TIFF 2023 | Best Of The Fest
The Toronto International Film Festival has come to a close, and as we finalize our coverage of the festival, this is our chance to reflect on the films we saw and which ones were our favorite.
This year, the ForReel critics who attended the festival included Shawn Peer who produced social media reviews, Marty Millman who published written reviews, and myself, sharing reviews, interviews, and media coverage of the festival.
In addition, Toronto local Luca Mehta joined the team to cover Midnight Madness titles, and we had a guest contributor - Toronto-based jounralist Rebecca Gao.
Each of the team saw dozens of films, some of us even catching upwards of 30 titles during the festival. So, of all of the TIFF movies we saw, which ones were our favorites? Here’s what each of the ForReel team members had to say about that:
MARTY MILLMAN
#3: Dicks The Musical
It's absolutely bonkers. The film goes 0 to 100 in less than 60 seconds and holds it there for the entire runtime, which if not done right can be a tiresome experience. Dicks is nothing of the sorts. A rock hard, crude, gay as hell musical that had me rolling on the floor. The fact that they were even able to pull it off is a testament to the filmmaker's talent.
#2: Solo
Solo is equal parts fantastically queer and emotionally gut wrenching. I've never seen a film so perfectly capture the need to be loved and how lost one can be in search of it. Sophie Dupuis is a stellar writer/director. She is able to pull out such a raw and powerful performance from Théodore Pellerin. You can feel how much thought and passion was put into making the film.
Favorite film of TIFF 2023: His Three Daughters
I love a film that reads like a play and this just knocks it out of the park. Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen dominate Azazel Jacobs’s intensive dialogue heavy script. The film can be quite dark at times, however the cast really drive home the dry comedy elements making it a deeply cathartic experience. Gold standard filmmaking.
SHAWN PEER
#3: HIT MAN
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell’s script flows so well and has no extra fluff that pads out the runtime. Powell also gives the best performance of his career, proving how capable of a leading man he is.
#2: DICKS: THE MUSICAL
An R-rated musical comedy is exactly what TIFF needed amongst all of the other movies that deal with heavy subject matter. At a brisk 80-minute runtime, Dicks: The Musical is a blast from start to finish.
Favorite film of TIFF 2023: ORIGIN
Origin tells a familiar story, but adds elements that show how complex of an issue systematic racism is around the world, showing where it comes from, and how it continues to this day. It has not left my mind since seeing it, making it not only one of my favourites of the festival, but the entire year.
LUCA MEHTA
#3: Hit Man
One of the biggest surprises of the festival, Hit Man is thrilling, sexy, smart, and fun. Glen Powell is a champion in his chameleonic role as Gary/Rom/several other assorted personas, and makes it clear that he is a movie star to be watched. Linklater's take on the screwball comedy is hilarious, steamy, and absolutely entertaining.
#2: The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest is a cerebrally reflexive take on the Holocaust drama that manages to be dementedly harrowing. Glazer's arms-length perspective paints a horrifying perspective on apathy, and the ending of the film is unforgettably bold and dreadful.
Favorite film of the fest: The Boy and the Heron
Probably his grandest slam and hopefully not his goodbye to cinema, Hayao Miyazaki strikes gold again through his signature magical realism and gorgeous animation. The film is beautiful, poignant, and dark, possibly the darkest Miyazaki has ever gone. With an unexpectedly mature twist, The Boy and The Heron is the classic Miyazaki we all know and love, but hopefully not for the last time.
REBECCA GAO
#3: Fitting In
I knew I'd love this film the second it opened with the iconic Diablo Cody quote: "Hell is a teenage girl." Fitting In follows teenager Lindy after she's diagnosed with MRKH, meaning she doesn't have a uterus or cervix and has a shortened vaginal canal, making it hard for her to have sex at a time when all she wants is to lose her virginity. It's a story about bodily and medical autonomy that doesn't preach, but also tells a deeply touching story about mothers and daughters and the way that women's bodies are too often pathologized and seen as parts of a whole.
#2: Riddle of Fire
The Midnight Madness closing pick is one that totally caught me off guard: The film follows three kids on an epic Dungeons and Dragons-esque quest to get the password to their TV in order to play mind-numbing video games in rural Wyoming. The tone, stylistic choices, whimsical quest-game vibes director Weston Razooli used to tell the story created a film that reminded me exactly what it was like to be a kid on summer vacation with an overactive imagination.
Favorite film of the fest: Fair Play
I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into the screening of Fair Play—I had heard the buzz about the film but I'm always a bit wary of early hype. Fair Play blew me out of the water. In an amazing assured feature debut, director Chloe Domont tells a story that illustrates so perfectly how power changes dynamics within relationships—personal and professional. The story was told tightly, sleekly with every detail adding to the mounting tension between the main couple and how one characters' success has led to both people showing the worst of themselves.
THOMAS STONEHAM-JUDGE
#3: The Teachers’ Lounge (Das Lehrerzimmer)
Statement: The Teachers’ Lounge excellently utilizes failures in due process to escallate tension throughout the story. In the process, the film traverses themes of racism, toxic work environments, and cancel culture, to deliver its aggitating narrative, perfectly designed to make audiences uncomfortable. And what ultimately makes this movie so harrowing is that the central character, Carla, played by Leonie Benesch, acts on the best intentions she can given the rapidly evolving circumstances, but still has to grapple with dire consequences.
#2: The Delinquents (Los Deliquentes)
Statement: Part heist film, part interweaving drama, and part slice of life meandering, The Delinquents is a film that I was skeptical needed three hours of storytelling - but when the credits rolled, I found that I spent every moment of the film engrossed with the experience. It’s wonderfully crafted, broken into two parts to offer a perfectly timed intermission, and is just a captivating story to watch unfold. Realizing where the story is going is just a cherry on top of an already delectible treat and I haven’t stopped thinking about this movie since.
Favorite film of the fest: Hit man
Statement: This is the film that closed out my TIFF experience, and I couldn’t be more thankful for ending TIFF with such a fun film. Although Glen Powell is probably most recognized for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, playing the disliked yet redeemable comrad, Hit Man is a fantastic demonstration of his acting ability extends beyond an action supporting character role. But it’s the chemistry between Powell and co-star Adria Arjona that really makes this film soar. All I can say after Netflix’s acquisition of the film is that I hope they do it justice and give Hit Man a proper theatrical release. Audiences deserve to experience this together like we did at TIFF.