Film festival season is upon us and once Venezia’s schedule is released, Telluride andTIFFare around the corner. Right after Venezia, TIFF is the third-largest film festival in the world. It has been growing for years and has gotten bigger every time. This yearTIFFis opening its doors up to all after attempting to integrate digital platforms into its programming for safety reasons. It’s an exciting time to be a film fan because over 200 films are heading to the festival, and it’s impossible to watch all of them.
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There are films that should be on everyone’s radar heading into award season because that’s what the film festival circuit is for. Some directors have returned after taking a little break from the spotlight, and others have their films at TIFF for the very first time. There’s a fine mixture of new actors stealing the spotlight and older actors making a comeback, and fans should be excited about what’s to come.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
It is no surprise that the sequel toKnives Outis heading to the festival this year. WhenRian Johnsonpremiered the first one at TIFF the festival was buzzing.Johnsonrode that hype to the Oscars as the screenplay was nominated. Murder mysteries will always be entertaining but when you have A-list stars coming together for a modern-day rouse it makes it even better.
Daniel Craigis reprising his role as Detective Benoit BlancandJohnsonhas recruited a stellar cast includingEdward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Ethan Hawke,andJanelle Monaeto name a few. Johnson is keeping the synopsis under wraps and the only piece of information fans know is that the location is Greece.
The Woman King
The film festival circuit is not complete withoutViola Davismaking an appearance with her latest project.The Woman KinghasDavisat her physical peak, and she has done a lot of prep for it. It is directed byGina Prince-Bythewood, and it is inspired by true historical events that happened in The Kingdom of Dahomey.
It was one of the most powerful states in Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.John BoyegaandLashana Lynchround out the cast of this epic and from the trailers, it looks like an intense ride from beginning to end.
DirectorDarren Aronofskyis back withThe Whalestarring an underrated talent in the industryBrendan Fraser. Over the past couple of years, it seems that Fraser has had a resurgence in popularity. It started with DC’sDoom Patroland then went up from there. In this film,Fraserplays a reclusive English teacher with severe obesitywho is looking to reconnect with his estranged daughter played bySadie Sink.
Fraserhas also been chosen to receive a TIFF Tribute Awardfor his performance in the movie. The love everyone has forBrendan Fraseris enough to get people emotional. He has been through a lot in his career, so for him to be recognized for his work now is going to be something special.
My Policeman
DirectorMichael Grandagehas teamed with Amazon Studios for a story about unrequited love and relationships. The arrival of Patrick (Rupert Everett) into Marion (Gina McKee) and Tom’s (Linus Roach) home causes the exploration of seismic events from 40 years previously. There are two stories in play, the past and the present, and audiences will see the chemistry between the characters shift.
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TIFF will also award the ensemble cast featuringHarry Styles, Emma Corrin,andDavid Dawsonwith a Tribute Award for Performance. With this garnering an award for the festival ahead of its premiere, it’s safe to say that there’s something special about this movie.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Even if people aren’t fans ofWeird Al, everyone knows who he is. AndWeird: The Al Yankovic Storyis premiering opening night for Midnight Madnessat TIFF. The rebellious and unconventional singer played byDaniel Radcliffebecame famous for changing the lyrics of world-renowned songs.
It isn’t until he gets wrapped up in the industry and a certain romance that nearly destroys everything he has built.Radcliffe’sfans should be excited about this because it’s a role that he will get lost in. He has taken on many roles post-Harry Potterand has had fun with his career.
Decision To Leave
DirectorPark Chan-wookhasDecision To Leaveheading to the festivaland the buzz surrounding it has been great. It’s about a detective investigating a man’s death in the mountains who ends up meeting and developing feelings for the dead man’s mysterious wife.
The premise does sound interesting andChan-wooknever fails to make his movies suspenseful and bold. His success withThe Handmaidenhas made this project one of the most anticipated at the festival.
Coming off the tail ofTop Gun: Maverick,Glen Powellstars alongsideJonathan MajorsinDevotion. This is the year of pilots on the big screen, and it’s great because the filmmakers make it exciting. On top of that, the story that is presented in the movie is about real-life pilots Jesse Brown (Majors) and Tom Hudner (Powell) who risked their lives in the Korean War.
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Dillard has worked on many projects, especially episodes of television likeUtopia,The Twilight Zone,andThe Outsiderto name a few. This is his first larger-scale film and by the trailer alone it looks likeJonathan Majorswill shine.
The Fabelmans
The Fabelmansheading to TIFF is a very big deal because, believe it or not, this isSteven Spielberg’sfirst time at the festival. It’s shocking to find out that this is his first time premiering something at the festival after such a lengthy career, but TIFF adding this to the program was a steal.
The movie, much likeBelfastis sentimental toSpielbergand is more of a passion project for him. He is capturing his life before he became the acclaimed filmmaker he is today. The movie starsSeth Rogen, Julia Butters, Paul Dano,andMichelle Williams. SinceBelfastwon the audience award last year,Spielberg’spersonal story could follow the same path.
Chefs have been all the rage afterThe Bearwas released on Hulu. So naturally, another film withRalph Fiennesbeing a mysterious chef would get the attention of any audience. A young couple, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) journeys to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu. And, there are some shocking surprises. SeeingHoultandTaylor-Joyas a pairing in a thriller will be fun andRalph Fiennesis an underrated actor.
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It seems like a darkly twisted story with plenty of surprises. The trailer leaves a lot to the imagination, and it really can go in any direction. It works on two scales with the characters; the intimate meals versus the larger game that is afoot. It feels like there will be a larger story that will unravel over the runtime.
Women Talking
DirectorSarah Polleyreturns to the big screen withWomen Talking.It is a story about women in an isolated religious colony who struggle to reconcile with their faith after a series of sexual assaults.The movie starsJessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, Claire Foy,andRooney Mara.Polleyhas always been able to capture raw human emotion from her actors on screen, especially when tackling a tough subject. To have such an all-star cast discussing women’s issues and religion in this current sociopolitical climate will make an impact.
Of course, the movie being released in the middle of such discussions was a coincidence, but this is why movies are made. Even though this film takes place in a different period, women’s rights have always been tested and media is the only way to present these issues to the world. There’s a level of importance that moving pictures carry that other mediums do not.
