TIFF 2024 looks to be gaining back some of its diminished glory this year as a centerpiece of the fall festival season.
Among the 200 plus titles there are more than a few films that are either World Premiers or being showcased soon after screening at the likes of Venice or Telluride the week before, making this year’s slate, on paper at least, one of the more exciting in many years.
Here are some of the most anticipated movies coming to TIFF 2024.
The End
Joshua Oppenheimer’s paired films The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence are among the greatest documentaries ever made, so to say his fiction follow-up is anticipated is an understatement.
Shifting gears, he returns with this wild, somber musical, with Tilda Swinton and George MacKay starring in a end-of-days tale of recrimination, regret, and reconciliation.
Queer
Luca Guadagnino’s triad tale Challengers got bumped from opening last Venice due to the strike, making 2024 a tw0-fer of powerhouse releases.
His latest stars Daniel Craig as an American ex-pat in Mexico who falls for a young man (Drew Starkey) in this adaptation of William S. Burrough’s celebrated novel.
Nightbitch
One of the major World Premieres debuting in Toronto, the ever excellent Amy Adams stars in this cunning, canine-themed take on the travails of motherhood. Marielle Heller adapts Rachel Yoder’s celebrated, Kafka-esque novel.
The Life of Chuck
Another much-hyped World Premiere, Mike Flanagan makes a welcome return to TIFF with this adaptation of the Stephen King novella, with Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay helping bring this emotionally rich tale to life.
Saturday Night
Jason Reitman is no stranger to TIFF, and Lightbox, the home of the festival, is built upon land that his family contributed to facilitate construction.
His latest also has a strong CanCon connection, tracing the wild, early days of Saturday Night Live, with Lorne Michaels and the Not Ready helping establish a format for Television that continues decades on.
Conclave
Edward Berger rode the success of his TIFF-premiering All Quiet on the Western Front to Oscar glory, and he returns to Toronto with this Ralph Fienes-starring story of the Vatican’s secret machinations and negotiations that go into selecting a Pope.
Eden
Jude Law and Vanessa Kirby are no strangers to the festival, nor is director Ron Howard who has played many films here over the years. The World Premiere of his latest, a thrilling historical tale, has other electric performers like Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Bruehl and Ana de Armas in the ensemble.
Piece by Piece
Morgan Neville is easily one of the greatest non-fiction storytellers about music and musicans, with his Oscar Winning 20 Feet From Stardom being but one title among dozens of must-see documentaries. His latest takes a delightful left turn, taking on Pharell’s challenge to tell the tale of the producer/songwriter/performer in Lego form.
Babygirl
Halina Reijn’s sexually-charged film promises to the prevailing wave of relatively chaste romances that have dominated over the last several years, with Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson turning up the heat at this year’s TIFF.
The Last Showgirl
Gia Coppola, whose grandfather Francis is bringing Metropolis to town, gives Canadian icon Pamela Anderson a juicy role to dive into. This tale of an aging entertainer is sure to impress, and the inclusion of Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista into the cast makes the story of Vegas debauchery even more enticing.
Shell
Many know Max Minghella from his many film roles, including in David Fincher’s extraordinary The Social Network, but his latest directorial effort looks to be a heck of a lot of fun.
Elizabeth Moss and Kate Hudson star in this film about youthification, seemingly echoing similar thems in Cannes’ award winning The Substance also playing TIFF, but no doubt striking its own chord.
Without Blood
Angelina Jolie’s latest directorial effort makes its Word Premiere here, with Salma Hayek Pinault, Demián Bichir and Juan Minujin starring in this star tale of conflict and revenge.
The Room Next Door
Pedro Almodóvar is beloved by many in this city, and his latest is one of several films starring Tilda Swinton that’s getting a local bow. Julianne Moore and John Turturro join in the telling of the iconic Spanish filmmaker’s first English language production.
The Deb
There was plenty of pre-fest accusations flying around Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut, but it seems that things have settled enough for the film to make its debut as TIFF’s closer.
What on paper looks to be a delightfuly daffy debutante tale, the musical’s wry humour and musical numbers will hopefully trump any of the behind-the-scenes drama.
