Parents' Guide to Night Raiders

The first feature film from writer/director Danis Goulet has great scale and ambition, building a near-future world that is at once incredibly recognizable yet terrifying to comprehend. In Night Raiders, drones move in flocks and have developed some sense of AI, children are swept from the streets by armed guards and thrown into State-run training institutions, and there are viruses on the loose that only serve to give the State even more control. It's a fictional future, yet in a similar vein to the likes of Children of Men, its power lies in its familiarity.

Roaming camera movements that replicate the constant State surveillance and tight, claustrophobic framing create a sense of immediacy and panic that really ramps up the tension. Impressive performances all round are supported by powerhouse central turns from both Tailfeathers and the younger Letexier-Hart, whose strength and bond provide a warm, beating heart to the film. The tradition of Cree storytelling is beautifully integrated into the wider plot and fits naturally within the genre, while poignant references to the systematic erasure of indigenous cultures are accompanied by a message of resilience and power that offers hope for the future.