Cannes 2025: ‘Peak Everything’ or ‘Amour Apocalypse’ Quebec Love
by Alex Billington
June 1, 2025
“When you choose a path, you don’t get to see the other ones.” One of the common themes amongst many films at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival is an appreciation for finding love any way that works for you, and being honest with yourself about your romantic desires. Many of the films about romance or relationships at Cannes this year focus on how unconventional & decidedly unique love should be the new norm. Instead of traditional relationships, following the basic trends that have been the norm of decades, break free and be with whoever it is you love because they connect with you. It’s always a challenge, but always worth it. One of the best films about exactly this love story is Amour Apocalypse, also retitled as Peak Everything in English (which I don’t think is the right title – the original is much better). It’s a remarkably calm, somewhat quiet, charming little indie film from Quebec – about a lonely middle-aged guy who runs a dog shelter who meets a woman on a phone line. At first I wasn’t so sure what to make of it, however as time goes on the film remains with me, there’s a peculiar charm to it that really stands out from almost all the other Cannes films.
Amour Apocalypse is written and directed by Quebecois filmmaker Anne Émond, her sixth feature film so far following Nuit #1, Our Loved Ones, Nelly, Young Juliette, and Lucy Grizzli Sophie just before. The film is an unconventional love story about a 40-something guy. We rarely see any romantic films about this age group – it’s either teens and 20 or 30-somethings, or older adults finding love later in life in their 60s or 70s. Quebecois actor Patrick Hivon stars as Adam, in a very wholesome performance that’s both endearing & charming yet never showy or annoying. He gets this role just right. Though he’s the kind of funky, quiet guy that some people do not like and they won’t be able to get into the story because of this. But I know this kind of guy, I’m a bit like him, too. He loves his dogs, he lives a simple life. One day he orders a face lamp to help calm his eco-anxiety about climate change. When it breaks, he calls the customer support help line and he’s connected with Tina – played by Piper Perabo. They eventually figure out how to connect and talk further, though the biggest complication revealed later is that she’s married. But that won’t stop their romance from warming up (just like Earth), as they start to spend time together and see each other for who they really are.
This is an especially fascinating film in many ways – it’s not the first Canadian film I’ve seen about cheating and how you might find your real soulmate when they’re already in another relationship (also see: Young Werther and The F Word). I won’t say it encourages cheating, but it does very sensitively and very humbly address the topic because it deals with an especially taboo topic: what if you actually meet the right person but they’re with someone else. How do you navigate this? What happens next? Can it work? Is it even worth it? There’s one amazingly sensual “non-cheating” scene that I can’t stop thinking about. I also admire how vulnerable this film is. The main guy Adam is super nerdy, super awkward, but also super lovable because he’s a good guy who isn’t macho or pretentious or anything. It also reminds me of Pedro Almdoovar’s The Room Next Door from last year (my review), telling a story about finding joy and happiness and love even when an apocalypse is just around the corner. Instead of brushing off his “eco-anxiety”, it nicely reminds us he’s entirely right, and it is bad, but we can also enjoy life with beautiful people anyway. And I find that so wholesome & comforting – this might be the very reason the film has stayed on my mind for so long already.
Alex’s Cannes 2025 Rating: 8 out of 10
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