12 Must-See Movies at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
Even without actors the show will go on
Given the success of last year’s Toronto Internation Film Festival and the cinema revitalization powers of Barbie and Oppenheimer, expectations for 2023’s festival were through the roof. Major movies from Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon), Ridley Scott (Napoleon), and Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two) were expected to launch this Fall season, but the contract dispute between AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA means those splashy premieres will have to wait until contracts are resolved and actors are available to promote their work. They might even be pushed into 2024.
So while some massive movies might be holding back, there’s once again plenty to see at TIFF this year. With only highlighting twelve movies, I’m barely scratching the surface of what will be playing at the festival. If you’d like to hear about movies from other festivals and a broader Fall Film preview stayed tuned as the It’s the Pictures podcast will be recording an episode soon on the most anticipated of the year.
I’ve used the synopsis for some of the titles directly from TIFF and included a little bit of why I’m interested in the movies. If you want a full list of the movies playing at the festival you can either visit TIFF.net or you can view this Letterboxd list and start adding films to your wishlist.
The 48th annual Toronto Internation Film Festival will run from September 7th - 17th, 2023.
Anatomy of a Fall (Director: Justine Triet)
Pitch: Winner of this year’s Palme d’Or, and starring German actress Sandra Hüller, Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall is a riveting portrait of a complex woman put on trial for the murder of her spouse.
Why I’m interested: The main reason why I’m excited about this one is the Palme d’Or win. I haven’t seen director Justine Triet’s other features and I’m not really sure what to expect from it. This one stars Sandra Hüller and was one of the two movies the actress appeared in at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The trailer actually dropped while I was putting this together and it looks fantastic. (A Neon Release. Opens in Limited Release on October 13th)
The Zone of Interest (Director: Jonathan Glazer)
Pitch: Jonathan Glazer won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes for this horror about Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife, who quite literally live amongst the ashes of their actions.
Why I’m interested: Glazer’s last feature, Under the Skin, came out a decade ago and shocked audiences with a performance from Scarlett Johansson like we’ve never seen before. It was a haunting and unnerving movie. I expect much of the same from The Zone of Interest. Just reading about the movie gives me the chills and I imagine seeing the movie will imprint horrific images I won’t be able to shake anytime soon. This is the other movie that featured Sandra Hüller so seeing both movies during TIFF will certainly show her great performances. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s recognized for her acting many times this fall. (A24 release. December 8th)
La Chimera (Director: Alice Rohrwacher)
Pitch: Led by a revelatory Josh O’Connor, and supported by Isabella Rossellini and Alba Rohrwacher, Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera is a dream-like romp through Italy’s archaeological and cinematic past.
Why I’m interested: La Chimera was one of the entries in the Cannes Film Festival slate this year that I was really eager to see. While it didn’t exactly win everyone over at the festival, I’m still excited to see Rohrwacher’s follow-up to Happy as Lazzaro. (Neon release.)
The Boy and the Heron (Director: Hayao Miyazaki)
Pitch: Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love, and rises to become a staggering work of imagination.
Why I’m interested: It’d almost be easier to come up with reasons why I’m not interested. It’s the latest movie from Hayao Miyazaki, a decade after his last feature, and maybe his last. I’ve loved all of his movies— Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, and many others. I remember where I was when I saw the premiere of The Wind Rises, in the first three rows of the Lincoln Center in New York during the NYFF. To say that I’m excited about this would be an understatement. I’m talking about a lot of his other movies because Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki have released very little about the movie publicly. In fact, it opened in Japan with zero publicity whatsoever. (Gkids Release.)
Dear Jassi (Director: Tarsem Singh Dhandwar)
Pitch: With his first film set in India, Tarsem Singh Dhandwar (The Fall, TIFF ’06) returns to the big screen to tell the shocking true-life tale of a young couple desperate to be together.
Why I’m interested: While I haven’t always been excited about Singh’s features, he hasn’t really done a feature in about eight years. While researching this, I found that he directed the music video for Lady Gaga’s 911, so maybe check that out. Anyways, I admire The Fall and hope that one day his movies can excite me like that one once again. Maybe this is the project that he needs.
