By Mr. Will Wong
The buzz has been deafening for Carrie Coon‘s performance in THE LIBERATION, a fascinating character study-turned-Thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Guy Nattiv. And it certainly does not disappoint.
The Film centers on Rita (Coon), a Holocaust survivor and mother of two living in New Jersey, who finds herself seduced into a commune cult, led by Ricki (Lily James). Doing this, Rita abandons her responsibilities as wife and mother and when her daughters Ella (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young) go to convince her to return home, they find themselves caught in the web of the cult, unable to make it out. Rita is forced to choose between her allegiance to the cult and her daughters when danger strikes.
Coon and Nattiv do a masterful job drawing us into Rita‘s mind and why she makes the choices she does here. Rita‘s choices never are singular, but more sequential in leading her down this path. Coon taps into Rita‘s pain and unresolved trauma, making it feel truthful in every frame. Ramsey also delivers a standout performance, acting often as our vessel in frustration at what we are seeing especially in the final act of the Film where it takes flight fully as a Thriller.
Terrifying, empathetic and at once compelling, THE LIBERATION screens at TIFF ’26:
Wednesday, September 16
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Premium
8:30 pm
Thursday, September 17
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
12:10 pm
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