Downtown Toronto has been buzzing in a way it hadn’t in the first couple post-COVID festivals. 2022 had a nervous vibe and 2023 was muted because of the strikes. This year felt like we were back in the groove, finally. Though I never saw a movie as good as the best I’ve seen at TIFF, this was probably my favourite festival experience I’ve ever had.
This is largely because I did not have to split my screening schedule with working at the festival. The main reason I think is because I was able to watch the movies in a new context, thanks to this site and my Press Pass. I’ve done the bouncing between lines and venues all before, but I had a new pep in my step this year. I felt more ingrained into what was actually happening, rather than feeling in the background (obviously the true dream is to have a movie in the fest, but it's a long life -- one step at a time). I’ve been slightly afraid of watching movies with intent to write about them, fearing that it may take some joy out of the experience. It actually brought an extra thrill to it, locking me in in a way I didn’t expect. Apologies for being a bit self-indulgent with this. I feel like putting a personal spin, as I don’t really know much about the business of film. I can at least just offer my perspective as one man on his own journey.
Before I get into my rankings, I will bring up that the recipient of this year’s People’s Choice Award was announced today. To my delight, the winner is Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck. If you read my review from last week, you know it’s a movie I adore. This came as a surprise to some people, but those of us who were at the world premiere may not be so shocked. The energy in that room was overwhelmingly positive. If you’re not familiar with the award, many pundits put a lot of weight behind it, as many winners have gone on to big awards. Seeing as how Mike Flanagan and Stephen King aren't typically in those conversations, Chuck winning feels like a real underdog story. Whether it means we see Flanagan at the Oscars or not, it’s very cool that he’s won such a prestigious award.
So here are my rankings. There are a couple I missed. The buzziest ones that I couldn’t get to were Anora, Babygirl, and The Brutalist, all three of which will come out soon, so I’m not too heartbroken. My top four here could have been in any order, as I loved all of them, but a clear favourite eventually emerged for me. I added some words about movies I hadn’t written about in previous round-ups. I felt compelled to give a little context about them for you, even though it kind of felt like overkill to write about everything. It almost felt like they (the movies personified) would be disappointed in me if I never wrote a word about them, whether I liked them or not, so here they are.
26. The Shrouds (Dir. David Cronenberg)
As a Canadian and as a sicko who loves my guy, it brings me no joy to put Cronenberg’s latest at the bottom of my rankings. It is unfortunately very bloated and cold, even by his standards. I will say, it is, at best, a fascinating look into his brain at this point in his life (maybe much like these articles have been for me, minus the fascinating part).
25. Heretic (Dir. Scott Beck, Bryan Woods)
24. Shell (Dir. Max Minghella)
This thriller really suffers first from having pretty much the exact same premise as The Substance, and just does not play for keeps like that movie does. Elizabeth Moss is miscast as the lead and Kate Hudson’s character had potential to be a showstopper, but the script doesn’t dig deep enough into the potential satire.
23. Dead Talents Society (Dir. John Hsu)
This has a fun premise in the realm of Joe Dante or early Tim Burton, and I think many will love it, but I never connected with the comedy or the horror.
22. Nightbitch (Dir. Marielle Heller)
21. Hold Your Breath (Dir. Karrie Crouse, Will Joines)
Sarah Paulson is great in this otherwise not-so-great 1930s Oklahoma-set horror movie. It sets up three potential plotlines for what could ultimately pose the biggest threat, and then chooses the least interesting, most well-trod trope for its final act. I was disappointed, as I enjoyed the first half.
20. Nutcrackers (Dir. David Gordon Green)
19. Millers in Marriage (Dir. Edward Burns)
Burns is back with a slice-of-life drama about the crumbling romantic relationships of three siblings living in New York City. Even if you mention “Champagne Problems” in your movie, we can still label it as such. It was pleasant enough, but it’s not something I’ll ever watch again.
18. The Luckiest Man in America (Dir. Samir Oliveros)
17. Living Together (Dir. Halima Elkhatabi)
This documentary about Montreal tenants interviewing potential roommates is an intriguing look into people’s home lives and how much they’re willing to open themselves up to strangers. At 70 minutes, it may actually be too long. Nevertheless, it’s a very honest depiction of Montreal, an odd and special place.
16. The Assessment (Dir. Fleur Fortune)
Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen go head-to-head in this high concept sci-fi, which is mostly a three-hander between them and Himesh Patel. It’s well-acted and has some great production design but feels, for lack of a better word, COVID-y. Maybe that’s an annoying complaint. In the end, it felt like more of an experiment in minimalism than a confident piece of art.
