faces hardships; it’s the less affluent neighbor vying against a more prosperous community (much like Pawnee versus Eagleton in “Parks & Recreation”) for the opportunity to host a new “polar research center.” This scenario introduces Alistair (Jay Ryan), an outsider from Ottawa on a mission to evaluate the site’s feasibility, and his assistant Kuuk (Braeden Clarke), who seems to be set up as a potential love interest for Siaja following her split with Ting. The ladies of Ice Cove are curious about Alistair’s relationship status (“Is he single now?” they inquire).

During their initial encounter at the spring festival, she expresses her sentiment that everyone around seems to yearn for more meaningful connections. She’s promoting an initiative to extend the festival into ongoing cultural events. As they converse, it’s evident that Kuuk is also longing for connection.

Later in the narrative, we discover that Alistair, who has a rugged charm reminiscent of characters from northern-set comedies, is actually Siaja’s unknown father. Their first encounter carries a hint of an unexpected reunion, although it’s briefly uncomfortable, it’s handled with maturity.

Alistair’s return to this place he swore he’d never come back to means he and Neevee have some unresolved issues to discuss – setting the stage for a secondary romantic subplot. However, they tend to avoid discussing these matters directly.

Following a day’s work moving heavy items to the dump and experiencing an underwater vision of the sea goddess Nuliajuk (Tanya Tagaq), Siaja takes up the role of executive assistant for the town manager, Helen (played brilliantly by Mary Lynn Rajskub). Unbeknownst to Siaja, however, Helen goes through assistants as quickly as I use similes. A bubbly self-promoter, Helen has ties to the community and identifies as a Northerner, which is amusingly ironic given her white background—though it could be argued that she’s more connected to this side of things than Siaja, who struggles with Inuktitut and, apart from quirky companions Colin and Millie (Zorga Qaunaq), can sometimes feel like a foreigner in her own hometown.

Siaja politely declines when Helen proposes champagne for a toast upon her hiring, stating that she feels it might not be appropriate for everyone in the workplace.

“I love that you feel safe enough to make white people jokes around me,” says Helen.

Beyond their growing relationships and familial matters, Siaja, Neevee, Kuuk, Alistair, and Ting behave much like unpredictable bumper cars, making this series as serially episodic as a show like “Northern Exposure.” Throughout the eight episodes of the season, we see parties, joint searches, dancing, drinking, an unusual sport that resembles baseball (let’s call it “Eskihumper”), a fire at the dump that attracts the locals like a music concert, and various sexual encounters.

Joining lead actress Lambe (previously featured in “True Detective: Night Country”), creators Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril originate from Nunavut, the region where “North of North” is situated. Notably, Susan Coyne, known for “Slings & Arrows,” serves as an executive producer and writer, which is a plus for fans of that series. This production is a collaboration with the CBC and the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, sharing some similarities with “Reservation Dogs” as it presents a multigenerational comedy centered around Indigenous communities, filmed authentically in an evocative location, and brought to life by those who truly understand the community.

Siaja asserts that she finds life and beauty in all aspects, using this perspective to demonstrate her readiness for employment,” says Siaja, who has never held a job. The unique charm of “North of North” lies in experiencing the world from her perspective.

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2025-04-10 10:31

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