In just under a week, I will be attending one of my favorite film festivals, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This Festival is not only a lead-up to Awards season but features many of my most anticipated movies of the year. More than that, with the strike not being a factor this year, I am fully anticipating a lot of star power in our midst! I love that TIFF features intros and Q&As for almost every film, allowing you to get insight into what you just saw from the filmmakers themselves.
As always, I have overpacked my movie screening schedule with more movies to see in a day than humanly possible. But that’s not going to stop me from seeing and reviewing as much as I possibly can! Below are the movies I am most excited to see at TIFF 2024 this year! And of course, make sure you check back starting September 5 to see my review/interview coverage!
Babygirl
It should be no surprise that a Nicole Kidman-led erotic thriller, written and directed by a female filmmaker (Halina Reijn), would be at the top of my most-anticipated list. Years back, Nicole Kidman vowed to use her platform to promote more female-led films and it makes me so happy that she has kept her promise, starring in films like BABYGIRL that are shot from a woman’s perspective with the female gaze top of mind. Not to mention, the film and especially Kidman’s performance is getting some major hype coming out of the Venice Film Festival!
Romy (Kidman) is a senior executive who risks her personal life and career when she starts having an affair with Samuel (Harris Dickinson), the company’s newest intern. It’s clear Samuel could ruin Romy’s life with one call on his phone… but maybe that is part of his draw, a risk that Romy needs in order to bring more spice to her life.
Nightbitch
It is finally time for Amy Adams to get her Oscar and I cannot think of a performance with more range than :ahem: one that involves her thinking she is going to turn into a dog. I am looking forward to seeing NIGHTBITCH‘s *World Premiere* screening at TIFF; I can already imagine it is the exact kind of movie you want to experience with a crowd. And more than that, I love writer/director Marielle Heller’s intelligent films and can’t wait to see this exploration on femininity and motherhood like only she can bring to screens.
Based off of the 2021 novel with the same name, Adams stars as a stay-at-home Mother who is at the end of her rope. Feeling isolated and lonely, Mother’s monotonous life begins to grate at her, and a primal energy begins to arise that makes her think she may be turning into a dog. I saw a similarly-themed film movie called BITCH at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and can’t wait to see what NIGHTBITCH has in store.
Emilia Pérez
Netflix’s EMILIA PÉREZ is described as a “pop opera, narco thriller” and you better believe that immediately grabbed my attention. But when you add such heavyweights as Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramírez to the mix, it’s clear this is going to be a frontrunner for best of the fest. Variety is already naming it a Best Picture contender, with Saldaña a frontrunner for best actress.
Set in Mexico City, the film centers around Rita Moro Castro (Saldaña), a defense attorney known to get the bad guys out of jail. When she is hired to support a drug kingpin’s gender transition, she quickly gets in over her head and realizes this plan may not be as solid as she thought.
Heretic
From the moment I first saw the trailer for HERETIC, it became my most anticipated horror film of the year… especially when I saw A24 is involved. The film follows Mormon missionaries Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), who are knocking on doors and spreading the message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But when they stumble into the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), they realize that not everyone is trustworthy and there may be something more sinister lurking behind his quiet demeanor and “harmless” suburban house.
Queer
Since it was first announced, I have been so excited to see director Luca Guadagnino’s latest film QUEER. This is not only because this is a role that we have never seen Daniel Craig take on before, but also because I have a special place in my heart for films by Guadagnino, whose film CALL ME BY YOUR NAME was one of the most beautiful films I saw in all of my years at Sundance.
Adapted from the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the film is set in Mexico City and follows William Lee (Craig), an expatriate who becomes infatuated with a younger sailer named Eugene (Drew Starkey). After maneuvering the city’s gay bar scene and indulging in all the illegal substances he can get his hands on, William encourages Eugene to embark on a quest into the Amazon Rainforest with him. You can imagine how that will turn out.
On Swift Horses
If you couldn’t tell already, TIFF 2024 is ripe with novel adaptations. Based off of 1950s-set Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel, ON SWIFT HORSES follows Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a newlywed who is moving with her husband to California. They are fully prepared to live the cookie cutter life, with a white picket fence, dog, and 2.5 kids, until Lee’s brother Julius (Jacob Elordi) returns from the Korean War and shakes things up.
I am a huge fan of Daisy’s, particularly from the amazing series NORMAL PEOPLE (Hulu), and am super excited to see her in another dramatic role like that. Fingers crossed that there is a romance between Muriel and Julius.
The Piano Lesson
I can’t think of a bigger Oscar contender at the Festival this year than Malcolm Washington’s THE PIANO LESSON, adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitizer-prize winning play. The cast is full of heavy hitters—like John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Danielle Deadwyler—and the movie itself is already getting raves from award pundits, calling the film “electric.” Set in 1936, the film focuses on a family’s internal fight over the future of a 100+ year old piano. This piano has been in the family and experienced some of the hardest of times. Through themes of generational trauma and legacy, this film looks to be an emotional film as much as it is an important one.
Without Blood
This is hopefully going to be the year of Angelina Jolie, starting with her latest directorial feat WITHOUT BLOOD. Called a “parable-like tale of family, war and revenge”, this female-led film (behind and in front of the camera) is sure to be a showstopper. I love that Jolie’s directed films focus on topics and themes not normally highlighted on the big screen, particularly violence and their impact on women and girls.
Set in the early 1900s, Salma Hayek Pinault stars as a woman seeking revenge for the murder of her father. Don’t judge me when you hear me cheering from the audience. I am totally hoping Salma goes full Kill Bill and makes these men pay for the injustice they did to her and her family.
The Last Showgirl
I actually already purchased a ticket to Gia Coppola’s *World Premiere* screening of THE LAST SHOWGIRL, because I was so scared this would be a hot ticket. Already getting Awards buzz for what reportedly is a tour-de-force performance from Pamela Anderson, this film is going to one of the can’t-miss films at TIFF this year.
Shelly (Anderson) has been a showgirl in Las Vegas for over 30 years. However, when the show closes abruptly, leaving Shelly out of a job, she is forced to make some hard decisions about her future. With themes of feminine sexuality and society’s views on aging, I am bracing for impact and excited to see Anderson knock it out of the park.
Anora
Talking about hype… since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme D’Or, ANORA has been at the top of “best of” the year lists. Writer/director Sean Baker never flinches from portraying unflinchingly real character studies. Considered a star-making performance from Mikey Madison, the film follows sex worker Anora as she navigates the underbelly of a New York club. A whirlwind romance ensues between Anora and a wealthy Russian man named Vanya. Problems abound when Vanya’s prominent family is made aware of his dalliances and they want to put an end to this budding romance.
