FRÄNK Review (from PÖFF 29)

(This review originally appeared in its entirety on scenethatreviews.com)

Welcome back to another review from 29th PÖFF | Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival! This time we are looking at a film from the “Baltic Film Competition” that follows a young child trying to process the complexities of a troubled home in… Fränk (2025).

After yet another domestic incident at home involving his father, Paul (Derek Leheste) is forced from his home in the city to a small town to stay with his uncle Aivar (Märt Pius). His mother wants things at home to calm down before bringing Paul back home. A short stay of a few days quickly becomes a weeks-long visit.

As he spends time in town, Paul connects with a local gang, and their leader, Jasper (Tõru Kannimäe), brings him into the fold. They spend their days smoking, drinking beer, and occasionally huffing glue. For the most part, they don’t cause a lot of trouble in the town. Though they do single out one person in the town to give a hard time.

There is a disabled man in town who, unfortunately, is the target of the gang. They call the man “Fränk, like Frankenstein’s monster”, because of his disability and will pick on him when they see him around town.

Paul goes along with the harassment, even as he feels bad for Fränk. Being the new kid in town, he can’t risk being outcast by Jasper and the others.

But what happens when things go too far?

---

Tõnis Pill set the bar incredibly high for himself in his feature directorial debut.

Without spoiling anything, Fränk (2025) captures the spirit of Mid90s and Stand by Me, while still very much being its own thing. Pill managed to incorporate topics ranging from domestic abuse and neglect to social acceptance without any of it feeling forced.

The performances from the child actors are nothing short of incredible. Tõru Kannimäe gives us some absolutely heart wrenching moments as Jasper. You’re equally as invested in his story as you are Paul’s. In fact, they share the same longing for acceptance, they just take different journeys in trying to find it.

Make no mistake though, Derek Leheste is the star here as Paul.

Seeing the signs of abuse on Paul instantly has you invested in his story. Leheste was able to portray so much emotion through just expressions. From first arriving at his uncle’s to feeling conflicted over how Fränk is treated, you feel everything that Paul is feeling and thinking without him uttering a word.

There were multiple times where his performance in a scene left me with a lump in my throat. Even the more subtle moments like when he realizes playing the harmonica allows him a form of acceptance, albeit with Fränk, are filled with such raw emotion.

If Derek Leheste sticks with acting, I’m excited to see what he does.

By no means is Fränk (2025) a light watch. It is a raw and real look at life that does not hold back.

It is also the best of the films that I have seen at PÖFF 29.

If you ever have the chance to watch it, I cannot recommend it enough.

🍿 SCORE = 97 / 100