Slamdance Film Festival 2026 Review: “The LeMieurs”
By Morgan Roberts
Director: Sammy LeMieur
Runtime: 75 minutes
Year: 2026
Death is the way of life for the LeMieurs. Generations of the family have worked as funeral directors. But their work took on new meaning at Tony’s funeral. Tony was young, far too young when he passed; and so, the family gathers, meticulously ensuring every detail is handled with the most care and consideration. This is how filmmaker Sammy LeMieur introduces audiences to his family in his documentary feature debut, “The LeMieurs.”
The sudden loss of his cousin - I’m assuming cousin because we’re not quite given the fullest picture of the family tree - isn’t the only change for the LeMieurs. Matriarch Beverly is aging, and her decline is becoming more evident as the days and weeks pass. It is not unfamiliar territory for many Americans. As the last of the Greatest Generation, the entirety of the Silent Generation, and the bulk of the Boomer Generation all age into older adulthood, societally, we are confronted by not just the complex needs of an aging loved one but of the rapid changes in family dynamics. It is one of the elements that makes this film stand-out. Through its specificity, it allows for audiences to ruminate on their own families, their own mortality, and the mortality of those around them.
The film is not morose, though. It is actually quite poignant in its pragmatism. Life itself is made of joyful greetings and sorrowful partings. At one point , one of Beverly’s son’s remarks, “It’s a blessing and a curse to live this long, isn’t it, Mom?” The documentary largely takes a cinema vérité approach, though, particularly with Beverly, Sammy becomes a character, a recognition of the person behind the camera. There are interviews that feel more like from a home movie with a curious kid asking the questions. But you begin to see a family begin to grapple with the rapid and sometimes unexpected changes happening around them. The film could benefit from some visual clues on who’s who and how folks are related given the LeMieurs have such a big family. There were moments I wasn’t quite sure which of Bev’s sons I was following. Nevertheless, the home video vibes and intimate portrait of this family were really great touches. Moreover, the film paints an interesting portrait of change, life, and loss over a four year span. Those reconnections with family were particularly poignant to see as Sammy focused on his own father and brother, the former a surgeon and the latter in the family business. It is thought-provoking how interconnected those fields are, and the core of what gives great meaning to those professions become apparent as the audience witnesses Bev’s health deteriorate, with her ultimately ending up in a nursing home.
“The LeMieurs” is a touching documentary which focuses on the lives of a family whose business is death. It is deeply personal, and allows audiences to ruminate on their own family structures. The last shot of the film particularly resonated with me as a viewer, and I think encapsulated the true thesis of the film.
Grade: B+
Pair This Film With: “Thank You and Good Night” (1991) dir. Jan Oxenberg