TORONTO — A famed director's self-funded epic, a quirky Stephen King adaptation and Pamela Anderson's return to the big screen are among the offerings at this year's edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
With more than 270 films lighting up TIFF screens from Sept. 5 to 15, there will be something for every kind of cinephile.
Here’s a look at 10 titles that have caught the attention of Canadian Press reporters who will be on the festival circuit.
"BABYGIRL"
After dominating the small screen for the last several years, Nicole Kidman is poised to return to movie stardom in this erotic drama. Kidman stars opposite Harris Dickinson as a CEO who becomes embroiled in an affair with her impudent intern. The film from "Bodies Bodies Bodies" director Halina Reijn is a steamy exploration of desire and complicated power dynamics, entering a movie landscape in which erotic thrillers have fallen out of vogue.
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"NIGHTBITCH"
Will this be the role that finally gets Amy Adams her Oscar? That remains to be seen, but the question is already swirling in film circles. Adams stars as Mother, an overwhelmed stay-at-home mom to a toddler whose domestic life takes a surreal turn as she starts to wonder if she's turning into a dog. The movie is adapted and directed by Marielle Heller, whose most recent film "A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood" managed to get Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination since 2001.
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"MEGALOPOLIS"
If Hollywood has a punching bag this year, it has to be Francis Ford Coppola's $120-million passion project. The film, funded by the “Godfather” director himself, was panned when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. It suffered another blow when video surfaced of Coppola kissing female extras on set. And yet another lashing came earlier this week when its trailer had to be pulled because it contained fabricated quotes from critics of Coppola's earlier work. The Adam Driver vehicle is set for theatrical release in late September, so TIFF-goers will get an advance look at the futuristic train wreck.
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"THE LIFE OF CHUCK"
Writer-director Mike Flanagan mastered elements of horror with Netflix’s “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass,” so his fans may find it curious that his latest Stephen King adaptation leans away from the gruesome genre. “The Life of Chuck” is heavier on quirky storytelling elements as it follows a divorced man, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who can’t escape the looming presence of a seemingly ordinary accountant who’s infiltrated every corner of his life. His mystery propels the narrative of the film in two directions as Tom Hiddleston plays Chuck while Mark Hamill portrays his grandfather in an origin story told backwards. Flanagan has waded into King’s work before, having adapted his psychological thriller “Gerald’s Game” seven years ago.
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“ANORA"
Hot off its Palme d’Or win at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Sean Baker’s sex worker tragicomedy makes a pit stop in Toronto en route to awards season this fall. Actress Mikey Madison is certain to draw attention for her role as Ani, a young sex worker at the heart of the rags-to-riches story. While working at a Manhattan strip club, she meets the son of a Russian oligarch and unexpectedly falls for his oddball charms. Baker’s empathetic lens on sex worker characters has been at the heart of his acclaimed past films “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” but critics have said his latest feature is an accomplishment that ranks him among the best filmmakers of his generation.
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"THE LAST SHOWGIRL"
Pamela Anderson’s Hollywood comeback is already making waves — and not the slow-motion "Baywatch" kind. After reclaiming her narrative with her candid 2023 Netflix documentary “Pamela: A Love Story,” the B.C.-born actress stars in “The Last Showgirl,” her biggest role in decades. Anderson plays a seasoned Vegas showgirl struggling to figure out her next act in life when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Generating early Oscar buzz, the Gia Coppola-helmed drama explores themes of aging, resilience and the search for meaning beyond the spotlight.
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“SATURDAY NIGHT"
Live from New York, it’s a very stressful “Saturday Night.” Canadian-American director Jason Reitman’s biopic about “Saturday Night Live" coincides with the 50th anniversary of the sketch-comedy institution and recreates the frantic 90 minutes before its very first episode on Oct. 11, 1975. Gabriel Labelle stars as an in-over-his-head Lorne Michaels struggling to deliver on his vision while guiding a troupe of untrained and untested comedians and writers, played by a stacked cast including Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase and Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman. Described by Reitman as a “thriller-comedy,” the film captures the manic, behind-the-scenes energy of the show that went on to redefine network television and the cowbell forever.
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“HERETIC”
Quintessential rom-com lead Hugh Grant appears to be embracing his villain era in this psychological horror film that a TIFF programmer described as “deliciously dark and frequently hilarious.” In a stark departure from his roles in comfort movies like “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill,” Grant plays Mr. Reed, a diabolical man who invites a pair of door-knocking Mormon missionaries into his deceptively cosy home to discuss the religion’s teachings. The two young women, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, are soon entrapped and forced to play a wicked game that tests their faith. The tense trailer for the A24 film – directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods of “A Quiet Place” fame – suggests Grant is ready to reveal his dark side.
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“WE LIVE IN TIME"
This love story seems to have all the right ingredients: emotionally charged performances from two Oscar-nominated actors, an unusual meet-cute and a solid mix of heartbreak and hope. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield play a young couple whose relationship is jump-started by a car accident, followed by a whirlwind romance and then an illness that threatens to unravel everything. Directed by John Crowley and executive produced by Benedict Cumberbatch, the film seems to tackle the age-old question: how can we make the most of our limited time on earth?
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"NUTCRACKERS"
After years of working behind the camera, Ben Stiller is returning to the big screen with “Nutcrackers," TIFF's opening film this year. Best known for his comedic roles in films such as “Zoolander” and “Tropic Thunder," Stiller stars as a real estate agent who is tasked with taking care of his four recently orphaned nephews in rural Ohio. The fish-out-of-water comedy also marks director David Gordon Green’s return to more comedic filmmaking following his recent run of horror movies including the “Halloween” sequel trilogy and “The Exorcist: Believer.”
--Written by Alex Nino Gheciu, David Friend, Nicole Thompson, Alex Goudge and Sonja Puzic in Toronto.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2024.
The Canadian Press