The Holdovers (Director: Alexander Payne)
Pitch: Paul Giamatti stars in Alexander Payne’s latest about the bond that forms between a strict professor and a belligerent student he’s stuck supervising over the winter holiday at an elite boarding school.
Why I’m interested: Paul Giamatti has spent the (almost) last decade appearing on the Showtime series, Billions. I’m sure it was good steady work, but I’ve missed him in feature films. Especially when I first became aware of his talents in Payne’s Sideways almost twenty years ago. I’ve long been a fan of his and Payne’s work and this trailer has me sold. (A Focus Features release. In theaters October 27th)
Concrete Utopia (Director: Tae-hwa Eom)
Pitch: In the opening moments of Tae-hwa Eom’s riveting new disaster epic, an earthquake renders much of Seoul a smoldering ruin. But as survivors begin efforts to restore order, it seems the real calamity has only just begun.
Why I’m interested: It wouldn’t be a Korean movie unless it was compared to Bong Joon-ho, and that’s exactly what the TIFF premise promises. But I’m excited about the dystopian disaster movie featuring Min-seong and Myeong-hwa. Sometimes there needs to be a break from all the serious drama in a film festival right?
Perfect Days (Director: Wim Wenders)
Pitch: Wim Wenders returns with a poignant character study and a deeply moving, poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.
Why I’m interested: Wim Wenders is one of the masters of cinema. While I’m most familiar with his ‘70s - ‘80s cinema output like Paris, Texas, and Wings of Desire, I’ve long been an admirer of his work. I’m happy to hear that his latest, Perfect Days, has gotten wonderful reviews and I’m eager to check it out. (A Neon Release)
Evil Does Not Exist (Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
Pitch: A place of bucolic serenity is threatened by cynical urban developers, in this exquisite slow burn from Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car, TIFF ’21) that reveals the hidden potential for transformation on both sides of its fraught power dynamic.
Why I’m interested: A new movie from the winner of Best International Feature Drive My Car, the new Hamaguchi movie is going to premiere in Venice before coming to Canada. I’d be surprised if this isn’t another major player in the international movie scene this year.
Monster (Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu)
Pitch: Acclaimed Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to his homeland with a powerful yet delicate story of love and humanity, a moral tale about school bullying, scored by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Why I’m interested: I see every Kore-eda movie and while his last two The Truth and Broker really didn’t excite me, I’m hearing that Monster is a return to form for the director. As an added bonus the movie has one of the last composed scores from famed composer Ryuichi Sakamoto who passed away earlier this year.
Lee (Director: Ellen Kuras)
Pitch: Oscar winner Kate Winslet stars in this fascinating portrait of the great American photojournalist Lee Miller, whose singular talent and ferocious tenacity gave us some of the 20th century’s most indelible images.
Why I’m interested: I’m mostly here for Kate Winslet because she’s always fantastic, but this world premiere focuses on the life of Lee Miller who captured some of history’s enduring images. It has a star-studded cast that includes Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Andrea Riseborough, and Noemie Merlant. Put it on your list.
The Contestant (Director: Clair Titley)
Pitch: This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing.
Why I’m interested: I wanted to highlight a movie in the documentary program that would be premiering while I’m in Toronto. There are others like Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros, Silver Dollar Road, and The Pigeon Tunnel that I most likely won’t have time for, but if you’re there I’d keep an eye out for them. Otherwise, The Contestant reminds me a lot of The Truman Show, but for real life. Apparently, This American Life (Episode 529) has already done a feature on the story, but this documentary will shed even more light on this frightening story. I’m sure it will be wild.
Honorable Mentions: Hit Man, Close Your Eyes, The Dead Don’t Hurt, Dumb Money, Fallen Leaves, Flora and Son, Mimang, NYAD, Quiz Lady, Robot Dreams, Rustin, Seven Veils, Wicked Little Letters
Looking forward to some different interesting movies. Intriguing