Canadian filmmaker Seth A. Smith is known for his low-budget genre films, having been a mainstay at Fantasia since his feature debut. Smith’s latest movie, Permanent Damage, sees him working with a more recognizable cast than he has in the past, and while it still has some very fun moments, it does end up feeling a bit uneven.
What is Permanent Damage about?
Permanent Damage follows a young man who has recently escaped from prison as he finds himself working for LL, a corrupt landlord who harbors a few secrets of his own. Playing out like a Safdies thriller with a darkly comedic bent and a mind to say something about the housing crisis, filmmaker Seth A. Smith should be praised for his ambition, even if not all of it works.
Permanent Damage Review
There are a few moments in the film in which creativity shines through, mostly through the imagery it creates, providing a glimpse of what this movie should have been. Unfortunately, Permanent Damage largely falls back on the tropes that have defined the crime genre in recent years. When plot points like a crypto stash are introduced, you will roll your eyes at how much it seems the film has run out of steam.
It’s hard to really get invested in the movie when it’s shifting tones so frequently and ineffectively. There are moments that are genuinely funny, and others that are genuinely upsetting, but it never really comes together as a movie that blends genres should to be effective. It unfortunately all feels very first-draft, and ends up being somewhat frustrating as a result.
That being said, Seth A. Smith is one heck of a director, and he infuses the film with some much-needed style, ensuring that the movie keeps trucking along, even when the story feels like it is spinning its wheels. The cinematography has a very effectively grimy quality to it, while the score (composed by Smith himself) has a pulsing quality that feels reminiscent of the Safdies-esque cloth from which the film is cut.
Unfortunately, great vibes alone cannot carry a movie, and where Permanent Damage comes up short is its character development. Fugitive-on-the-lam movies already have the deck stacked against them in terms of character, as they are asking the audience to put aside any prejudices they may have against them for their actions to root for them. Although there is a pseudo-“Save the Cat” moment in the first act, audiences will be questioning the whole time whether the character’s motivations are genuinely altruistic or just selfish, and that is no way to get them invested in the story.
The biggest appeal of Permanent Damage is getting to watch the always reliable Stephen Dorff (Blade) chew the scenery. Even in films that aren’t particularly good, Dorff can elevate the material with a nice blend of silliness and sincerity that is a ton of fun to watch. That is the case with his turn as the villainous LL in Permanent Damage. Dorff delivers each line with an exaggerated malice that allows him to become a formidable yet enjoyable antagonist.
Dorff is largely acting circles around everyone else in the cast. Calem MacDonald doesn’t bring a whole lot of personality to the table, and he’s a little too refined to be believable as the rough-and-tumble protagonist. Olivia Scriven (whom you might recognize from Degrassi: The Next Generation) does not make for a particularly charming romantic interest, either. Canadian character actor extraordinaire Stephen McHattie does make a memorable, albeit brief appearance, but his role will just leave you wishing that more of the film had adopted that tone.
Is Permanent Damage worth watching?
Still, Permanent Damage is worth seeking out if only to see Stephen Dorff have fun yet again in a genre role. It is the type of frustrating movie where the potential shines through in such a way that you’re left wishing it had delivered more on its promise, but there’s enough style to keep it from being a total wash.
Permanent Damage is screening at the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs July 16-August 2.
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