This year’s Toronto International Film Festival will be a little different than usual due to the continuing worker strikes in Hollywood. In particular, the festival won’t have nearly as much of the star power that is often a major draw. But even if TIFF 2023 won’t have as much creative talent, a lot of movies will still have their world premieres this year. A wide variety of features were on display in 2022, ranging from Pearl to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. This time around, anticipate a similar amount of diversity, with the North American debut of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s most recent animated film, The Boy and the Heron, as the main attraction.
We’ll be watching as many films as we can while in Toronto for the festival. Here are a few well-known films that we’re eager to see in the interim.
Picture: TIFF
The monster
The Beast, directed by Frenchman Bertrand Bonello, is a “heady, sci-fi examination of yearning, obsession, and existential dread.” Léa Seydoux and George MacKay are the movie’s leads and play “two lovers connecting and reconnecting across time and space, all while catastrophe looms.” A date for its theatrical debut is not yet set.
Youngster and Heron
The Boy and the Heron, the newest offering from Studio Ghibli and renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki, is probably the most eagerly awaited movie at TIFF this year. It had its North American premiere this summer in Toronto after making its debut earlier this summer in Japan. On December 8th, it opens in theaters.
The musical Dicks
A lot can be inferred from the movie’s description, which reads, “Two self-obsessed businessmen discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric divorced parents,” but given the title and the fact that Larry Charles, a Seinfeld staff writer who also directed Borat, is in charge of directing it, it’s guaranteed to be ridiculous in a hilarious way. Watch the trailer only. The movie debuts on September 29.
Picture: A24
Fantasy Situation
Kristoffer Borgli, a Norwegian writer and director, is in charge of A24’s Dream Scenario, which has the potential to become the next cult Nicolas Cage film. He portrays Paul, a man whose “world is flipped upside down when suddenly millions of strangers start seeing him in their dreams. However, Paul is forced to deal with his newfound fame as his midnight performances take a terrifying turn. Produced by Hereditary and Beau is Afraid director Ari Aster, the film is scheduled to open in theaters on November 10.
Dumb Cash
Craig Gillespie, the director of I, Tonya and Cruella, tries to make a comedy out of the outrageous tale of the GameStop short-squeeze. On September 22nd, the film opens in a small number of theaters; on October 6th, it expands to all theaters. Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen are among the impressive cast members.
There is no evil.
Drive My Car director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s most recent film, Evil Does Not Exist, which doesn’t yet have a release date in North America, appears to be a similarly contemplative drama. Here is a summary:
Takumi and his daughter Hana, who reside in Mizubiki Village not far from Tokyo, are the subjects of Evil Does Not Exist. They lead a simple existence in accordance with the cycles and laws of nature, much like the generations before them. One day, the villagers learn of a scheme to construct a glamping site close to Takumi’s home, providing city dwellers with a cozy “escape” to nature.
When two glamping company executives show up in the hamlet to hold a meeting, it quickly becomes apparent that the project will negatively affect the area’s water supply and result in turmoil. Takumi’s life is significantly impacted by the company’s ambitions because they imperil both the local natural balance and the way of life of the residents.
Fingernails
The new technology at the heart of this science fiction drama from writer and director Christos Nikou can demonstrate whether two people are in love. The film debuts on Apple TV Plus on November 3rd and stars Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Annie Murphy, and Luke Wilson.
Vampire Humanist Seeking Consenting Suicidal Individual
It seems that there is still more vampire blood to be extracted. This film from French Canadian director Ariane Louis-Seize is set in Montreal and follows an uncooperative vampire who must obtain blood to survive. Even without anything more, it has a fantastic title. When it will be released to a wider audience is still unknown.
Monster
Monster delves into the murky depths of school bullying from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who is best known for movies like Broker and Shoplifters that examine those living on the outskirts of society. Additionally, it serves as the last soundtrack created by the late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away earlier this year.
Origin
Origin, the newest film from A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay, was a late addition to the festival roster. It centers on the life of author Isabel Wilkerson, who is portrayed by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. It is scheduled to arrive in theaters “later this year” and also features Jon Bernthal.
Hurt Peddlers
Last year, Netflix showcased titles like Wendell & Wild and Glass Onion at TIFF, and this year’s major debut is Pain Hustlers from filmmaker David Yates (of Harry Potter fame). Based on Evan Hughes’ book of the same name, it tells the tale of the pharmaceutical industry and stars A-list actors like Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, and Catherine O’Hara. On October 27, it becomes live on streaming.
Sleep
The fact that Sleep’s director Bong Joon-ho dubbed it “the most original horror film and the smartest debut film I’ve seen in ten years” is pretty much all I need to know to convince me to watch it. Director Jason Yu, who has previously worked with Korean icons Joon-Ho and Lee Chang-dong, makes his feature film debut with this project.
As Evil Waits
When Evil Lurks looks like it has quite a bit of horrifying potential, and film festivals are often a wonderful place to find future horror movies (earlier this year, Sundance featured Talk To Me, Birth/Rebirth, and In My Mother’s Skin). Two brothers are battling a demonic infection in Demián Rugna’s narrative, which he also wrote and directed. It opens in cinemas on October 6 and becomes available for streaming on the Shudder website on October 27.
