It’s officially September. Summer is winding down, school is starting, and the Fall film festival circuit has kicked off. By the time you read this, you’ll have seen dozens of our reviews from the Venice Film Festival and Telluride Film Festivals. And so, while TIFF boasts much-anticipated titles like Christos Nikou’s “Fingernails” with Jessie Buckley, Richard Linklater’s “Hitman,” Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” reuniting him with Paul Giamatti, Michel Franco’s “Memory” with Jessica Chastain, Kitty Green’s “The Royal Hotel” with Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick, you’ll have read our reviews of those now.
READ MORE: Fall Film Preview: 60+ Most Anticipated Movies To Watch
Still, the year’s Toronto International Film Festival being what it is, even if Venice and Telluride stole a little bit of TIFF’s thunder, the fest, which traffics in a lot of eclectic variety and volume, still features a ton of great films, this year, led by filmmaking names like Taika Waititi, Atom Egoyan, Azazel Jacobs, Craig Gillespie, David Yates, and several actors turned directors like Viggo Mortensen, Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton, Kristin Scott Thomas and more.
As always, there is something for everyone at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. From true crime to documentary to comedy and more, here are 25 films we don’t want you to miss.
“Next Goal Wins”Based on the documentary of the same name, Taika Waititi‘s long-delayed soccer comedy tells the story of a failing soccer coach’s efforts to lead the worst-rated team in global futbal— the American Samoa national football team— to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The film stars Michael Fassbender, plus appearances by Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Knightly, Will Arnett, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, and Beulah Koale.
“The End We Start From” Forced out of their home due to disastrous flooding, a new mother, her partner, and their infant make their way to the countryside, only to learn the situation is just as devastating there. Directed by Mahalia Belo, the drama has a strong cast, including Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Katherine Waterston, Gina McKee, Nina Sosanya, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
“His Three Daughters”Directed by Azazel Jacobs (“The Lovers,” “French Exit”), the filmmaker’s latest drama is a tense, captivating, and touching portrait of family dynamics starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne as sisters who converge after their father’s health declines.
“Dumb Money”Based on the infamous GameStop debacle and stock short-squeeze of 2021—and Ben Mezrich’s “The Antisocial Network” book, which detailed the outrageous story— director Craig Gillespie’s (“Cruella,” “I, Tonya”) latest is a dark comedy about Wall Street billionaires and regular people and the lives that are upended when GameStop suddenly becomes the world’s hottest company. The ensemble cast features Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Shailene Woodley and Sebastian Stan.
“Lee”Cinematographer, documentarian, and sometimes feature-length filmmaker Ellen Kuras—known for her work with Michel Gondry, Spike Lee, Sam Mendes, Jim Jarmusch, Rebecca Miller, Martin Scorsese and more—gets behind the director’s chair once more for “Lee,” a portrait of American war photojournalist Lee Miller, who gave us some of the 20th century’s most indelible images. Kate Winslet stars alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Andy Samberg, plus composer Alexandre Desplat writing the music.
“Pain Hustlers”“Harry Potter” filmmaker David Yates really switches up his m.o. for this Netflix drama about desperation, greed, and pharmaceutical drug reps who unwittingly help kickstart the opioid epidemic in the pursuit of financial success. Emily Blunt and Chris Evans star alongside a cast that includes Catherine O’Hara, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Andy Garcia, and more.