By David Baldwin

Detroit, 1977. Blue collar ex-con John Miller (Alan Ritchson, sporting a ridiculous blonde wig for far too long) is in love with Sophia (Shailene Woodley). Unfortunately for him, she is the ex-girlfriend of local gangster Reynolds (Ben Foster), who has John framed and thrown back into jail for drug possession. 

That is the set-up for MOTOR CITY and you can guess (minus a few twists and a bogus ending) where it goes from here. Not content to just be a stereotypical period action thriller, Director Potsy Ponciroli alongside Writer Chad St. John strip away the majority of the dialogue – leaving the film to glide by on body language, aesthetic, music and a gratuitous amount of slow motion. It makes for a frustratingly uneven viewing experiment that does not always work but somehow manages to always be interesting. 

Beyond wishing Woodley had more to do beyond being the fridged damsel in distress (who somehow gets the most dialogue out of the approximately 78 words spoken over the course of the entire film) and that anyone could match or surpass Foster’s brilliantly expressive performance, MOTOR CITY deserves high praise for its nasty third act elevator brawl between Ritchson and dirty cop Savick (Pablo Schreiber). The claustrophobic fight choreography is stunning and the way these two actors throw their bodies around easily make this brutally violent fight scene one of the most memorable of the festival.

MOTOR CITY screens at TIFF ‘25:

Thurs. Sept 4 at 8:45 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Fri. Sept 5 at 2:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By Nicholas Porteous

The prolific and unpredictable Steven Soderbergh goes back to basics with The Christophers. It’s the story of two artists–one at the tail end of his life (Ian McKellen), and the other (Michaela Cole) near the start of her career, but drifting in a limbo of art-adjacent gigs–including forgery. His money-minded children (James Corden and Jessica Gunning) send her on a mission to secretly complete an unfinished series of his paintings–The Christophers–which reside at the top of his multi-story house, collecting dust. If she can finish the paintings and secretly return them, they’ll be worth several fortunes after he dies, which could be any day now. What follows is a very different sort of art heist.

The Christophers is a carefully-constructed character study which unravels largely through a series of dialogues. It’s theatrical, small in scale–mostly confined to McKellen’s enormous abode–but rich in scope. By the end, a complex portrait of both characters is uncovered. That’s not to say The Christophers is just talk. The twists and turns come fast, and the game changes, inverts, shimmies into a new form in practically every scene.

Ian McKellen is a true master at work here. Don’t let his character’s near-death status fool you–he’s the most electric presence in the movie by a mile. Every glance and gesture crackles, and he balances intense narcissism with a fiendish, cutting insight. He’s also funny as hell. Cole is tasked with a far less verbose and enigmatic personality. Half the fun of The Christophers is never quite knowing where her mind is headed next. She’s a captivating presence, but never totally steals the spotlight from McKellen, partly by necessity.

The production design is suspiciously fantastic. If you told me this was truly an aging artist’s apartment, plastered with layers upon layers of half-finished projects, memories, bits and bobs accumulated over a lifetime, I would believe you. I suspect it’s only the stunning work of more incredible artists.

The Christophers is another little Soderbergh gem. Minimalist by design, it won’t outshine any of the bigger films at TIFF 50, but if you can grab a ticket, you’ll find a clever character study with a performance at its center that only a living legend can give, after decades at the top of his craft.

The Christophers screens at TIFF ’25:

Mon. Sept 8 at 9:00 AM and 6:25 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Fri. Sept 12 at 9:00 AM at TIFF Lightbox

Sat. Sept 13 at 9:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada will release HAMNET In Select Theatres on Thursday, November 27th & Nationwide on Friday, December 12th, 2025.

Directed by: Chloé Zhao
Screenplay by: Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
Based on the novel by MAGGIE O’FARRELL
Producers: Liza Marshall, p.g.a., Pippa Harris, p.g.a., Nicolas Gonda, p.g.a., Sam Mendes, p.g.a., Steven Spielberg, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Kristie Macosko Krieger, Chloé Zhao, Laurie Borg
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, HAMNET tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Gus Van Sant returns to telling stories about real world events with this unbelievable true crime story. Dead Man’s Wire recreates the fascinating true story of the 1977 kidnapping that made aspiring Indianapolis entrepreneur Tony Kiritsis (Bill Skarsgård) into an eccentric outlaw folk hero.

Tony feels swindled by Meridian Mortgage Company. A company he partnered with to open a local shopping centre. After years of hollow meetings, Tony’s had enough. So, he takes Meridian Mortgage Company president Richard Hall (Dacre Montgomery), who happens to be the Meridian founder’s son, hostage. He refuses to let him go unless he gets a public apology and his money back.

Van Sant transports us into 70s Indianapolis. The grainy cinematography, soundtrack, and costume design make us time-travel. It’s a time before social media. When primetime news anchors and radio jockeys were household names.

