It’s the most glorious time of the year! The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is kicking off once again, and for the sixteenth (!) year in a row, I’ll be there on behalf of JoBlo.com. My goal: hit at least twenty films over the festival’s run, which means I’ll be cranking out reviews pretty regularly. But among the countless titles playing this year—TIFF’s fiftieth edition, no less—here are the ten I’m most excited to see:
The Smashing Machine
Could Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson actually be on his way to an Oscar? What might’ve once been a punchline is now a real possibility, with The Smashing Machine earning rave reviews out of Venice. Directed by Benny Safdie, the film stars an almost unrecognizable Johnson as troubled MMA fighter Mark Kerr.
Normal
I was a huge fan of the Nobody franchise and even visited L.A. for the junket to interview Bob Odenkirk. In Normal, he dives back into action under genre veteran Ben Wheatley’s direction, playing a small-town sheriff who uncovers a murderous scandal that reportedly ends with the firefight to end all firefights.
Motor City
Speaking of action, Reacher star Alan Ritchson makes his big-screen action debut with this 1970s-set revenge thriller—unique for having no dialogue at all. Shailene Woodley and Ben Foster co-star, and early reactions out of Venice were thunderous.
Dust Bunny
Mads Mikkelsen reteams with Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller for this dark horror-comedy about a hitman hired by a little girl to kill the monster under her bed. That’s all we know so far, but with Sigourney Weaver co-starring, how could you not be intrigued?
John Candy: I Like Me
Colin Hanks directs this documentary about the late, great John Candy—fitting since one of Candy’s early breakout roles was opposite Hanks’s father, Tom, in Splash. Produced by Ryan Reynolds and set to stream on Prime Video, expect plenty of laughs—and probably some tears—when this opens the festival.
Christy
Sydney Sweeney’s been in the spotlight this year for her off-screen moves, but Christy could be the ultimate test of her acting chops. She plays troubled boxer Christy Martin under the direction of David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover, The King). With him behind the camera, this could be something special.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson closes out (or does he?) the Knives Out trilogy with another Benoit Blanc mystery starring Daniel Craig alongside Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, and more. These films always premiere at TIFF and always bring the house down.
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein remake finally makes its North American debut at TIFF. Early buzz says it’s an epic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic, with Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth starring—but Jacob Elordi reportedly steals the show as the tortured creature.
Roofman
Channing Tatum aims for awards glory with this fact-based crime caper about a genial thief who secretly lived inside a Toys “R” Us while robbing banks on the side. Kirsten Dunst and Peter Dinklage co-star in what sounds like a surefire crowd-pleaser.
Good Fortune
Aziz Ansari brings back the big-screen, high-concept comedy with his directorial debut, Good Fortune. Keanu Reeves plays a clueless angel who swaps the souls of a tech bro (Seth Rogen) and his overworked assistant (Ansari) with predictably chaotic results.
Which TIFF movie are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments!
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