THE CHRISTOPHERS

Synopsis: The children of a once famous artist (Ian McKellen) hire a forger (Michaela Coel) to complete some unfinished, long ago abandoned canvases so they'll have an inheritance when he dies.

While I haven’t seen I May Destroy You, I have been informed of its — and its creator Michaela Coel’s — greatness. Seeing her in Wakanda Forever only solidified my interest in her career, so The Christophers had my curiosity as soon as I found out she was teaming up with Sir Gandalf…sorry, Sir Ian McKellan…in a black comedy dealing in deception, art, and forgery. When I discovered it was directed by Stephen Soderbergh, it had my attention. Coel plays a down-on-her-luck artist tasked with infiltrating the home of a famous painter under false pretenses to obtain and finish his previously unfinished work. Now, the Ocean’s trilogy is a personal top three movie trilogy, and combining what we know Soderbergh can do with twisty tales, McKellan’s ability to channel mischief and curmudgeonry, and the intrigue Coel brings with just her presence has me tantalized by how deliciously entertaining this combination could be. I’m hoping this story of allegiances and betrayals is as fun as the set up has alley-ooped for TIFF audiences. — Amarú

FRANKENSTEIN

Synopsis: A brilliant but egotistical scientist brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

Guillermo del Toro is one of the most passionate filmmakers working today, and Frankenstein may be the peak of that passion. I was lucky enough to experience this firsthand as I had the opportunity to work on this set for about a month. It was evident just how much thought and care del Toro put into this particular project. From the set design to how meticulous he is with his vision, this has the potential to become the definitive Frankenstein story on film. Featuring a stacked cast of Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, this could be one of the great gothic horror films of our time, and maybe…just maybe…the career highlight of the Oscar-winning director del Toro. — Nick

HEDDA

Synopsis: Henrik Ibsen's renowned stage drama from 1891 is reimagined in an epic and emotional way.

With this being my first major film festival as press, you are going to notice a trend with how I decided to make all my choices. Just like Issa Rae at the Emmys, I’m rooting for everybody black, and the very first movie I said “hell yes” to with nothing but a picture and crew list was the Tessa Thompson-led, Nia DaCosta-directed Hedda. I’m still waiting for Thompson to make a leap into the sphere of superstardom her absolute charm deserves, and while The Marvels isn’t great for some, DaCosta’s Candyman was a wonder of visuals and tone. Bringing them together for a female-centric romance led by a black woman, which by the looks of the trailer is an entertaining cat-and-mouse game of power, is something I don’t need to be convinced about any further. The team, the tone, and finally the trailer — personally unveiled to me in that order — got me hyped with each progressive discovery. — Amarú

THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT

Synopsis: Charles Blakey, an African American man living in Sag Harbor, is stuck in a rut, out of luck and about to lose his ancestral home when a peculiar white businessman with a European accent offers to rent his basement for the summer.

The deeper I dig into my screening choices, the more I’ve fine-tuned my earlier mentioned trend to also include rooting for actors who are forever on the verge of being (but already should be) household names. Corey Hawkins is another “that guy” who makes an impact every time he’s on screen (if he doesn’t pull off Dr. Dre in Straight Outta Compton, that movie does not work), but for some reason, his name still hasn’t broken through. A name and face that has always been memorable, however, is Willem Dafoe. When thinking of Dafoe as a mysterious white man that randomly offers to rent out Hawkins’ character’s basement, I shudder at the thought of anything being possible in what looks to be a tale of bizarre revelations. Will they be supernatural? Will they be nefarious? Will they be shocking? Either way, it’s the Green Goblin in a black man’s basement, so you know you’re in for a creepily good time. With a script adapted from mystery novelist Walter Mosley, the author of Devil in a Blue Dress, I can’t help but be intrigued by what unnerving twists Dafoe, Hawkins, and debut director Nadia Latif have in store. — Amarú