Dead Man’s Wire is a retelling of this strange kidnapping. Van Sant and Screenwriter Austin Kolodney don’t want to tell you how to feel. Instead, they give you the facts. This allows us to decide for ourselves if we judge Tony or the privileged elite. Tony became an outlaw folk hero for some in ’77 for what he did. How he stood up for himself against the corporate elite. Here, the filmmakers allow us to see him similarly, but also for his faults.

At the centre of this outstanding crime thriller is Skarsgård, who has easily given one of his finest performances. He’s a bucket full of charisma that allows us to empathize with Tony just as the citizens in Indianapolis did during those 3 days in ’77. There is an outstanding supporting performance from Coleman Domingo, who plays a pivotal role as a radio disc jockey who gets pulled into Tony’s negotiations.

Dead Man’s Wire screens at TIFF ’25:

Sun. Sept 7 at 12:00 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales

Mon. Sept 8 at 3:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Thurs. Sept 11 at 12:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sun. Sept 14 at 6:50 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By Mr. Will Wong

BLACK RABBIT has all the makings of prestige television and it premieres as part of this year’s Primetime programme. The suspenseful upcoming Netflix release sees among others, star Jason Bateman and Laura Linney taking turns directing episodes of this Limited Series.

We meet Restauranteur Jake (Jude Law) thriving with this Michelin-starred establishment, for which the Series is named, and he’s about to expand further. The New York Times is about to do a feature, and in comes his troubled brother Vince (Jason Bateman), who is dealing with vices and debt. His resurfacing could mean everything Jake working for getting destroyed as seams begin to split beneath him and other problems come to light and chaos begins to unravel.

While it takes a moment to get going, we were fully immersed by the second episode, as we witness for Jake how we can rise above the soil, though sometimes we are unable to escape our roots. Yet another tremendous performance by this talented Ensemble, led by Law and Bateman, the latter flexing his ability in a role unlike any other he’s played.

Thankfully, the Series arrives on the streaming service September 18, 2025 but those of us who can’t wait, can see it at TIFF ’25 as follows:

By Nicholas Porteous

In Derek Cianfrance‘s Roofman, the nicest robber you’ve ever met (Channing Tatum), makes a temporary home inside a Toys R Us, and manages to fall for one of the employees (Kirsten Dunst). How will he juggle a growing relationship with a single mom and avoid getting caught in her place of work? If you find the premise unbelievable, you’re wrong. It’s a true story.

Roofman is a joyfully unexpected genre hybrid. It’s a romcom about two divorcees starting over, it’s a true crime story about a one-of-a-kind criminal, and it’s a Mrs. Doubtfire-esque thriller, where the tension around Dunst discovering Tatum’s true identity grows as their relationship–and his relationship with her family–deepens. Tatum, as Jeffrey Manchester, is one of the most entertaining characters in recent memory. He’s so resourceful, so endlessly sharp and inventive, and it’s a pleasure to watch him outsmart virtually every situation he’s thrown into. It’s impossible not to root for the guy with his back quite literally against the wall, and to wonder where he’s going next, or how he can possibly reconcile his criminal status with his deep-rooted family man instincts. He’s also wonderfully goofy. Cianfrance, known for his dark and tragic lead male characters, has found a comic muse in Manchester, who also fits perfectly into his filmic lineage of complex and often contradictory personalities.

The ensemble is absolutely stacked. Peter Dinklage is a standout as an insufferable Toys R Us manager. Ben Mendelsohn is unexpectedly wholesome as the local church pastor. LaKeith Stanfield, Uzo Aduba, and Juno Temple all turn in memorable work. Kirsten Dunst brings warmth and dimension to Leigh Wainscott that feels all her own. She deserves a bit more development in the screenplay, but the chemistry between Dunst and Tatum largely fills in any gaps.

Roofman succeeds as a comedy, a romance, a moving story of found family, and an unpredictable crime saga. It’s a brilliant and surprising genre mashup for Cianfrance, and a worthy addition to your list of must-sees at this year’s Festival.

Roofman screens at TIFF ’25:

Sun. Sept 7 at 10:00 AM at Roy Thomson Hall

Fri. Sept 12 at 3:00 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sat. Sept 13 at 9:20 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

Sun. Sept. 14 at 9:15 AM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Amanda Gilmore

Willem Dafoe plays a mysterious man who rents Corey Hawkins’ basement in this unsettling adaptation of Walter Mosley’s novel of the same name.

Charles Blakey’s (Hawkins) life is falling apart since his mother passed away. He fills himself up with booze, can’t get a job and worst of all: he can’t afford to keep the family home. This sends him on a quest to search through family heirlooms to see if anything is worth money. He quickly realizes that selling antiques may take a while to turn a profit. So when the mysterious Anniston Bennet (Dafoe) knocks on his door proposing a handsome sum to rent his basement, Charles can’t help but accept.

Director and Co-Writer Nadia Latif unnervingly adapts the novel by fabled mystery writer Walter Mosley (who happens to also be co-writer of this adaptation). Latif uses imagery and sound design to evoke a chilling atmosphere where tension lurks in every corner. With each revelation that Charles comes to, the more eerie The Man in My Basement becomes.

