Well it is that time of year again, The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is upon us. Nearly 300 films will screen, including over 200 features, more than 60 shorts, and 10 Primetime premieres, marking the 50th anniversary of TIFF is sure going to be one hell of a celebration. With countless titles vying for the coveted People’s Choice Award, an award that indicates strong Oscar prospects, the festival will be a whirlwind of cinema, celebrities, and pure film passion. With over 200 films to choose from I have narrowed it down to 15 films that I think will be the buzziest of the festival. For this list I will only be including titles that are making their world or international premiere at TIFF, so it will not include films that had their premieres at Cannes, SXSW, and Sundance. That means no Sentimental Value, It Was Just an Accident, Sirat, and many more feature films will not be included on this list.
Ballad of a Small Player. Directed by Edward Berger.
Director Edward Berger doesn’t seem to sleep when his third feature film is less than five years old, Ballad of a Small Player, makes its International Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Based on the 2014 novel of the same name, it follows Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell), a high-stakes gambler lying low in Macau as his debts begin to catch up with him. Also starring Tilda Swinton and Fala Chen, Ballad of a Small Player is promising to be a high stakes psychological drama/thriller in the gambling world. And given that Berger’s previous two films, Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front, managed to get Best Picture nominations, Ballad of a Small Player is a film to look out for during this year’s Oscar race.
Dust Bunny. Directed by Bryan Fuller.
After years of shaping television with shows like Hannibal, Pushing Daisies, and American Gods, Bryan Fuller is finally stepping into feature filmmaking. With his feature writing and directorial debut, Dust Bunny, he’s bringing audiences what looks to be a wild, genre-bending ride. The film follows a ten-year-old girl who hires her neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) to take out the monster under her bed, the same one she believes devoured her family. Also featuring Sigourney Weaver and David Dastmalchian, Dust Bunny is shaping up to be a whimsically macabre plunge straight into childhood nightmares.
Frankenstein. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein may be over 200 years old and adapted to the screen more times than one can reasonably count, yet it has somehow never received a truly faithful adaptation, until now. Guillermo del Toro is bringing his vision of Frankenstein to Toronto, and it’s already shaping up to be the festival’s hottest ticket. Promising a version that finally honors the novel, the film stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, with Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance, and more rounding out the cast. At long last, Frankenstein looks ready to remind us who the real monster is.
Fuze. Directed by David Mackenzie
David Mackenzie is back at TIFF with his latest feature, Fuze. Set in London, the film kicks off when a bomb from the Second World War is discovered in the heart of the city, sparking evacuations and widespread panic as the clock ticks down. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Sam Worthington, and more, Fuze looks to deliver a fast-moving, high-stakes heist thriller where the ultimate job is figuring out how to defuse the bomb before time runs out.
Good Fortune. Directed by Aziz Ansari
Does money really buy happiness? Aziz Ansari takes a swing at that question with his latest feature, Good Fortune. The film follows Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), an inept angel frustrated with performing minor acts of divine intervention, who decides to step in and improve the life of struggling gig worker Arj (played by Ansari). His plan is to show Arj that money isn’t the answer to all of life’s problems, but in a twist of fate, it actually is. TIFF has long been a home for crowd-pleasers, and Good Fortune looks primed to deliver just that. And honestly, any film with Keanu Reeves already has an edge.
Hamlet. Directed by Aneil Karia
Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been adapted to film more times than one can possibly keep track of, both directly and through countless variations. Now director Aneil Karia and writer Michael Lesslie are set to breathe new life into the classic tragedy. Relocated to modern-day London, this version stars Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark, and Joe Alwyn, promising a fresh, culturally resonant spin on one of literature’s most enduring stories.
Hamnet. Directed by Chloe Zhao.
Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao returns to feature filmmaking after the much-maligned Eternals with Hamnet. Adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel, the film reimagines the creation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the perspective of his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), in the wake of their son Hamnet’s death. Starring Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, Hamnet promises a deeply moving exploration of love, loss, and grief, and is already shaping up to be one of TIFF’s most sought-after titles.
No Other Choice. Directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook, the Korean master of making audiences squirm in their seats, is back with his latest feature, No Other Choice. Loosely adapted from Donald E. Westlake’s The Ax, the film taps into the desperation of unemployment and job hunting, turning those anxieties into something both darkly relatable and uncomfortably riveting. Starring Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, and more, No Other Choice is already lining up to be one of the hottest tickets at the festival.
Normal. Directed by Ben Wheatley.
Bob Odenkirk’s career after Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul has been nothing short of fascinating. Watching him shift from sleazy lawyer to action-comedy star in his 60s has been one of the most enjoyable career pivots in recent memory, and honestly, I just love Bob. He keeps that streak going in Ben Wheatley’s Normal, where he plays a temporary small-town sheriff who stumbles onto a dark mystery following a local bank robbery. With Lena Headey and Henry Winkler rounding out the cast, Normal looks like a wild ride, especially as part of TIFF’s always-rowdy Midnight Madness lineup.
Rental Family. Directed by HIKARI.
Another crowd-pleaser bound to leave an impression at TIFF is Hikari’s Rental Family, starring Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser (and yes, I will never get tired of saying that). The film is a whimsical dramedy about an actor wrestling with identity and impostor syndrome who takes on work as a professional surrogate in Japan. Equal parts heart-tugging and cheer-inducing, Rental Family looks ready to charm audiences in a big way.
Rose of Nevada. Directed by Mark Jenkin
Mark Jenkin returns to the director’s chair with another uncanny cinematic journey in Rose of Nevada. Starring George MacKay and Callum Turner, the film follows villagers in a remote Cornish fishing town where the long-lost vessel Rose of Nevada, missing for three decades, mysteriously reappears. What unfolds is a surreal, haunting mystery that feels almost trance-like. Shot entirely on 16mm, this is one visual feast you won’t want to miss.
Scarlet. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda.
If there’s an animated film poised to shake up this year’s typically sleepy Best Animated Feature category, it’s Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlet. This Japanese anime, heavily inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, promises to dazzle on the big screen while winning over audiences with its style and storytelling.
The Smashing Machine. Directed by Benny Safdie.
The Smashing Machine is a film I’m more curious about than hyped for, as it marks Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first serious Oscar campaign, playing MMA and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in this biopic. Directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, the film is sure to have style and flair, but the real question is whether The Rock can finally break free of playing himself and deliver a truly transformative performance. I think he has the juice… but only time will tell.
The Testament of Ann Lee. Directed by Mona Fastvold
A film that’s been quietly building buzz over the past few months is Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee. Fastvold, who co-wrote The Brutalist with her husband Brady Corbet, now steps into the director’s chair for her debut. Based on the true story of Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers, the film is a historical musical that promises to bend genres in unexpected ways. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, and more, The Testament of Ann Lee is one to watch, especially with its 70mm release, making it one of the festival’s hottest tickets.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Directed by Rian Johnson.
I wasn’t the most hyped person for Glass Onion, but I am definitely hyped for Wake Up Dead Man, as Rian Johnson takes his Knives Out whodunit series in a darker, more gothic direction. Set inside a brooding church, this tonal shift is exactly what the series needed instead of leaning into “eat-the-rich” satire. With an all-star cast and a previous runner-up for the People’s Choice Award, Wake Up Dead Man is shaping up to be one of TIFF’s hottest tickets.
Leave a Reply