You need to go see this movie. Charming, quirky, and hilarious, with a tour-de-force cast and left-of-centre premise, The Trotsky tells the tale of Leon (Jay Baruchel), a high schooler who’s convinced he’s the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. To live out his destiny, he’s determined to incite a revolution at his high school, marry a sexy older PHD candidate named Alexandra, and generally wreak hilarious havoc all over Montreal. Played to perfection by Baruchel, you can’t help but root for Leon’s idealistic ways and boundary-pushing life choices. Along with his student council sidekicks (one of whom is played by Tiio Horn, who between this and her upcoming turn in Leslie, My Name Is Evil, is quickly becoming one of our favourite Canadian actresses) he plots to take down the nefarious principal and his terrifying vice principal/concubine.
The film is shot in Montreal, and incorporates beautiful shots of the city with some local humour that will have you grinning. The story is at once unique and relatable, filled with high school truisms that will have you feeling nostalgic. Bring your favourite rebel without a cause to see this, and get inspired to start your own personal revolution.