15. Riff Raff (Dir. Dito Montiel)
This dark comedy is a little bit Coen Brothers, a little bit Tarantino, with a big cast of great actors. It doesn’t come close to reaching the heights of who it’s imitating, but it’s funny and enjoyably violent. Bill Murray is a standout. He is awake in this one, seems excited by his character, the kind of which he hasn’t played in a while.
14. Saturday Night (Dir. Jason Reitman)
13. Oh, Canada (Dir. Paul Schrader)
12. Queer (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)
11. Emilia Perez (Dir. Jacques Audiard)
There’s something so bold about how this film integrates music and choreography into its serious, sometimes melodramatic story. I was extremely impressed throughout, especially during the musical numbers. I was ready for there to be a big emotional gut-punch in the end, but it never really got there for me. That being said, it’s quite entertaining and Zoe Saldana gives maybe my favourite performance of the festival.
10. I, the Executioner (Dir. Ryoo Seung-wan)
9. The Order (Dir. Justin Kurzel)
8. Paying for It (Dir. Sook-Yin Lee)
7. The Last Republican (Dir. Steve Pink)
As a Canadian, I’m simultaneously fascinated and exhausted by American politics (maybe similar to an American’s feeling about it, but I do feel like an outsider observer probably more than them), so I appreciate a documentary that takes its time telling one story within the frenzy of emotions and constant yelling. I may have heard about Adam Kennzinger before, but with how incessant the news cycle is, I must have forgotten. I really enjoyed this as a historical document of the splintered mess that was the Republican Party post January 6th.
6. Conclave (Dir. Edward Berger)
5. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (Dir. Nick Toti, Rachel Kempf)
It is with urgency that I recommend this fantastic found-footage horror movie. The filmmakers are never going to release this online. The idea is that it will only screen theatrically with them in attendance. In the vein of The Blair Witch Project or Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal, it will break your brain figuring out what is real and what’s staged. Are these people OK? Simultaneously authentic and dreamlike, it’s the type of movie where if you see it late at night, you’ll question if you actually saw some images or if your tired brain created them. If it’s playing at a festival or theatre near you, go! And if not, plan a road trip.
4. The Shadow Strays (Dir. Timo Tjahjanto)
3. The Life of Chuck (Dir. Mike Flanagan)
2. The Substance (Dir. Coralie Fargeat)
1. Friendship (Dir. Andrew DeYoung)
I wrestled with making this my number one, as I feel some could judge me for having my Tim Robinson-loving blinders on, but I have to be true to myself. No film this week has made me so desperate to watch it again as this one did. I truly believe this will be a classic (instant, cult, or whichever variety). I already wrote a bunch about it in my last round-up, but I wanted to come and defend myself a bit from the straw men I’ve created in my brain. Maybe putting this at number one makes me an unserious movie critic, but I will say that great comedy is worth hoisting as high as you can.
This is largely because I did not have to split my screening schedule with working at the festival. The main reason I think is because I was able to watch the movies in a new context, thanks to this site and my Press Pass. I’ve done the bouncing between lines and venues all before, but I had a new pep in my step this year. I felt more ingrained into what was actually happening, rather than feeling in the background (obviously the true dream is to have a movie in the fest, but it's a long life -- one step at a time). I’ve been slightly afraid of watching movies with intent to write about them, fearing that it may take some joy out of the experience. It actually brought an extra thrill to it, locking me in in a way I didn’t expect. Apologies for being a bit self-indulgent with this. I feel like putting a personal spin, as I don’t really know much about the business of film. I can at least just offer my perspective as one man on his own journey.
Before I get into my rankings, I will bring up that the recipient of this year’s People’s Choice Award was announced today. To my delight, the winner is Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck. If you read my review from last week, you know it’s a movie I adore. This came as a surprise to some people, but those of us who were at the world premiere may not be so shocked. The energy in that room was overwhelmingly positive. If you’re not familiar with the award, many pundits put a lot of weight behind it, as many winners have gone on to big awards. Seeing as how Mike Flanagan and Stephen King aren't typically in those conversations, Chuck winning feels like a real underdog story. Whether it means we see Flanagan at the Oscars or not, it’s very cool that he’s won such a prestigious award.
