Review by Pjtaylor-96-138044

Shot entirely with an iPhone, 'Left-Handed Girl (2025)' marks Shih-Ching Tsou's solo feature directorial debut after co-directing 'Take Out (2004)' with Sean Baker and producing several of the latter's other films. This slice-of-life drama feels incredibly personal, incorporating elements of its director's life to add texture and tangibility to the already incredibly palpable world it creates. With its handheld shooting style and focus on intimate everyday occurrences, the flick almost feels like a documentary at times. Splitting its focus between the child's-eye view of its youngest character and the more hardened perspectives of the older two members of its central trifecta, the narrative feels at once vaguely aimless and somehow wholly focused on immersing us in the lives of its characters. It's a naturalistic experience that's subtly moving - and, even, heartwarming - despite its generally harsher atmosphere, contextualising its story within a society that minimises women at every turn without becoming wholly about this aspect. Although the story feels as though it tries to cram in a little too much during its finale, dropping some pretty big bombs without sticking around to examine their aftermath enough to make them feel truly impactful. Still, even as its pacing ebbs and flows and it usually refuses to bend to genre convention (to both detriment and benefit), it's a compelling and honest feature that keeps you engaged for its duration. You're never quite sure where it's going to go, but it's one of those movies that's definitely about the journey rather than the destination so it ultimately doesn't really matter exactly where it ends up. It's an entertainingly down-to-earth effort.