Jimpa

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2:11

Jimpa

Feb 2026

1h 53m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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50%

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58 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Filmmaker Hannah (Olivia Colman) takes her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam, to visit their gay grandfather--lovingly known as "Jimpa" (John Lithgow). But Frances' desire to stay with Jimpa for a year abroad means Hannah is forced to reconsider her beliefs about parenting, and the stories she has long told about her family. Funny, accessible, full of sadness and joy, and with a wonderful multi-generational cast, JIMPA celebrates LGBTQ+ culture across three generations: Grandfather Jim faces the challenges of aging as a gay man in a generation that never expected to grow old; teenager Frances grapples with the disappointment of their heroes falling short of their ideals; and mother Hannah navigates the differing perspectives of her father and of her child. Surrounding these three is a vibrant family--the family they were born into and the family they continue to create.

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Critics Consensus

Olivia Coleman and John Lithgow turn in wonderful performances but this overly sentimental attempt at pathos often overstays its welcome.

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Clarisse Loughrey

Independent (UK)

1d

2/5

There’s little room for flaws, even when the film does well to explain why those flaws aren’t necessarily the sum of a person. Jimpa proves that there is such a thing as being too close to the material.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

May 18

I wish I found it easier to be in the company of the people on screen.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

May 6

2/5

Sophie Hyde has directed an earnestly intended but very indulgent film... it blandly congratulates itself on its sensitivity and cathartic honesty, but is without the spark of her 2019 quarterlifecrisis comedy Animals.

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Sparks Lowry

Spectrum Culture

Mar 17

Jimpa functions as a chance to recapture memory, paint over experiences both possessed and eluded by director Sophie Hyde, but she seems to have no idea what to do with those experiences.

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Valerie Kalfrin

AWFJ.org

Mar 13

... undeniably well-intentioned. ... But dividing its attention saps the dramatic momentum, leaving JIMPA feeling more like a series of scattered scenes instead of a unified whole.

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Jorge Ignacio Castillo

The Canadian Crew

Mar 3

3.5/5

Jimpa is great at posing provocative questions, but not as good at proposing responses.

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Trevor D

@RT85350167 May 18

One of the best queer movies I’ve seen in a long time. The acting was phenomenal and the flashbacks were brilliantly done. I loved this story and movie and am very surprised by the low rating. I think people get uncomfortable with the openness the family had with eachother but to me I found it refreshing and honest. I’m going to tell all my friends to watch this and that the Rotten Tomato ratings are terribly wrong. I usually check this site to see if a movie is worth watching and now I know better!

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John T

@JohnTesnohlidek Mar 24

It is certainly an ambitious (probably overly so), well-intentioned film. But as much as I adore Olivia Colman and as much as I wanted to like the film, it just did not land with me.

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Jenni E

@OldbutSane Feb 28

Walk out as this was such a lot of rubbish. Characters were shallow and boring and there was no storyline but lots of implied sex and drinking. Could have been a good story without all the flashbacks. Guess it will appeal to some as it had the full range of trendy DEI, fays, trans, don't knows, infidelities, etc etc. Lucky I had a $1 ticket to see it.

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RT

Feb 15

A beautiful, funny, heartwarming thoughtful film. Complex characters and so many layers and sub themes. Highly recommend.

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Howie B

@Howie10 Feb 13

What makes this film both entertaining and comforting is that it is a true story. Stretching from Adelaide to Amsterdam its authenticity is what makes this appealing. As one who has lived through this entire time period it is the closet to ‘as it has been’. Uncomfortable at times as I’ve known men who did marry and then realised and confronted the lie. Their stories not dissimilar in many respects. Some stayed within the marriage ‘for the sake of the children’ or ‘for the pressures from the extended family’, others like the film moved on. The best work I’ve seen from John Lithgow. Olivia Colman portrays the daughter, mother, wife, film maker and heterosexual superbly. Full marks!

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Sophie Hyde

Director

Olivia Colman

Actor

John Lithgow

Actor

Cody Fern

Actor

Aud Mason-Hyde

Frances

Daniel Henshall

Actor

Jimpa: Trailer 1

2:11

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Hannah (Olivia Colman) takes her trans nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) to Amsterdam, to visit their gay grandfather--lovingly known as "Jimpa" (John Lithgow). But Frances' desire to stay with Jimpa for a year abroad means Hannah is forced to reconsider her beliefs about parenting, and the stories she has long told about her family. Funny, accessible, full of sadness and joy, and with a wonderful multi-generational cast, JIMPA celebrates LGBTQ+ culture across three generations: Grandfather Jim faces the challenges of aging as a gay man in a generation that never expected to grow old; teenager Frances grapples with the disappointment of their heroes falling short of their ideals; and mother Hannah navigates the differing perspectives of her father and of her child. Surrounding these three is a vibrant family--the family they were born into and the family they continue to create.

Director: Sophie Hyde
Producer: Liam Heyen, Sophie Hyde, Bryan Mason, Marleen Slot
Screenwriter: Matthew Cormack, Sophie Hyde
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Closer Productions, Mad Ones Films
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 6, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 24, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.1K
Runtime: 1h 53m