| Hello Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Kevan Funk |
| Written by | Kevan Funk |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Jared Abrahamson |
| Cinematography | Benjamin Loeb |
| Edited by | Ajla Odobašić |
| Music by | Edo Van Breemen |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Tabula Dada |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Hello Destroyer is a 2016 Canadian drama film written and directed by Kevan Funk.2 It had its world premiere in the Discovery section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.3
The film stars Jared Abrahamson as an enforcer on a hockey team who faces difficult consequences when a hit on an opposing player during a game turns more violent than intended.4 It was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture.
Cast
- Jared Abrahamson as Tyson Burr
- Kurt Max Runte as Coach Dale Milbury
- Joe Buffalo as Eric
- Paul McGillion as Ron Burr
- Sara Canning as Wendy Davis
Production
The film was an expansion of his 2013 short film Destroyer.5
According to Funk, his intention was to make a film that explored institutional and systemic violence rather than a sports film per se;6 he chose a hockey-related setting as it represented an "aggressively Canadian" cultural institution which has a complex relationship with violence and "toxic masculinity", and has stated that if he were making the same film in the United States he would likely have chosen a military setting.6
The film was shot primarily in Prince George, British Columbia, including at the CN Centre.7
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.8
Vice Sports describes the film as "about how violence is cultivated, showcased and then punished within a set of institutions that require its presence to be profitable",4 and Alex Rose of the magazine Cult MTL called the film "as Canadian as a Weakerthans song and as depressing as that second Leonard Cohen record."9
On 7 December 2016, the film was named to the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Canada's Top 10 list.10
Accolades
The film received four Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, including Best Motion Picture and Best Actor (Abrahamson).11
| Awards | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 12 March 2017 | Best Motion Picture | Daniel Domachowski, Haydn Wazelle | Nominated | 12 |
| Best Director | Kevan Funk | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Jared Abrahamson | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Kevan Funk | Nominated | |||
| Leo Awards | 2017 | Best Motion Picture | Haydn Wazelle, Daniel Domachowski | Won | 13 |
| Best Direction in a Motion Picture | Kevan Funk | Won | |||
| Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture | Won | ||||
| Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture | Benjamin Loeb | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture | Kurt Max Runte | Nominated | |||
| Joe Buffalo | Nominated | ||||
| Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture | Jared Abrahamson | Won | |||
| Vancouver Film Critics Circle | 16 December 2016 | Best Canadian Film | Kevan Funk | Won | 14 |
| Best British Columbia Film | Won | ||||
| Best Canadian Director | Won | ||||
| Best Actor in a Canadian Film | Jared Abrahamson | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Canadian Film | Kurt Max Runte | Won | |||
| Vancouver International Film Festival | 2016 | BC Emerging Filmmaker Award | Kevan Funk | Won | 15 |
References
References
- "Hello Destroyer [programme note]". Vancouver International Film Festival. 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- "Hello Destroyer (Kevan Funk, Canada) — Discovery". Cinema Scope. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
- "POLITICS AND BOLD STORYTELLING HEADLINE CANADIAN LINEUP AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL" (PDF) (Press release). Toronto International Film Festival. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- "VICE Sports Q&A: We Talked to the Director of 'Hello Destroyer'—a Film That Critiques Canada's National Pastime". Vice Sports. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
- Rob Alexander, "Funk brothers share Calgary limelight". Rocky Mountain Outlook, September 26, 2013.
- "Hello Destroyer director Kevan Funk wanted to make 'aggressively' Canadian film". Toronto Star. 10 March 2017.
- "Hello Destroyer producer grateful to city for help with film". Prince George Citizen. 24 August 2016.
- "Hello Destroyer". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- "Hot new films from day four of TIFF". Cult MTL, 12 September 2016.
- "'Telling stories that show Canadians who we are:' TIFF unveils top 10 Canadian films of 2016". CBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- "Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards". CBC News. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- Furdyk, Brent (17 January 2017). "2017 Canadian Screen Awards nominees revealed". Global News. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- "Leo Awards, 2017 Winners by Name". www.leoawards.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- "Hello Destroyer Named Best Canadian Film by VFCC". Vancouver Film Critics Circle. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- Smith, Charlie (11 October 2016). "VIFF honours B.C. filmmakers Ann Marie Fleming, Kevan Funk, Julia Hutchings, Jessica Parsons, and Jennifer Chiu". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 13 March 2017.