Never would you expect to be entertained by a documentary that appears to be the least bit real from afar.
By using a creative style of animation, the Scriver brothers have brought their family and stories to life in the most unexpected way with Endless Cookie.
Written by Hailey Passmore
Never would you think that a documentary could be so far from reality and still be one of the best non-fiction films you have watched in years. Seth and Peter Scriver created such a genuine documentary in Endless Cookie. The film feels as if there is no true purpose besides sharing stories from their lives. Perhaps there was no specific idea in the film’s outcome. However, the brothers managed to create a film that showcases the chaotic and forever bond that comes from family.
Seth and Peter Scriver are half-brothers who are chatterboxes. One belongs to the Canadian Indigenous community, and the other is white. Seth lives in Toronto, and his brother Peter is up north in Shamattawa. After receiving the National Film Board grant, Seth chooses to travel to his brother and document moments in their life. Through flashbacks and simply chatting to one another, moments from their past are relived and explored. No matter the location, Shamattawa or 1980s Toronto, the brothers are nothing short of stories to share.
You do not expect what will come next in Endless Cookie, and it keeps you on your toes. It quickly reveals itself to be a documentary about the process of making the film. The Scrivers have animated every moment in their filmmaking process. Beginning with Seth winning the prize from the NFB, presented by a ruler. Nothing is kept serious in the film. Though to some it may feel like there is nothing relevant happening, it is this that separates Endless Cookie from the typical documentary. By taking the most mundane aspects of life, a simple conversation about a story from the 1980s, they use their animation style to provide the required level of entertainment.
Seth may be the brains behind the operation but it quickly becomes clear Peter is the entertainer. Their vision of sharing Pete’s stories comes to life as they animate their family members and friends in a style as far from reality as possible. Each “character” is introduced through a montage of them sledding in the snow. As a viewer, you see names floating atop the person’s head as they are animated below. From a NFB member as a ruler to one of Pete’s children as a cookie, nothing should be unexpected from what you will see. We are even witnesses to the skyline of the city of Toronto as toilets, because “everybody has a toilet in their house” in the big cities.
For a documentary that does not have one focus but many, they used careful and inventive ways to entertain their audience. The perspective changes from streets to houses feels exaggerated and almost like old computer games. There are moments where Canadian terms are used with no context for wider audiences. Yet, they do not need international audiences to know specific contexts when it is the creativity in the design that keeps the viewer invested.
Where the Scrivers take it to the next level is using actual photos when the camera on screen takes one. Flipping from animation to real people. It is a surprise, but a pleasant one at that. These moments remind the audience that they are watching a documentary and not a fictional story. At times, it becomes difficult to distinguish what type of film you are watching.
Their day-to-day moments are simple, and Seth includes every moment from the recording process. Animated recording equipment captures every sound; he removed none of the noises. The kids interrupt the stories being told by Pete. Instead of taking this out of the finished product, Seth finds a way to incorporate each moment. From blowing bubbles, to the kids playing video games too loud, all interruptions are heard and seen. While this changes the timeline and some stories are continued after others are told, no moment feels dull or annoying. It is a true story of the chaos of a big family.
Without going too far into the political, their subtle jabs at the problematic Canadian government can be comedic for a local. But they make sure not to spend the entire film focused here, just enough to prove a point. Each story they share can be telling a message or simply a funny story, and it does not matter.
No matter where you are from, Endless Cookie is both informative and comforting. It is more than just a film about family. The Scriver brothers know how to make a film. From premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, Endless Cookie had its UK premiere at the BFI’s London Film Festival on Friday, October 17, 2025.
Hopefully, the film will be released widely, especially across Canadian screens. It is a creation that deserves to be seen and shared with the world.
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