Toy Gun Bandit has a certain authenticity to it that you don’t see a lot in coming-of-age movies. It tells the story of a young boy named Félix (Félix Munger) who lives in the suburbs of Quebec City and can’t sit still. He finds that he can gain the attention he desires by playing a prank on a convenience store. He takes the opportunity to commit a robbery with his new friend Dave (David Beaudoin), who is an older guy already involved in crime. Unfortunately for Félix, Sara (Sara Montpetit) soon joins the team. What starts out as an easy way to earn money and feel important soon becomes much more serious.

The best part of the film is seeing how quickly Félix’s desire for acceptance turns into him acting recklessly. Félix doesn’t feel included at his birthday party as his friends are all drawn to others. He plays a prank on the convenience store to try to make himself interesting. After he successfully pulls it off, he spends the money on buying drinks for random people in the hope that they will pay attention to him. He doesn’t really have a good understanding of himself, meaning he is easily taken advantage of by Dave. Dave gives him a feeling of belonging but soon gets him into more crime. Dave isn’t a good influence, and it becomes uncomfortable to watch their friendship develop as Félix sees Dave’s approval as genuine friendship.

Courtesy of TIFF

Félix Munger is brilliant in his debut role. He portrays the young boy well who is always overconfident. He can be funny and charming but can also be very frustratingly childish. He flows effortlessly between the two. Although his mistakes can be very annoying, his desperation to fit in provides the film with an emotional aspect. Montpetit and Beaudoin also help to give the weird little gang of criminals a realistic feel.

Director Rémi St-Michel crafts a great balance between a crime film and a comedy. The beginning robberies have a silly feel to them. Félix and his accomplices seem to think that if they successfully commit a crime, then they know what they’re doing. This causes them to take more risks and soon catch the attention of far more dangerous people. Once they start getting more serious with their crimes, such as attempting to rob an armored truck, it becomes harder to laugh. It had a similar vibe to Uncut Gems. Every time they make a decision, it causes them more issues, and they seem unable to stop before it gets worse. However, this film is based around the specific insecurity of a young man wanting to prove he’s somebody.

Courtesy of TIFF

The film does suffer from a bit of a slow middle. The increasing criminal antics can start to feel repetitive. While the film has a good understanding of Félix’s need for recognition, some of the events around the group could have been better written. The characters can be very unlikable and make very reckless decisions without thinking of how they’ll affect others. While this is part of the point, some may find it tiring to watch as they can’t get into the characters.

Overall, Toy Gun Bandit is a great film as it links the childish rebellion with real danger. Félix starts off pretending to be a tougher and more interesting person but soon finds himself in real danger. The fact that he is becoming more distant from his old friends, especially Brandon, shows how empty his acceptance has become. While he wants to be independent and recognised, he has lost a lot of his freedom. The film is chaotic, tense, and often very darkly humorous. It is an effective coming-of-age crime film thanks to Félix Munger’s brilliant debut. While it can sometimes lose its momentum, it is an engaging film showing how a teen’s need to fit in can cause them to end up somewhere they can’t control.

Toy Gun Bandit held its World Premiere as part of the TIFF Next Wave Selects section at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

Director: Rémi St-Michel

Screenwriter: Rémi St-Michel

Rated: NR

Runtime: 102m

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