One of the best things about TIFF is the diversity of films in its lineup. It’s the only festival that doesn’t get overly caught up in self-seriousness. Sure, you get plenty of awards fare, but you also get a ton of genre movies. It’s the only festival where I can watch a potential Oscar contender and then immediately walk into a movie that’s all about seeing bad guys get kicked in the head.
This year’s edition of the festival struck that balance as always. The biggest winner was Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet, which took home the People’s Choice Award. For context, 13 of the last 15 People’s Choice Award winners have gone on to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (last year’s win for The Life of Chuck was seen as a bit of an anomaly). Channing Tatum also generated some strong Oscar buzz for his starring role in Roofman, while Dwayne Johnson continued to gain momentum for The Smashing Machine, earning universal acclaim for his performance.
Were there any disappointments? That depends on who you ask. Going into the festival, many expected Sydney Sweeney’s Christy to pack more of a punch, but it landed middling reviews (I liked it, though). Apple TV+’s The Lost Bus, positioned as an Oscar hopeful, walked away with more respectful buzz than raves. Still, outside of the Chris Evans/Anya Taylor-Joy satire Sacrifice, nothing really crashed and burned.
Here are some of my favorites:
Sentimental Value:
This family drama features some of the best performances of the year, with Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve delivering career-best work in Joachim Trier’s film. It’s the kind of international title that should resonate with a broad audience and enjoy a long theatrical run during awards season.
Roofman:
A character-driven romantic drama in the vein of what we used to see in the eighties and nineties. Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst have never been better than they are in Derek Cianfrance’s true-crime charmer.
The Furious:
For pure action, nothing at TIFF came close to the insanity of The Furious. While not as polished as The Raid, it delivered the most raucous press screening I attended, with even highbrow critics cheering on the bone-crunching fight choreography and unapologetic ultra-violence.
Nuremberg:
Less flashy than some other TIFF titles, but Russell Crowe delivers his best performance in years as Hermann Göring in this gripping depiction of the Nuremberg trials. With Michael Shannon, Rami Malek, and Leo Woodall (also excellent in Tuner) co-starring, it should find an audience when Sony Classics releases it later this fall.
The Smashing Machine:
Some felt Benny Safdie’s film lost a bit of momentum at TIFF compared to the rapturous reception it received at Venice. Perhaps critics were put off by how unconventional a biopic it is, but I was floored by both The Rock and Emily Blunt, who deliver performances unlike anything they’ve ever done before.
What TIFF movie are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments — and don’t miss all of our TIFF reviews HERE!
