Our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 coverage continues with the French-Canadian adventure film Romin.
You’ve got to hand it to directors Anthony Dionne and Jassen Charron; their ambitions are huge. Their Romin proposes to be an Indiana Jones/National Treasure-style adventure film. It succeeds for the most part in being a low-budget, crafty piece of entertainment that shows the promise and audacity of these multi-hyphenates.
Romin (Dionne) and Booker (James Edward Metayer), after being run down by school thug Tomas (Sid Donarski), find a mystical artifact. The artifact leads them; Romin’s sister Mel (Liliane Skelly) and friend Jeff (Charron) on a dangerous race against Tomas’ father, Lincoln (Emmanuel Auger), and his group of thugs. To what end, and why is this artifact so important that Lincoln will kill for it?
Director/Producer/Actor/Stunt Coordinators Anthony Dionne and Jassen Charron have made a propulsive action film that doesn’t let the budget hinder it. Yes, to be sure, there are a few issues. The design of the artifact at the center of the film is a bit questionable. The script’s first third could have been less coincidental and fragmented. Once those two hurdles are out of the way, the film manages to be a rousing adventure. One that manages to be better than most of its contemporaries with ten times the budget.
Romin manages the rarest of feats. It has an audience rooting for its plucky young protagonists as much as for the filmmakers in accomplishing their goals. As the film ends and the prospect of another adventure closes the film, one cannot wait to see what Dionne and Charron have in store for us.
Romin played at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 1st
Our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 coverage continues with the French-Canadian adventure film Romin.
You’ve got to hand it to directors Anthony Dionne and Jassen Charron; their ambitions are huge. Their Romin proposes to be an Indiana Jones/National Treasure-style adventure film. It succeeds for the most part in being a low-budget, crafty piece of entertainment that shows the promise and audacity of these multi-hyphenates.
Romin (Dionne) and Booker (James Edward Metayer), after being run down by school thug Tomas (Sid Donarski), find a mystical artifact. The artifact leads them; Romin’s sister Mel (Liliane Skelly) and friend Jeff (Charron) on a dangerous race against Tomas’ father, Lincoln (Emmanuel Auger), and his group of thugs. To what end, and why is this artifact so important that Lincoln will kill for it?
Director/Producer/Actor/Stunt Coordinators Anthony Dionne and Jassen Charron have made a propulsive action film that doesn’t let the budget hinder it. Yes, to be sure, there are a few issues. The design of the artifact at the center of the film is a bit questionable. The script’s first third could have been less coincidental and fragmented. Once those two hurdles are out of the way, the film manages to be a rousing adventure. One that manages to be better than most of its contemporaries with ten times the budget.
Romin manages the rarest of feats. It has an audience rooting for its plucky young protagonists as much as for the filmmakers in accomplishing their goals. As the film ends and the prospect of another adventure closes the film, one cannot wait to see what Dionne and Charron have in store for us.
Romin played at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 1st
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.