By Original-Cin Staff

Is it already September? And more to the point: is the Toronto International Film Festival — the 49th annual, running from September 5 through September 15, opening with David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers, and closing with Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb, both making world premieres here — better, worse or kind of the same as previous festivals?

The answer to that question depends on one’s metrics for success. But it’s fair to say that neither of the beforementioned films have generated much advance buzz. At least not compared to Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, prefaced by a vaguely hostile reception at Cannes, where it premiered, and on the heels of a contentious and quickly pulled (but widely covered) ad campaign.

At least people are talking about it. Ditto Anora, Sean Baker’s electric Palme d’Or-winning dramedy, Mike Leigh’s powerful Hard Truths and, especially, Matthew Rankin's Universal Language, a smash at Cannes where it premiered, and Canada’s entry for Best International Feature at the 2025 Oscars.

With literally hundreds of films such as these set to screen during TIFF’s 10-day run, there is almost certainly something for everyone, if you can just navigate your way towards it. (And manage to snag a ticket). Here at Original-Cin, we hope to help you do just that… well, navigate anyway. You’re on your own with ticket snaggage.

We begin with this preview of titles we are most excited to see. Throughout the festival, we will offer daily capsule reviews of everything our motley crew manages to view — albeit mindful of the TIFF-imposed embargo, which permits online chatter only after a world premiere’s first press or public screening. We will also offer features, interviews, and related ephemera.

As always, the best advice is to see whatever you can, whether strategically or serendipitously. You just never know where a gem will emerge.

Jim Slotek

Saturday Night (Special Presentations)

I reveal my age when I say I was in high school when I found myself watching the first episode of a show that was jaw-droppingly rude and hilarious — and live. I was further surprised to find out most of my friends had also seen it, and reciting the sketches would become a weekly Monday ritual at the lockers. Jason Reitman has the bloodlines for the assignment of chronicling how the first episode of the now-50-year-old Saturday Night Live came to be, with a cast of convincing-looking relative unknowns portraying Belushi, Aykroyd, Radner et al.

Conclave (Special Presentations)

The arcane politics of choosing a Pope has found its way to TIFF before (notably Nanni Moretti’s surprisingly antic 2011 Habemus Papam). Set over 72 hours, Edward Berger’s Conclave promises a more dire and serious treatment, with Ralph Fiennes playing the Cardinal in charge as hardcore dirty politicking between the left and the right of the Church follows the death of the incumbent.

Megalopolis (Gala Presentations)

I take Cannes reviews with a grain of salt. And the ruckus over a misguided promotional campaign that used faked quotes from legendary (and dead) film critics only piques my interest. What’s important to me is that Francis Ford Coppola is releasing his first film in forever, and it’s an apocalyptic sci-fi, proving you’re never too old to change lanes. Just the prospect of seeing his vision of the city-of-the-future is worth the price of a ticket to me.

Eden (Gala Presentations)

It’s problematic that TIFF holds such sway in awards season. Ron Howard can attest to it. His 2013 movie Rush was ignored at TIFF, and subsequently by awards gatekeepers. Today, it’s widely considered the best movie ever made about F1 racing. Whatever happens to Eden — a dark, based-on-reality tale of three groups of people looking for paradise in the Galapagos in 1929 — I’m confident it’ll be a well-told tale. The predominantly PG-rated Howard may even have an edgy, shocking card or two to play.

The Substance (Midnight Madness)

A lot of people I’ve talked to are looking forward to this one. Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) directs this story of a faded starlet (Demi Moore), mired in sadness on her 50th birthday, who turns to an experimental drug to make her younger. What it does is produce another, younger self (Margaret Qualley) who is more antagonist than saviour. Themes of self-hate and ageism are on the menu for the film kicking off this year’s Midnight Madness programme.

Liz Braun

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (Gala Presentations)

Director Thom Zimny (The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town) makes terrific music documentaries and any fan of The Boss will want to see this behind-the-scenes look at Springsteen’s career, his band, and their current tour — and all the archival photos and footage involved. Springsteen narrates the movie.

Relay (Special Presentations)

When trusted TIFF programmer Jane Schoettle describes a thriller as Hitchcockian, you know it’s one you want to see. David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) directs this twisty tale about a hidden middleman (Riz Ahmed) who brokers deals between whistleblowers and corrupt corporations, and the new client (Lily James) he finds himself compelled to protect from harm.

Hard Truths (Special Presentations)

For this viewer, any film directed by Mike Leigh is a not-to-be-missed-event. Hard Truths concerns an extended Black family in London and reunites Leigh with his Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste. I'm already in line.

Carnival Is Over (Special Presentations)

Leandra Leal and Irandhir Santos — both major stars in Brazil — play a happy couple hoping to get out of the family business, which happens to be a major criminal enterprise in Rio de Janeiro. You might say they’d kill to get out of it. Blackly comic neo-noir from filmmaker Fernando Coimbra.

Riff Raff (Special Presentations)

Bill Murray plays a character named Lefty — who can resist that? Murray, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union and Jennifer Coolidge are part of a terrific ensemble cast in a (crime) family story from Dito Montiel about love, bloodshed, and the past catching up with you. Violence and laughs, our favourite combo.

