[Update:To catch up on all of our ongoing TIFF 2016 coverage, from reviews to interviews,click here.]
It’s time once again for the2016 Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF is when the awards films comes to play, and with the deluge of quality films, it’s likely that at least one or two films from the festival finds its way into my Top 10 of the year (my favorite film of last year,Spotlight, played at TIFF). It’s a festival where there’s too much to see, and I’m already trying to make peace with the films I know I’m going to miss.
This will be my sixth year at TIFF and the fourth for News Editor Adam Chitwood. Together, we’ll have the festival pretty well covered with our Editor-in-Chief Steve Weintraub handling the interviews. However, with so much to see, it can be difficult to narrow down the must-see pictures. But after going through our schedules, Adam and I have selected 16 must-see films for this year’s festival. Expect to see our reviews on these and many more in the days ahead (assuming Brian Formo didn’t already review them atTelluride).
The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival begins tomorrow and runs through September 18th.
DirectorDenis Villeneuve’s crime drama/chronicle of American foreign policySicarioblew me away at TIFF last year and ended up being my favorite film of 2015, soobviouslyI’m eager to check out the filmmaker’s first foray into sci-fi territory,Arrival. But even without Villeneuve’s involvement, this thing would be mighty promising.Amy Adamsis a tremendous actress, and the premise seems to be a unique and refreshing take on the well-worn territory of “first contact” stories. Plus,SelmaandA Most Violent YearcinematographerBradford Youngbehind the camera? Yes please. –Adam Chitwood
DirectorBen Wheatleyis pretty much a TIFF mainstay at this point. All of his features since 2011’sKill Listhave played at Toronto, and this year he’ll be opening the Midnight Madness section withFree Fire, a crime thriller about a weapons deal that turns into a standoff inside an abandoned warehouse. Like his previous feature,High-Rise,Free Fireboasts an outstanding cast that includes Oscar-winnerBrie Larson,Armie Hammer,Cillian Murphy,Sharlto Copley, and Wheatley regularMichael Smiley. You never know quite what to expect from Wheatley, and while it doesn’t always work (I was a bit let down byHigh-Rise), it’s always worth seeing. –Matt Goldberg
La La Land
I’m a sucker for musicals, especially those from the 50s and 60s heyday, soLa La Landis right up my alley.Damien Chazelle, who made a huge splash with his visceral debut featureWhiplash, tries his hand a something far more extravagant, and he’s got two of the best (and best-looking) young performers of our time in tow.Emma StoneandRyan Goslinglead this story of romance and romanticism, set against the backdrop of Los Angeles and with style to spare, and now the rave reviews out of Venice have me even more eager to check this thing out. –Adam Chitwood
Nocturnal Animals
Tom Ford’s debut featureA Single Manwas a riveting piece of cinema and an announcement that a talented new director had burst on the scene (it didn’t seem fair that this was in addition to Ford already being an immensely talented fashion designer). Then he had to keep us waiting for seven years for his follow-up feature, but it’s finally here.Nocturnal Animalsfocuses on a woman who’s forced to confront her demons when she’s drawn into the novel written by her ex-husband. When you haveAmy AdamsandJake Gyllenhaalas your leads, you have a powerhouse combination, and I can’t wait to see howNocturnal Animalscompares with the stunningA Single Man. –Matt Goldberg
I’ll be honest,Moonlightwasn’t really on my radar until A24 dropped the first trailer last month. But man, that first look was enough to ratchet this up towards the top of my “must-see” list for TIFF.Barry Jenkinsmakes his feature directorial debut with a story that chronicles the life of a young man in three stages: boyhood, teenager, and adulthood. Add into the mix struggles with sexuality and race, plus a cast that includesNaomie HarrisandAndré HollandofThe Knickfame, and you’ve got yourself a rich recipe for some great drama. That debut trailer set some pretty high expectations, but A24 is on a roll, bolstering my enthusiasm for this picture even further. –Adam Chitwood
NewChristopher Guest? Yes, please. It’s been a decade since Guest’s last feature, the somewhat disappointing but occasionally funnyFor Your Consideration, but he looks like he’s roaring back withMascots. The mockumentary, which focuses on a group of mascots trying to win the coveted Golden Fluffy, sports Guest’s usual cadre of talented performers and I’m always eager to see how they’ll bounce off each other. Additionally, the competition format served Guest well withBest in Show, and this kind of looks likeBest in Showbut with humans. –Matt Goldberg
FilmmakerAna Lily Amirpourburst onto the scene with her stylish 2014 Iranian vampire WesternA Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and anyone who’s seen that film will find the premise of her follow-up,The Bad Batch, irresistible. This new picture takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where a young woman is dumped into hostile desert territory that’s ruled by cannibals, after which she must fight for her own survival. Amirpour was hailed as the next Tarantino afterA Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, with that film’s atmospheric visuals and killer soundtrack enveloping the viewer into this wholly unique world, and I can’t wait to see what Amirpour does on a larger canvas. And did I mentionKeanu ReevesandJim Carreyare in this so-called cannibal movie? –Adam Chitwood
Sometimes a cast is too good to pass up. While I’m unfamiliar with the work of directorBenedict Andrews, he’s lined up a tremendous trio of lead actors withRiz Ahmed,Rooney Mara, andBen Mendelsohn. The character drama focuses on a young woman (Mara) who shows up at the workplace of an older man (Mendelsohn) to confront him about events from their past that shaped both their lives.Unapromises to be one of the most emotionally complex films of the festival as it dives into the crucible of abuse, and hopefully the picture won’t offer any easy answers. –Matt Goldberg
A Monster Calls
Each TIFF I’ve been to, I’ve seen at least one film that’s delivered a wallop of an emotional gut-punch. This year my money’s onA Monster Calls. The book began as an idea from authorSiobhan Dowd, who died before she could write it, andPatrick Nesspicked up the pieces and fashioned it into the emotionally rich story that it became. The film adaptation seesThe ImpossiblehelmerJ.A. Bayonablending his knack for staggering visuals with a character-centric story of a son trying to come to terms with his mother’s terminal illness, andFelicity Jonesfills the mother role in what could be an Oscar-contending performance. The trailers knocked me flat, so I’m bracing myself for a tough (yet hopefully rewarding) viewing experience. –Adam Chitwood
Trespass Against Us
If you can find a way to work aMichael Fassbender/Brendan Gleesonmovie into your film festival, you should. They’re two of the most reliable actors working today, and the opportunity to watch them play off each other is too good to pass up. InAdam Smith’sTrespass Against Us, the play a son and father of a crime family that come into conflict when the son wants to leave the life of crime behind rather than assume his father’s position. Throw in a score by The Chemical Brothers (who did outstanding work with their previous film score forHanna), and I’m surprised that this film doesn’t have a higher profile at this year’s festival. –Matt Goldberg