As the story unfolds, mask heirlooms are discovered. They have a deep effect on the psyche of Charles. When he wears them, he is mentally taken to his past. A past that he’s buried deep within himself. His history is further brought to his surface through his conversations with Anniston in the basement. Anniston’s dark history unsettles Charles but also reminds him of something within himself.

The Man in My Basement takes a little while to kick into high gear. It becomes enthralling once the two men begin their conversations in the basement. We learn about the history of both regrets, decisions, and choices. Dafoe and Hawkins give intense performances that anchor this story about two very different people confronting their own evil.

The Man in My Basement screens at TIFF ’25:

Fri. Sept 5 at 9:30 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sat. Sept 6 at 3:30 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Sun. Sept 14 at 10:15 AM at TIFF Lightbox

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Paul Greengrass brings the events that transpired during the California Camp Fire to the big screen. Greengrass and Co-Writer Brad Ingelsby adapt Lizzie Johnson’s non-fiction book, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. Here, they focus on one story during that disaster. A busload of school children, their teacher Amy (America Ferrera), and the bus driver Kevin (Matthew McConaughey).

In a rush to return home to his sick son, Kevin instead accepts a call requesting help for 23 children stranded at Ponderosa Elementary School. While on the road attempting to get the children back to their parents, the disaster escalates. And they find themselves stranded in the heat of the blaze.

The Lost Bus may be a docudrama, but it’s shot like a horror/disaster film. Greengrass introduces us to the beginning of the fire with ominous music and a collapsing electric pylon that causes a cable to fall to the ground. From then on, different viewpoints from first responders and citizens show the horror exploding due to the fire becoming uncontrollable. We actually hear the decision was made to stop fighting the fire and save as many lives as they can.

Greengrass literally engulfs each frame in flames. Danger is around every corner. There is a sense of urgency throughout the runtime that is thanks to quick edits and camera work that thrusts audiences into the horrific tragedy. Especially when we are with the children on the bus. There are lots of VFX being used here. For the most part, they achieve the goal of transporting the audience into the fire. However, there are times when the visuals appear too artificial. Especially when they are shown next to actual live footage of the blaze.

The Lost Bus pays homage to the everyday heroes during the California Camp Fire. It also features indelible performances from its entire cast. Particularly, the formidable Ferrera as a level-headed teacher fighting her own instincts to show her fear, and a strong McConaughey as a man searching for redemption.

The Lost Bus screens at TIFF ’25:

Fri. Sept 5 at 9:30 PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sat. Sept 6 at 9:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Fri. Sept 12 at 8:15 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Sat. Sept 13 at 1:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

sorry! we thought we posted this but it remained in drafts! these days have been rather long and exhausting!

Some sightings from day three!

•victor garber at tiff for you had to be there
•tom blyth and david jonsson at tiff for wasteman
•riz ahmed at tiff for hamlet
•kirsten dunst, channing tatum, and dwrek cianfrance at tiff for roofman
•diego boneta at tiff for killing castro
•andrew barth feldman, cooper hoffman, maude apatow and nico parker at tiff for poetic license
•imogen poots, tessa thompson, nina hoss, tom sturridge at tiff for hedda
•bobby deol at tiff for the monkey in a cage
•padma lakshmi, jeremy renner, andrew scott, toni collette (here fpr waywsrd) at tiff celebrating wake up dead man: a knives out mystery
•chris evans, anya taylor-joy, romain gavras, jade croot, m.i.a. and yung lean at tiff for sacrifice (chats coming soon).

Live from the Red Carpet for SACRIFICE!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Mr. Will Wong

With the distinction of being tiff50′s Opening Night Gala, there couldn’t have been a more worthy selection than JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME, giving a true national hero his long due flowers.

Actor/Director Colin Hanks, with celebrated Ryan Reynolds among others, listed as Producer, pays tribute to this icon in this Documentary. Often when we think of John Candy and his legacy, we think big laughs and big personality, but it is via a star-studded lineup for talking heads here that we get a more intimate glimpse into Candy and what made him tick, in addition to his struggles and pain. Names like Candy‘s son Chris, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Martin Short, Bill Murray, Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, and Eugene Levy speak candidly with anecdotes that paint a picture of a sensitive, generous, and caring man who was a people-pleaser, delivering what audiences wanted and expected of him. Even if he was at odds sometimes with the work he had to do.

The Film explores the topic of his appearance constantly being mentioned and scrutinized, when he saw others beyond their shells and exteriors, never quite getting that same level of empathy back. And of course, having lost his father at a young age, he operated with the dark cloud of maybe him suffering a similar fate as well, which is so tragic.

JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME is the public eulogy this icon didn’t receive after his premature passing and Hanks nobly takes the time to ensure that his story is told on forever to a new generation.

JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME screens at TIFF ’25 as follows:

Thursday, September 4
VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Premium
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
6:00 pm

Roy Thomson Hall
Premium
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
8:00 pm

Thursday, September 11
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
9:00 pm

Friday, September 12
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
9:00 am

Saturday, September 13
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
9:00 am

Sunday, September 14
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Closed captions (CC),
Audio description (AD)
9:25 am