Thom Ernst

Babygirl (Special Presentations)

There is nothing inherently new about an erotic thriller set among the rich, beautiful, and powerful, even one that highlights the words “explicit” in the description. But add director Halina Reijn’s name (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies) and you have my attention.

Russians at War (TIFF Docs)

This Canadian/France/Russian hybrid documentary from director Anastasia Trofimova could be this year’s 20 Days in Mariupol: a ground-level document of Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine.

Heretic (World Premiere)

Some have noted this tale of religious conversion gone wrong (and when hasn’t it?) as one of the year's scariest films. Hugh Grant stars, and that’s a good enough start for me.

The Last Showgirl (Special Presentations)

The older I get the more fascinated I am with stories of good people at the end of their “youth-oriented” careers. But the real draw is allowing Pamela Anderson to star as a former Vegas showgirl without a job. This could be Andersons’ Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) or Brendan Fraser (The Whale) moment.

Hard Truths (Special Presentations)

Two reasons to have Hard Truths on your list: Director Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Leigh and Jean-Baptiste have not worked together since Secrets & Lies (1996). Intriguingly described as being an inverse story to Leigh’s Happy-Go-Lucky (2006).

Karen Gordon

The Room Next Door (Special Presentations)

Pedro Almodóvar is hands-down one of my favourite directors. For his first English language film, he has cast two of my favourite actresses, Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. I can hardly wait!

Anora (Special Presentations)

Even if Anora hadn’t won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this would be one of my top picks. Writer-director Sean Baker (The Florida Project, Red Rocket) makes small, absorbing, deeply satisfying indie movies about flawed people on the margins. He casts beautifully and his characters, and their plights, really stay with you.

Riff Raff (Special Presentations)

What a cast: Bill Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, and Ed Harris make this dark comedy by director Dito Monteil sound like a treat.

All of You (Special Presentations)

I love good romantic comedies. Brett Goldstein of Ted Lasso and Shrinking fame writes smart, sweet, humane stories. And his co-star Imogen Poots always picks interesting projects. Fingers crossed this brings the sweetness I need right now.

The Return (Gala Presentations)

Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche? Enough said.

Kim Hughes

Queer (Special Presentations)

Daniel Craig has always been fearless, so his doubtless deeply considered version of William S. Burroughs chasing sex and drugs in postwar Mexico and beyond promises to beguile. Plus, director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, I Am Love) captures desire — profound, gut-level, multifaceted desire — like no one else.

On Swift Horses (Special Presentations)

This adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel about the different yet parallel — and possibly perilous — paths pursued by a straightlaced young newlywed and her unmoored brother-in-law in 1950s America boasts a sterling cast, notably Jacob Elordi and especially, Diego Calva, unforgettable even in forgettable films like Babylon.

All We Imagine as Light (Special Presentations)

Winner of the Grand Prix award at Cannes where it premiered this year, the debut feature from filmmaker Payal Kapadia looks sumptuous and follows two seemingly different Indian nurses, both with relationship issues, as they travel from the city to the seaside, bonding along the way.

Bonjour Tristesse (Discovery)

Montreal’s Durga Chew-Bose — she of 2017’s celebrated collection of essays, Too Much and Not the Mood — makes a phenomenal career leap, directing this latest adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s coming-of-age tale about a young woman whose meddling in other people’s affairs has awful consequences. With Claes Bang and Chloë Sevigny.

Flow (Centrepiece)

Granted, it’s no great stretch to capture my interest with a story about a cat. But this animated feature, which follows a feline teamed with a dog, a lemur, a secretary bird, and a capybara in a flooded, hostile world, presents the animals as animals, not furry talking pranksters. Keen to witness that juxtaposition between reality and fantasy.

John Kirk

The Life of Chuck (Special Presentations)

Put Stephen King and Tom Hiddleston together in the same sentence and you have my interest. King could make a story about a lampshade scary and Hiddleston is cinema’s coolest weirdness magnet. A story I can’t miss.

The Wild Robot (Gala Presentations)

I’m a sucker for the underdog, even the technological ones or even those who just find themselves out of their comfort zone. Looking forward to seeing this story unfold. Dreamworks, an incredible cast, and a story that’s sure to uplift even the flintiest of hearts.

Saturday Night (Special Presentations)

Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night. A staple of late-night television for the past 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been a launching pad for some of the greatest comedians in history. Origin stories are never disappointing, only informative, and I can’t wait to see how this one is handled.

The Swedish Torpedo (Centrepiece)

Stories of human endeavour speak to us all. Sally Bauer, a Swedish long-distance swimmer set out to challenge herself to swim the English Channel in 1939, on the cusp of hostilities with Nazi Germany. This isn’t just a story of physical endurance but of spiritual endurance, knowing that at any point during the swim, the world could be plunged into war.

Triumph (Platform)

A wacky story about political intrigue, alien artifacts, and harebrained conspiracy theories revolving around the idea of making the great nation of Bulgaria… uh… even greater! Out of all the films I’m excited about, this one promises the type of humour that I love the most: the type that doesn’t make any sense!

