Boxcutter

By: Mariah Thomas

I think Boxcutter has the potential to become a classic. Very rarely do movies today just let the audience exist and be brought into a world without high anxiety and stress. Though we are following a chaotic day in the main character’s life, you feel more like a friend along with him for the journey. Boxcutter is a movie that will make you rethink every dream you’ve ever had by the end.

Boxcutter follows aspiring rapper Rome (Ashton James) through a singular summer day. One could argue it is both the best and worst day of his life. In all movies a personal favorite moment is seeing the purpose of the title. Rome is a boxcutter waiting for his big break. On this random summer day, he gets just that. Well, the chance at it. Through a friend, he has the opportunity to be invited to a party later that Grammy winning producer Ritchie Hill (Rich Kidd) will be in attendance, too. Rome feels in his soul that the second this producer hears his music, he will want to work with him. As he heads home to put his music on a USB, he walks into his house as it is being burglarized. Seeing the thieves taking the thing he needs most, his laptop, he lunges at them only to be knocked unconscious. This is where the story really kicks off. With the help of friends and those who contributed to his music, Rome must track down all of his tracks from the original source to put them on his USB. As the day progresses and it seems like Rome can see the light at the end of the tunnel, other issues are tacked on.

At its core, this movie is about friendship, chasing your dreams, ambition and the harsh reality of all of those topics. A defining scene happens midway through the movie where Rome and his friend Jenaya (Zoe Lewis) get into your typical friendship squabble. Jenaya attempts to help Rome see the events of the day from a realistic point of view while Rome’s ambition blinds him from being able to see anything else. The pair go back and forth throwing harsh jabs at the other. However, those jabs come from a place of love believing their friend deserves better. Unlike many friendship arguments in films, these two understand that instantly and work through it. When following a passion, something we take for granted is the power of friendship and the true importance of it. This movie is a beautiful reminder of that. Another aspect I loved about the film is showcasing the realistic side of following your dreams. Jenaya is an artist and has been granted the chance to paint a mural. However, the client she is painting for wants a say in how her art should look. She has to make drastic changes to art she was proud of for the sake of making her dream come true.

This is my introduction to Reza Dahya as a director. I look forward to his future work and found myself looking up his previous projects after watching this movie. This film seamlessly feels like you are right there with Rome as he goes through his day. Additionally, Dahya beautifully captures the city of Toronto. The viewer is able to be placed into a single day of this young man’s life and understand so much in a short time through the smallest of details.

Boxcutter is a story of chasing your dreams with all of your might and the obstacles that come up. It is about having to reevaluate those dreams and reassessing the route to get to them. While it only captures a day, there is so much heart in this film and so many characters you get to know. If you have the chance to see it, I would highly recommend doing so. It is a worthwhile watch that puts the idea of following your passion in a new perspective.

Covered at SXSW 2025