MODERN WHORE

Synopsis: Andrea Werhun as she portrays her past roles as escort Mary Ann, stripper Sophia, and her OnlyFans presence - all part of her Toronto sex work journey.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure to see a short film by director Nicole Bazuin and star Andrea Werhun at Fantasia Film Festival called Modern Whore, which is based on the latter's memoirs from her time as a sex worker. It was smart, funny, and tackled important topics. When they announced it was being turned into a feature, I was all in. If my enjoyment of the short wasn't enough, it's being produced by the Oscar-winning director of Anora, Sean Baker. Baker has always handled the topic of sex work with care, and this will be his second time working with Werhun as she was a creative consultant on the aforementioned Best Picture winner. If the Bazuin/Werhun pairing can maintain the humour of the original short over the course of a feature runtime, this should be a no-brainer success. — Nick

NO OTHER CHOICE

Synopsis: After being unemployed for several years, a man devises a unique plan to secure a new job: eliminate his competition.

There is no filmmaker like Park Chan-wook. He's a madman and a master of pushing genres to the extreme, both narratively and stylistically. You may not even realize that a lot of popular titles take major inspiration from his work. Remember that Godawful long-panning shot in Deadpool & Wolverine with all the Deadpool clones? It was ripped right from Park’s Oldboy. With No Other Choice, it looks like Park is evolving his already wild style. Based on the novel The Ax, it follows an unemployed man (played by Squid Games' Lee Byung-hun) who begins killing people to get work. Described as a dark comedy thriller, the film seems to feature a lot of Park's bizarre way with cinematography and editing but also appears to include an interesting class commentary. To be honest, though, whatever Park Chan-wook cooks up, I'm there no matter what. — Adriano

RENTAL FAMILY

Synopsis: An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese "rental family" agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.

Before I characteristically start gushing over Brendan Fraser, let me just say there are other reasons that I'm very excited for Rental Family. First, Hikari is a promising filmmaker. She's best known for directing a couple of episodes of Beef, which is a fantastic show, but she also has a lovely film on Netflix called 37 Seconds that I can't recommend enough. Second, the plot, which follows an actor (played by Fraser) who works for a rental family business in Tokyo, sounds heartwarming, and the trailer backs up that claim in spades. But, yeah, I can't deny I have a soft spot for Fraser, and this movie looks to take advantage of his gentle and teddy bear-like presence in an effective way, hopefully providing a different type of performance than his incredible Oscar-winning performance in The Whale. — Adriano

THE SMASHING MACHINE

Synopsis: The story of mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr.

There's a growing consensus that Dwayne Johnson has fallen as far as third place in terms of wrestlers turned actors. His upcoming role as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine feels like his biggest attempt to change that narrative. Johnson has shown flashes of range throughout his career, but he has always reverted back to the safe zone. There's no questioning his success financially, but if Johnson still has the same drive it took to reach the pinnacle of the wrestling world, that’s likely not all he's looking for. After showing what he could do with Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, director Benny Safdie may be the right man to bring that out of him. Add in Emily Blunt as Kerr's wife and this could be the start of a whole new phase in Johnson's career. — Nick

THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

Synopsis: Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, proclaimed as the female Christ by her followers. Depicts her establishment of a utopian society and the Shakers' worship through song and dance, based on real events.

After The Brutalist knocked my socks off last year, seeing the writing duo of Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet at it again just a year later is an easy way to get me hyped. The Testament of Ann Lee is directed by Fastvold (she also directed The World to Come, which is great) and it follows Ann Lee (played by Amanda Seyfried), the founder of a Christian group called the Shakers in the 1700s. It also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Abbott, and will be shown on 70mm print at the festival. I should also mention that it's supposedly a musical, and that the music reportedly will be done by Daniel Blumberg, who just won the Oscar for composing The Brutalist. Maybe I'm comparing the film too much to The Brutalist, which could even lead to my disappointment, but with all these pieces, how can I not be excited? — Adriano