Chris Knight

Daniela Forever (Platform)

The director, Nacho Vigalondo, made TimeCrimes. The star, Henry Golding, made Crazy Rich Asians. The presenter, the Sloan Foundation, gave its signature prize to such science-centric dramas as Primer, Grizzly Man, Robot & Frank, and After Yang. Themes include death, grief, and lucid dreaming. I’m already there.

The Luckiest Man in America (Special Presentations)

I know the story of Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser), who went on the cheesy 1980s game show Press Your Luck and ran the tables. But I’d love to see it on the big screen, and Hauser is one of the most interesting and underrated actors working today. If I can work the TIFF ticket system the way he did the game show, I’ll be first in line.

The End (Special Presentations)

There are a ton of post-apocalyptic and dystopic future features at the festival this year, but this one tops my list thanks to a cast that includes Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon, director Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing) and — wait, it’s also a musical? Say no more.

Heretic (Special Presentations)

In my list of 40-odd “must see” films at TIFF this year, I jotted this one down as “Hugh Grant vs. Latter-day Saints.” Proselytizers come to the door of a polite suburban gent (Grant) and then, apparently, all hell breaks loose. The stuttering rom-com guy from the turn of the century has been showing unexpected range of late. Here’s more.

All of You (Special Presentations)

Director and co-writer William Bridges wrote “U.S.S. Callister,” my favourite Black Mirror episode. Star and co-writer Brett Goldstein co-wrote and starred in Ted Lasso, my favourite coach-out-of-water comedy. And it’s a romance set in the near future, where I plan to be living in a few years’ time. That’s enough to get me excited.

Liam Lacey

Caught by the Tides (Special Presentations)

Jia Zhang-Ke, China’s leading contemporary director, portrays his country and its changes over a quarter century, using footage garnered from his other celebrated films. In this story of lovers who are separated, Zhao Tao — the director’s wife and great collaborator — portrays a woman moving from youth to middle age.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Special Presentations)

The sophomore film from Welsh-Zambian director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch) was critically lauded in Cannes for its blend of black comedy, horror, and poetic realism in a drama about a family’s funeral preparations — and entrenched denial — about a dead uncle who was a serial sexual predator.

Queer (Special Presentations)

Daniel Craig stars as a gay ex-junkie in 1940s Mexico, in a film adapted from William Burroughs second novel, written in the early 1950s but not published until 1985. Director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name) describes Queer as a tribute to the films of Powell and Pressburger (The Red Shoes). Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville also star.

The Girl with the Needle (Special Presentations)

A grisly fairytale meets a true crime story in Danish director Magnus von Horn’s drama, set in 1921 Copenhagen and shot in black and white by ace cinematographer Michal Dymek (EO, Cold War). Karolina (Victoria Carmen Sonne) is a young seamstress who gets impregnated and abandoned by her rich lover and finds herself working for the proprietress of a candy shop that doubles as a backstreet adoption service.

Rumours (Special Presentations)

Who better to capture the present political dread and delirium than Winnipeg’s own retro surrealism fetishist Guy Maddin collaborating here with Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson? The setting is a G7 meeting in Germany, with Cate Blanchett as the German Chancellor hosting leaders from the U.S., UK, France, Italy, Japan, and Canada, sequestered over the weekend at a country estate where they get lost in the woods, encounter a giant brain and reanimated corpses and an AI bot designed to trap pedophiles.

Bonnie Laufer

Shell (Special Presentations)

Ever since she wowed us as an up-and-coming ad exec on Mad Men, Elisabeth Moss has not shied away from compelling and difficult roles. She now reteams with her Handmaid's Tale co-star Max Minghella and Kate Hudson for a dark comedy about obsession with youth and good looks. What more needs to be said?

Saturday Night (Special Presentations)

Live at TIFF... It's Jason Reitman’s much anticipated drama. The film dives into the origins of Saturday Night Live focusing on the debut episode of the not-so-ready-for-prime-time players. The uncanny casting includes Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris (no relation) and Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase. In Reitman’s hands, this will be a winner.

Elton John: Never Too Late (Gala Presentations)

We can never learn enough about iconic pop star Elton John. This new documentary directed by R.J. Cutler and John’s husband (and onetime Torontonian) David Furnish will give us a look at Elton's life with never-before-seen interviews and archival footage. You can bet that I’ll be singing along to the concert scenes!

Millers In Marriage (Special Presentations)

I’ve had a soft spot for Ed Burns since his directorial debut, The Brothers McMullen. His latest follows three middle-aged siblings taking stock of their lives and features an extraordinary ensemble cast of Burns, Julianna Margulies, Patrick Wilson, Benjamin Bratt and Gretchen Mol. Sounds pretty relatable to me.

Nutcrackers (Gala Presentation)

Director David Gordon Green and Ben Stiller show that life can change forever in the blink of an eye. Stiller plays a guy who never had time for family, but when his sister and her husband are in an accident, he becomes an instant father to their kids. I’m excited to see Stiller in this dramatic role and I have no doubt he will knock it out of the park.

Films We Can’t Wait to See at TIFF ‘24

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