Tight Lettuce (Houde, 2026) Review - Fantasia ‘26

There is always specific qualities in films that hint at them being more personal to the creative crew than others. When it comes to scripts based on a true story, there is genuinely such a personal element and heart woven within that it gives the audience a stronger chance to connect with the characters. In Harrison Houde’s Tight Lettuce, a son struggles to get his father to understand the importance of his life. And even with some difficulty in presentation, we get to feel the emotion required to of course want their relationship to survive, as with each other’s lives as well.

In the process of attempting to document a recovery, Joel (Dakota Daulby) instead films his father Bodo’s (Emmanuel Bilodeau) addiction. As he attempts to save his father from himself, the sacrifices he makes start to become too much. Joel must decide how much he can bear to give up for a father who may not want to be saved.

As clear as it is that Joel’s filming of his father is a passion project, it is clear that Tight Lettuceis the same for writer-director Houde and writer-actor Daulby. As writers and executive producers on the project, the craftsmanship and tenderness the two invest into their script and story give so much to the success of the film. While you watch, especially the handheld digital camera clips Joel would be taping, you feel like you are truly witnessing two men in different forms of desperation.

Of course with such a personal aspect, the film needs the actors to portray the relationship, the love and dismay within the characters. Daulby and Bilodeau bring more than just a connection between each other to the screen. Daulby has such awkward innocence as Joel. His character is unaware of just how much useless effort he puts into his father’s attempted recovery. Daulby takes this and softens the voice, hides tears behind the eyes, and in the end, gives us that triggered sadness and sense of betrayal.

In the father, however, Bilodeau somehow brings the comedy. We all want to feel sorry for the man, seemingly never being able to give up his vices. Addiction does terrible things, and yet somehow Bilodeau is able to bring light and humour to this. It becomes strange, as the viewer, to laugh at the choices he makes, even if he may be unable to truly control his actions. All around not truly being there for his son like his son was for him.

Tight Lettuceis an interesting take on a seemingly true tale. We can never know just how much was fictionalized for the story, but we can understand that there is always truth in the subject matter. Giving the audience the chance to feel and connect with its characters, the film shares that all true recognizable tale. Maybe not always between father and son, but familial addiction problems happen all over the world. Documenting their lives would be one thing, but reminding us of a truth, changes it all.

For his feature length directorial debut, HarrisonHoude gives the promise of a talented storyteller. Curating a selective crew, and presenting a heartbreaking story, Houde, Daulby and Bilodeau share the lives of two real people. Premiering at Montreal Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival on July 18, 2026, Tight Lettucebrings French Canadian humour and family tenderness to the big screen.