Nobody’s Violence

Mira (Larissa Corriveau) lives a solitary life in Denis Côté’s latest feature, Nobody’s Violence. She camps out in her car with her dog, travelling the country to help clients end their lives. She’s constantly surrounded by death and under surveillance from her menacing boss, Ludo (Philippe Rebbot). As Mira feels increasingly trapped within her current situation, she begins searching for a way out in this haunting and mesmerising drama.

Corriveau gives an exquisite leading performance. Although Mira mostly stays silent, preferring to say the bare minimum, the actor finds nuanced ways of expressing the character’s humanity. Alongside understated reactions such as a sombre glance at photographs on a wall or how she avoids eye contact with a client’s confrontational relative, various scenes of her interacting with animals allow audiences to see what kind of person Mira really is. The only time when she seems genuinely happy is when she has a chance encounter with the free-spirited Pierric (Xavier Bergeron) and can live another life, if only for a short time.

The entire supporting cast is likewise excellent, even if they appear only briefly. Bergeron is a fiery ball of energy who becomes a central part of Mira’s personal journey. Pierrette Robitaille, who plays an elderly client, gives a devastating turn, as do the others Mira visits. Côté uses these moments to explore aspects of death in deeply intimate and frequently heartbreaking ways, reinforcing the emotional toll the job has taken on the protagonist.

Shot on grainy film and utilising a loose sense of editing, the film possesses a dreamlike quality. Memories belonging to Mira’s clients flicker into frame, scenes cut abruptly as if interrupting the plot’s train of thought, and the filmmaker deploys a psychedelic soundtrack to give some sequences a playful nature. The script only ever delivers hints about the shady goings-on within Ludo’s organisation, and it’s difficult to gauge how much time has passed during what appears to be only a few days. While some viewers may find this abstract style hard to grasp, Côté packs every scene with fascinating questions on life, happiness and control.

Carried by a magnificent Corriveau, Nobody’s Violence is a strange, alluring and deeply moving feature from Côté that’s rich in existential and philosophical themes. Although it won’t appeal to everyone, it will leave a lasting impression on those who give it a chance.

Andrew Murray

Read more reviews from our Locarno Film Festival 2026 coverage here.

For further information about the event, visit the Locarno Film Festival website here.