‘At the Place of Ghosts’ TIFF Review – Indigenous Thriller Boasts Strong Visuals, But a Slight Narrative

There’s a mystery at the heart of Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At The Place of Ghosts), a Canadian Indigenous thriller about a pair of Mi’kmaw brothers who have been separated for most of their adult lives.

Filmmaker Bretten Hannam‘s film opens with young versions of the pair: Mise’l (Skyler Cope), the older brother, is driving, while the younger brother Antle (Atuen MacIsaac) hyperventilates in the passenger seat. They’re impossibly young to be out alone on the highway, and the bloody knuckles suggests that the film has begun in media res.

This incident isn’t explicitly addressed again for most of the film’s running time, but attentive viewers won’t have difficulty identifying the trauma the brothers have experienced as children and how it has been carried over into adulthood. 

The main body of the text follows adult Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda), a queer cook in the city who ventures back to the small town where Antle (Forrest Goodluck) still lives. This isn’t an altruistic attempt at reconciliation, however; Mise’l has had a violent encounter with a threatening spirit* at work that has dangerous implications for both brothers. The (re)appearance of this spirit is clear evidence of their unfinished business, as well as a call to adventure.

* The creature design is both beautiful and haunting: the human-like figure looks as though it is made of ash and its touch leaves a poisonous burn wherever it touches somebody.

While Mise’l has a male partner in the city, it’s clear that he’s living an untethered life, cut off from his family (the location isn’t specified, but the film was shot in – and the Mi’kmaq people are primarily located on – Canada’s east coast). 

Unlike Mise’l, Antle has retained his connection to community. He’s a single father with a cute daughter and a certain measure of job security. When Mise’l shows up at his door after more than a decade, however, both their lives are uprooted and the pair must set out on a quest to find a cave deep in the woods and heal their respective scars.

It’s clear early on what the brothers are contending with and the use of repeated flashbacks lays bare a history of childhood abuse. Like many Indigenous stories, however, At The Place of Ghosts is less interested in telling a traditional narrative (ie: a puzzle box story with a twist reveal) than it is about going on a journey with the characters.

This includes the personal stories of both men and their relationship to each other, as well as their connection to the land and their ancestors. The result is a mixture of episodic journeys (almost like vignettes) that collapse time and space and, more broadly speaking, a film that is light on dialogue and heavy on visual storytelling.

These moments include interactions with ancestors, a battle with colonial British soldiers hundreds of years in the past, and, in the film’s most stylized sequence, an alarming glimpse into the brothers’ future. It’s particularly memorable because of the contrast between the brightly lit futuristic architecture and the gorgeous natural beauty. Nearly the entire film takes place in the forest, among the trees and the rivers, which is beautifully photographed by cinematographer Guy Godfree and complemented by the haunting melodies of Juno Award–winning Indigenous musician Jeremy Dutcher.

The result is both cyclical and a little repetitive, but these mood-driven hurdles and detours in the quest are arguably the point of the film. At the Place of Ghosts is much more interested in the journey than the destination, which will undoubtedly frustrate viewers who are eager for answers and a straightforward story, but will reward patient viewers who are content to sink into the luscious visuals.

Ultimately At the Place of Ghosts is a celebration of the brothers’ reunion and their (re)connection to the land, as well as a consideration of the devastating generational fall-out of personal trauma. It’s visually impressive, despite its occasionally familiar and simplistic narrative.

Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts) premiered at TIFF 2025. The film does not currently have a release date.

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