A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
Directed by Atom Egoyan
small town
canada
based on novel or book
suffering
village
paralysis
based on true story
tragedy
lawyer
car accident
school bus
british columbia
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.9 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Ian Holm
Mitchell Stephens
Sarah Polley
Nicole Burnell
Tom McCamus
Sam Burnell
Gabrielle Rose
Dolores Driscoll
Alberta Watson
Risa Walker
Maury Chaykin
Wendell Walker
Stephanie Morgenstern
Allison
Bruce Greenwood
Billy Ansel
Arsinée Khanjian
Wanda Otto
Earl Pastko
Hartley Otto
Simon Baker
Bear
David Hemblen
Abbott Driscoll
Crew
Atom Egoyan
Director
Atom Egoyan
Screenplay
Mychael Danna
Original Music Composer
Paul Sarossy
Director of Photography
Atom Egoyan
Producer
Robert Lantos
Executive Producer
Cassandra Cronenberg
Assistant Director Trainee
Andy Mikita
First Assistant Director
Dennis Berardi
Visual Effects
Goro Koyama
Foley Artist
Russell Banks
Novel
Popular Reviews
69 reviews
bryan
can the damn bus crash already
can the damn bus crash already
Lucien WD
8.0★ · 01/18/26
Really liked this and how depressing it is. Reminded me a lot of The Ice Storm. Sarah Polley is so wonderful I can’t watch anything bad happen to her. Wasn’t as impressed by the Ian Holm character as all the other stuff.
Really liked this and how depressing it is. Reminded me a lot of The Ice Storm. Sarah Polley is so wonderful I can’t watch anything bad happen to her. Wasn’t as impressed by the Ian Holm character as all the other stuff.
Tristan Stewart
8.0★ · 01/17/26
‘So subtle you might miss it’ storytelling. This film has a really heavy energy to it. Strong foreboding and dread is felt throughout. Enjoyed how it unfolded and had to think about it for a few hours afterward to gather my thoughts on it. The ending sneaks up on you.
‘So subtle you might miss it’ storytelling. This film has a really heavy energy to it. Strong foreboding and dread is felt throughout. Enjoyed how it unfolded and had to think about it for a few hours afterward to gather my thoughts on it. The ending sneaks up on you.
Tristan
9.0★ · 11/17/25
A slice-of-life from hell.
A slice-of-life from hell.
Corinne
6.0★ · 10/29/25
lotta people getting called daddy for a cast where everyone’s ugly
lotta people getting called daddy for a cast where everyone’s ugly