![‘Hold Onto Me’ Review: A Stunning Portrayal Of Wild Girlhood In The Streets Of Cyprus [Sundance]](https://cdn.theplaylist.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/31162818/Sundance-HOLDONTOME1.jpg "‘Hold Onto Me’ Review: A Stunning Portrayal Of Wild Girlhood In The Streets Of Cyprus [Sundance]")
If Sundance has taught us anything, it’s that a talented filmmaker can turn one adolescent summer into a resonant work of art. In just the last ten years, there was Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name,” Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats,” and Jeremiah Zagar’s “We the Animals.” This year, with her debut feature “Hold Onto Me,” the Cypriot writer and director Myrsini Aristidou offers a singular take on sun-soaked coming-of-age cinema by focusing on an 11-year-old girl and her absent father.
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Iris (played by exceptional newcomer Maria Petrova) lives a remarkably liminal life. She fills the endless, bright days of summer vacation with her older friend, Danae (Jenny Sallo), who is much more interested in provocative TikTok dances and boys than Iris. But it’s either play sidekick to Danae or be sidelined at home, where Iris’s older brother ignores her in favor of his girlfriend and their mother, Stella (Aulona Lupa, “Apples”), leaves the kids with bread, milk, and cash to enjoy a few days away with her new beau. No wonder Iris is so interested in getting to know her dad, Aris (Christos Passalis, “Dogtooth”), when he comes back to town for the first time since she was a baby.
Despite its title, “Hold Onto Me” isn’t a heartwarming tale of father-daughter reconciliation. Part of Aris and Iris’s charm is that they’re both, well, miscreants. Their reunion takes place in a police station, where Aris is summoned after Iris helps Danae steal and damage a stranger’s boat. Though Aris makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with his daughter, she bullies her way into his life, and he eventually recognizes her utility: it’s much easier to sell your dead dad’s possessions for cash if you appear to be a downtrodden family man. Father of the Year this man is not, but Iris is drawn to him anyway, mimicking his penchant for smoking and his devil-may-care approach to life. She shadows him around the island, and their dynamic becomes increasingly fraught as loan sharks gain on dear old dad.
While Passalis gives a standout performance as Aris — his hunted animal/stranded pirate shtick at once winsome and foreboding — Petrova’s Iris is the beating heart of this film, and Aristidou’s decision to center her perspective is pure genius. Petrova gives a captivating, reserved performance that aptly captures her character’s depth. Iris may be on the margins of her own life, but she’s no passive spectator. Whether watching Danae cavort with a local boy or her father repair a boat, Iris is shrewd and calculating. There is, naturally, a childlike element to her devotion, but she also evaluates the people around her based on what she can get from them. When Iris and Aris’s manipulations collide in the film’s climax, they end up in a predicament that may cost one or both of them their lives.
That high-stakes climax is where “Hold Onto Me” falters. As the action in this otherwise leisurely film picks up, it’s unclear what, exactly, is happening — and while that certainly fits with the young protagonist’s limited point of view, it muddies the stakes. After the film spends so much time building these two characters, it would be more satisfying to know how or why they end up in so much danger.
Such a rushed finale could tank a less artful film, but “Hold Onto Me” is otherwise meticulous and gorgeous. Vibrant, kinetic visuals from cinematographer Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll show the beauty in every corner of Cyprus, from a discount food stall to a dive bar fish tank. Music by Alex Weston lends gravitas to the lazy summer mundanity without tipping over into melodrama — getting a boat motor to work has never seemed so consequential.
The trappings may seem uninspired — young character, summertime, family drama — but “Hold Onto Me” breathes new life into a classic indie premise. With enthralling performances, strong direction, and sensory filmmaking that is as wonderful to hear as it is to see, this debut marks a strong start for Aristidou and a worthy entrant into the canon of Cypriot cinema. [B+]
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