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

Universal Pictures Canada, Focus Features and Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to attend a Toronto Advance Screening of NOSFERATU. This IMAX screening takes place Friday, December 13, 2024 at Scotiabank Theatre.

NOSFERATU

Written for the Screen & Directed by: Robert Eggers
Producers: Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, p.g.a., Eleanor Columbus, p.g.a.,
Robert Eggers, p.g.a.
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin,
Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney and Willem Dafoe
Synopsis: Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

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SUCCUMB TO THE DARKNESS.

Rules and regulations here.

Universal Pictures Canada and Focus Features release NOSFERATU in theatres this Christmas.

(Photo/video credit: Focus Features)

Even at the half-way point, the star power still is electric at the Festival! Our Day Six sightings include:

•Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon for EMILIA PEREZ

•Robbie Williams at TIFF ’24 for BETTER MAN

•Jason Reitman, Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons, Rachel Sennott, Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O’Brien, Nicholas Braun, Ella Hunt, Kim Matula, Billy Bryk, Cory Michael Smith and more at TIFF ’24 for SATURDAY NIGHT

Highlights below:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Amanda Gilmore

Patricia Arquette makes her feature debut with Gonzo Girl the adaptation of Cheryl Della Pietra’s semi-autobiographical novel chronicling her time as Hunter S. Thompson’s personal assistant. 

Set in 1992, we follow Alley Russo (Camila Morrone) who’s been hand-picked to be the assistant to the father of gonzo journalism, Walker Reade (Willem Dafoe). It’s been 15 years since Walker’s written anything decent. He’s more interested in consuming cocaine, acid and alcohol than sitting down and writing. Getting him to finish his latest novel is what Alley’s hired to do.

Gonzo Girl is a fast-paced, bold trip through the few months Alley spends with Walker. Arquette and screenwriters Rebecca Thomas and Jessica Caldwell focus on Alley. Allowing the audience to see this man and the women around him, his girlfriend Devaney (Elizabeth Lail) and long-term manager Claudia (Arquette), through her eyes.

Everything she sees is spellbindingly brought to the screen by cinematographer Bobby Bukowski. When Alley first takes acid, he brings us into the world as she sees it. Filled with animation and walls pulsating. Even when no drugs are being taken, Bukowski uses the lens to capture the bizarre world Alley is now a part of, such as seeing the room through the reflection of Water’s sunglasses.

At the centre of Gonzo Girl are two powerhouse performances from Dafoe and Morrone. Dafoe gives a controlled yet outlandish performance as Walker. With a filmography loaded with best performances, his take on Walker will stand near the very top. Rising talent Morrone gives a firecracker performance as Alley who learns more about herself and steps into her independence.

Gonzo Girl screens at TIFF ’23:

Thursday, September 7 at 8:45 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Friday, September 8 at 5:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Saturday, September 16 at 3 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox

It’s official TIFFMAS! It was a bit of running about today but thrilled that TIFF ’23 finally has kicked-off. While the Opening Night Gala took place at Roy Thomson Hall and Princess of Wales Theatre for Hayao Miyazaki’s THE BOY AND THE BLUE HERON, it was just like every other TIFF we’ve loved with King Street lit abuzz with starpower in front of Royal Alexandra Theatre for the Premiere of GONZO GIRL, based on true accounts by Hunter S. Thompson‘s assistant. This marks Oscar winner Patricia Arquette‘s first time directing, and in addition to starring in the Film, we also get Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six) and icon Willem Dafoe also! Arquette receives TIFF’s Share Her Journey Changemaker Award this weekend as well. Well deserved.

We’re only getting started but this is a promising start!

Some Snaps:

Not sure if you had a chance to check-out our chat with Sonia Mangat in the CTV eTalk TIFF Lounge, but it was so much fun!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Willem Dafoe stars in INSIDE. Here is a new Poster, with a new Trailer coming tomorrow!

Synopsis:

INSIDE tells the story of Nemo, an art thief trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist doesn’t go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

Focus Features release INSIDE March 10, 2023.

