“I don't want to be your friend, you old trout!” Boom—you're hooked. That's the pitched opening of Loathe Thy Neighbor's official trailer, out now. Imagine landing on your late dad's farm, allergic to just about everything, then promptly being gaslit by your off-kilter neighbor. That's neurotic city slicker Will Larkfield (Brennan Clost), and his tormentor is the beautifully deadpan Lauren Holly as Wanda Bellerose. The result? A twisted rural comedy that feels like straight‑up cinematic mischief.
From City Allergies to Honey-Fueled Frenzy
Clost's Will is the poster child for urban fragility—countless allergies, misplaced optimism—and inherits a farmhouse he clearly doesn't deserve. Enter Wanda: honey‑farmer, cranky hermit, downright menace. Their first confrontation is chemistry‑rich comedy—like watching two tectonic plates grind in slow-mo. Then there's Wanda's kleptomaniac daughter, a corporate conspiracy threatening the community, and suddenly it's Groundhog Day meets Fargo, with bees instead of snow.
Why It Stings (In a Good Way)
Sergio Navarretta, best known for Looking for Angelina and The Cuban, directed this one. His sensibility leans into the absurd—small community, big weirdness. The script from Christian Majewski takes simple ingredients—ranch setting, urban transplant, stubborn neighbor—and seasons them with malice and mayhem. And Holly as Wanda? She's not stretching. Her stoic nastiness is pitch-perfect, almost like a honey‑coated poison dart.
Tone & Tension: Comedy with a Sting
The trailer doesn't hide its ambition. It's a slow burn of escalating insanity: klepto diversions, shady corporate suits, a guy gasping for air in a barnyard dust‑storm. Humor isn't just slapped on—it grows from character tension. You feel Will's panic as Wanda launches into psychological warfare. You feel your own chest tighten when bees swarm a fence post. There's a method to the madness.
Context & Culture
In recent years, “rural comedy” has leaned feel‑good—Schitt's Creek, etc. Loathe Thy Neighbor flips that script. It embraces darkness instead of warmth. It's “dark” as in black‑humor, absurd as in small‑town characters gone sideways. Canadian indie has long flirted with this style—think David Cronenberg's more comedic quirks—and Navarretta's at home in that zone. It's elder‑gen vs. millennial, old money vs. city money, nature vs. corporate creep—it's all in there.
Dates, Roles & Roster
The film, formerly titled Yuppie, hits Canadian cinemas August 29, 2025. That's confirmed, no speculation. The cast includes Brennan Clost, Lauren Holly, Shaun Benson, Brittany Raymond, Paloma Nuñez, Jessica Greco and Luke Humphrey. The producer list packs heavyweight names—Clost, Rebeka Herron, Holly herself, and Majewski. It's clearly a tight‑knit passion project.
Final Take
I laughed. I cringed. I kind of loved the chaos. Loathe Thy Neighbor might be a little messy—but in the best Midwestern‑barn‑drama‑way possible. Is it a cottage industry cult hit in the making? Maybe. Or maybe it's just a harmless bit of weirdness that only an indie Canadian comedy could pull off. Personally, I'm torn—but damn, I'm intrigued.
Will it crawl under your skin, or will it just crawl across the barn floor and sting you? Either way… I'll be there August 29. Will you?
