Jimpa Review & Release Guide: Olivia Colman and John Lithgow Lead a Tender, Generational Queer Drama

Jimpa, the quietly powerful new drama from filmmaker Sophie Hyde, arrives in theaters on February 6, bringing with it one of the most intimate and emotionally layered family stories of the year. Premiering earlier at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the film has already positioned itself as a standout in contemporary queer cinema—warm, honest, and unafraid of complexity.

Starring Olivia Colman, Aud Mason-Hyde, and John Lithgow, Jimpa explores love, disappointment, and identity across three generations of a modern queer family.

What Is Jimpa About?

At the center of Jimpa is Hannah, a filmmaker navigating parenthood, memory, and the stories she has long told herself about her family. She travels to Amsterdam with her trans nonbinary teenager Frances to visit her father Jim—affectionately known as “Jimpa”—a gay man now confronting the realities of aging in a world he never expected to grow old in.

What begins as a family visit becomes something far more destabilizing when Frances expresses a desire to stay abroad with Jimpa for an entire year. That single decision forces Hannah to confront uncomfortable questions: about control versus freedom, protection versus trust, and whether the ideals she’s passed on still hold up under scrutiny.

Rather than framing this as conflict-driven drama, Jimpa allows its tensions to unfold gently—through conversation, silence, and emotional distance that feels achingly real.

A Personal Film Rooted in Lived Experience

Jimpa is Sophie Hyde’s most personal work to date. Inspired by her own experiences as part of a queer family, the film carries a lived-in authenticity that never feels performative.

Hyde, previously acclaimed for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, once again demonstrates her ability to handle intimate material with empathy and restraint. The film resists easy resolutions, instead honoring the messiness of love across generations—especially when identities, expectations, and values don’t perfectly align.

This is a film that listens as much as it speaks.

Performances That Carry Emotional Weight

The cast is uniformly strong, led by three deeply felt performances:

• Olivia Colman as Hannah, balancing warmth with quiet defensiveness

• Aud Mason-Hyde as Frances, navigating selfhood with clarity and vulnerability

• John Lithgow as Jimpa, whose charm masks the pain of aging and unresolved regret

Lithgow, in particular, delivers a performance that avoids caricature. His Jimpa is loving, flawed, and deeply human—someone who fought hard for freedom and now wonders what that freedom cost.

Themes That Resonate Across Generations

While Jimpa is firmly rooted in queer storytelling, its themes are universal:

• Parents realizing their children are no longer reflections of themselves

• Children discovering their heroes are imperfect

• Older generations confronting invisibility and mortality

• The tension between chosen family and responsibility

The film refuses to take sides. Instead, it allows each perspective to exist fully, trusting the audience to sit with the discomfort.

Sundance Premiere and Early Reception

Jimpa premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, where it was noted for its emotional sincerity and nuanced portrayal of queer family life. Rather than aiming for shock or provocation, the film earned attention for its quiet confidence and compassionate storytelling.

This is not an awards-bait melodrama. It’s a human film—measured, reflective, and deeply felt.

Full Cast and Creative Team

• Director: Sophie Hyde

• Writers: Sophie Hyde, Matthew Cormack

• Starring: Olivia Colman, Aud Mason-Hyde, John Lithgow

• Cinematography: Matthew Chuang

• Music: Nick Ward

• Runtime: 113 minutes

• Languages: English

• Countries: Australia, Finland, Netherlands

Supporting cast includes Daniel Henshall, Kate Box, Eamon Farren, Deborah Kennedy, Hans Kesting, and others.

Release Information

• Title: Jimpa

• Genre: Drama

• Theatrical Release: February 6

• Festival Premiere: January 23, 2025 (Sundance Film Festival)

• Distributor: Kismet Movies (Australia), Cinéart (Netherlands)

Jimpa doesn’t chase spectacle or controversy. Its power lies in honesty—in the quiet realization that love across generations is rarely simple, even when intentions are good.

With deeply grounded performances, especially from Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, and Sophie Hyde’s empathetic direction, Jimpa stands out as one of 2025’s most emotionally resonant dramas.

This is a film about listening, letting go, and learning that family stories are never finished—only revised.