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Focus Features announced today that it has acquired and will release INSIDE, a psychological thriller starring Academy Award® nominee Willem Dafoe in filmmaker Vasilis Katsoupis’s directorial debut, on March 10, 2023. Ben Hopkins wrote the script based on an original idea by Katsoupis. The deal was negotiated by Bankside’s Stephen Kelliher on behalf of the filmmakers.

The film is produced by Giorgos Karnavas alongside producers Marcos Kantis, and Dries Phlypo and executive produced by Katsoupis, Jim Stark, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Charles E. Breitkreuz, Martin Lehwald, Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem, and Stephen Kelliher. Focus Features is distributing INSIDE domestically, with Universal Pictures International distributing internationally.

Creator-Director Katsoupis and Karnavas, the critically acclaimed producer of Greek boutique production and sales outfit, Heretic, whose credits include the Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness, La Semaine de la Critique winner Feathers and Greece 2022 Academy Award® entry Magnetic Fields, said in a joint statement, “It’s a dream to have made this film, the way we wanted to, having the priviledge to work with Willem and all these amazing filmmakers that supported us. Focus is the perfect place for the film, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.”

INSIDE tells the story of Nemo, an art thief trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist doesn’t go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

“With INSIDE, Focus continues our commitment to first-time and international filmmakers,” said Kiska Higgs, President of Production & Acquisitions at Focus Features. “Vasilis’s thought-provoking film explores an experience we’re all now familiar with – isolation – and explores it in a visually stunning way.”

Dafoe’s additional upcoming projects include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl. His most recent credits include Walter Hill’s Dead for A Dollar, Robert Eggers’ The Northman, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley and Jon Watt’s Spiderman: No Way Home.

Upcoming features for Focus include Todd Field’s TÁR, starring Cate Blanchett in the titular role; James Gray’s Armageddon Time starring Jeremy Strong and Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Anne Hathaway; Champions directed by Bobby Farrelly and starring Woody Harrelsonl A.V Rockwell’s directorial debut A Thousand and One starring Teyana Taylor; Spoiler Alert based on Michael Ausiello’s Memoir and starring Jim Parsons, Sally Field, and Ben Aldridge; Polite Society directed by Nida Manzoor and starring Ritu Arya; Bill Holderman’s Book Club 2: The Next Chapter starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton and Andy Garcia, and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti.

Currently in production for the studio is Asteroid City, the star-studded feature reuniting Wes Anderson and Focus for the first time since Moonrise Kingdom, and Lisa Frankenstein from debut feature filmmaker, Zelda Williams, written by Academy Award and Tony winner, Diablo Cody, and starring Cole Sprouse and Katheryn Newton.

Dafoe is represented by WME and Circle of Confusion. Hopkins is represented by Curtis Brown Group.

Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe and Rachel Brosnahan star in Western DEAD FOR A DOLLAR. See the new Trailer!

Synopsis:

Veteran bounty hunter Max Borlund is deep into Mexico where he encounters professional gambler and outlaw Joe Cribbens – a sworn enemy he sent to prison years before. Max is on a mission to find and return Rachel Kidd, the wife of a wealthy businessman, who as the story is told to Max, has been abducted by Buffalo Soldier Elijah Jones. Max is ultimately faced with a showdown to save honor.

Quiver Distribution release DEAD FOR A DOLLAR September 30, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Quiver Distribution)

Robert Eggers who brought us THE LIGHTHOUSE and THE WITCH, is back with THE NORTHMAN! See the new Trailer.

Story:

From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. With an all-star cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.

New Poster:

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada release THE NORTHMAN April 22, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Focus Features)

Willem Dafoe x Julianne Nicholson star in TOGO, a new Feature on Disney+ that takes us to the Alaskan Tundra!

Synopsis:

Starring Willem Dafoe and Julianne Nicholson, “Togo” is the untold true story set in the winter of 1925 that treks across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra for an exhilarating and uplifting adventure that will test the strength, courage and determination of one man, Leonhard Seppala, and his lead sled dog, Togo.

Disney+ streams TOGO Friday, December 20, 2019.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)