So here are my rankings. There are a couple I missed. The buzziest ones that I couldn’t get to were Anora, Babygirl, and The Brutalist, all three of which will come out soon, so I’m not too heartbroken. My top four here could have been in any order, as I loved all of them, but a clear favourite eventually emerged for me. I added some words about movies I hadn’t written about in previous round-ups. I felt compelled to give a little context about them for you, even though it kind of felt like overkill to write about everything. It almost felt like they (the movies personified) would be disappointed in me if I never wrote a word about them, whether I liked them or not, so here they are.
26. The Shrouds (Dir. David Cronenberg)
As a Canadian and as a sicko who loves my guy, it brings me no joy to put Cronenberg’s latest at the bottom of my rankings. It is unfortunately very bloated and cold, even by his standards. I will say, it is, at best, a fascinating look into his brain at this point in his life (maybe much like these articles have been for me, minus the fascinating part).
25. Heretic (Dir. Scott Beck, Bryan Woods)
24. Shell (Dir. Max Minghella)
This thriller really suffers first from having pretty much the exact same premise as The Substance, and just does not play for keeps like that movie does. Elizabeth Moss is miscast as the lead and Kate Hudson’s character had potential to be a showstopper, but the script doesn’t dig deep enough into the potential satire.
23. Dead Talents Society (Dir. John Hsu)
22. Nightbitch (Dir. Marielle Heller)
21. Hold Your Breath (Dir. Karrie Crouse, Will Joines)
Sarah Paulson is great in this otherwise not-so-great 1930s Oklahoma-set horror movie. It sets up three potential plotlines for what could ultimately pose the biggest threat, and then chooses the least interesting, most well-trod trope for its final act. I was disappointed, as I enjoyed the first half.
20. Nutcrackers (Dir. David Gordon Green)
19. Millers in Marriage (Dir. Edward Burns)
18. The Luckiest Man in America (Dir. Samir Oliveros)
17. Living Together (Dir. Halima Elkhatabi)
This documentary about Montreal tenants interviewing potential roommates is an intriguing look into people’s home lives and how much they’re willing to open themselves up to strangers. At 70 minutes, it may actually be too long. Nevertheless, it’s a very honest depiction of Montreal, an odd and special place.
16. The Assessment (Dir. Fleur Fortune)
Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen go head-to-head in this high concept sci-fi, which is mostly a three-hander between them and Himesh Patel. It’s well-acted and has some great production design but feels, for lack of a better word, COVID-y. Maybe that’s an annoying complaint. In the end, it felt like more of an experiment in minimalism than a confident piece of art.
15. Riff Raff (Dir. Dito Montiel)
This dark comedy is a little bit Coen Brothers, a little bit Tarantino, with a big cast of great actors. It doesn’t come close to reaching the heights of who it’s imitating, but it’s funny and enjoyably violent. Bill Murray is a standout. He is awake in this one, seems excited by his character, the kind of which he hasn’t played in a while.
14. Saturday Night (Dir. Jason Reitman)
13. Oh, Canada (Dir. Paul Schrader)
12. Queer (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)
11. Emilia Perez (Dir. Jacques Audiard)
10. I, the Executioner (Dir. Ryoo Seung-wan)
9. The Order (Dir. Justin Kurzel)
8. Paying for It (Dir. Sook-Yin Lee)
7. The Last Republican (Dir. Steve Pink)
As a Canadian, I’m simultaneously fascinated and exhausted by American politics (maybe similar to an American’s feeling about it, but I do feel like an outsider observer probably more than them), so I appreciate a documentary that takes its time telling one story within the frenzy of emotions and constant yelling. I may have heard about Adam Kennzinger before, but with how incessant the news cycle is, I must have forgotten. I really enjoyed this as a historical document of the splintered mess that was the Republican Party post January 6th.
6. Conclave (Dir. Edward Berger)
5. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (Dir. Nick Toti, Rachel Kempf)
4. The Shadow Strays (Dir. Timo Tjahjanto)
3. The Life of Chuck (Dir. Mike Flanagan)
2. The Substance (Dir. Coralie Fargeat)
1. Friendship (Dir. Andrew DeYoung)
I wrestled with making this my number one, as I feel some could judge me for having my Tim Robinson-loving blinders on, but I have to be true to myself. No film this week has made me so desperate to watch it again as this one did. I truly believe this will be a classic (instant, cult, or whichever variety). I already wrote a bunch about it in my last round-up, but I wanted to come and defend myself a bit from the straw men I’ve created in my brain. Maybe putting this at number one makes me an unserious movie critic, but I will say that great comedy is worth hoisting as high as you can.
I keep seeing ads for The Substance, and it won a bunch of stuff at Cannes, so i'm very eager to see this one
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