TIFF: Our Favorites and a Complete Wrap-Up

Last Updated on September 27, 2023

While many thought this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival would be quiet due to the SAG/AFTRA/WGA strikes, even if the red carpets were empty, TIFF’s lineup was as strong as ever. With American Fiction having nabbed the People’s Choice Award and many of the entries generating some serious Oscar buzz, as a way of wrapping up our coverage of the fest, here are some of our picks for the best movies that played at the festival. While they can’t all be winners (a double bill of Chris Pine’s Poolman and Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft just about killed me), there were way more good movies than bad, and many of the titles below should be coming out relatively soon.

The Holdovers:

Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept, big-budget vibe of that critical and financial flop to return to his roots with The Holdovers. This warm, character-driven comedy-drama sits nicely on the shelf next to About Schmidt, Sideways and Nebraska. Using a retro, 35mm feel (complete with cigarette burns), it really feels like a lost movie from 1970 and features a career-best performance by the great Paul Giamatti. Focus Features released this movie in limited release on October 27th, opening wide on November 10th.

Memory:

Michel Franco’s Memory could have been a depressing slog, with it the story of a sexual abuse survivor (Jessica Chastain) falling in love with a man with early-onset dementia (Peter Sarsgaard). Instead, it’s a warm romance with some surprising levity and a hopeful vibe that leaves you feeling good despite how heavy it is. This one doesn’t have distribution yet, but someone should pick it up, with Sarsgaard a shoo-in for significant Oscar attention.

Hit Man:

Netflix paid a pretty penny for this true-crime comedy starring Glen Powell in a star-making role. If they’re smart, they’ll give it an Oscar push, as it could potentially snag a nomination (or at least awards buzz) for Powell. It’s one of Richard Linklater’s best movies in recent years, with it being a very accessible crime caper that might win a lot of fans once it hits streaming.

The Burial:

This one took me by surprise. I assumed this would be a run-of-the-mill legal drama. Still, this Tommy Lee Jones/ Jamie Foxx flick is wonderfully directed by Maggie Betts, and were it coming out in a year not affected by the strikes, I think Amazon would have launched a significant awards campaign for the movie. As it is, you can check out The Burial when it hits Prime Video on October 13th.

Dream Scenario:

Nicolas Cage delivers one of his finest performances in this virulently anti-cancel culture comedy, which should launch a thousand think pieces once A24 releases it in November. It’s pretty daring, and I’m happy studios are still willing to fund such provocative fare.

Other highlights from the fest include Boy Kills World, which could launch Bill Skarsgard as an action star if the right distributor picks it up, plus Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, which Netflix recently acquired. You can also catch Reptile and Finestkind on streaming this October, with Netflix releasing the former and Paramount Plus the latter.

Read all my reviews here and let us know what TIF movie you’re most excited about seeing!