The Toronto International Film Festival is celebrating its 50th edition with an incredible lineup. With over 300 films already generating major Oscar buzz, this year’s selection showcase visionary directors and powerhouse performances, offering something for every cinephile. From deeply personal stories to gripping mysteries, and fantastical tales, the festival is a can’t miss event.

Among the most hotly anticipated films is Guillermo del Toro‘s latest masterpiece, Frankenstein, a visually sumptuous adaptation of Mary Shelley’s gothic tale starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth. Meanwhile, the third installment of Rian Johnson‘s detective series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, promises to be a darker, more gothic mystery for Benoit Blanc. Fans of compelling biopics will be treated to Swiped, a film about Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd‘s battle against the male-dominated tech world, and Scarlett Johansson‘s directorial debut Eleanor the Great, a heartfelt dramedy starring June Squibb as a 94-year-old woman grappling with grief.

The festival is also presenting some of the most unique and thought-provoking dramas of the year. Joachim Trier reunites with his Worst Person in the World star, Renate Reinsve, for Sentimental Value, a poignant drama about family and the creative process. In a modern twist on a classic, Nia DaCosta‘s Hedda, starring Tessa Thompson, reimagines a woman trapped by her marriage and society. In the world of high fashion, Angelina Jolie stars in Couture, a film that explores the bonds between three women during the chaotic whirlwind of Paris Fashion Week. And for a high-concept journey, Eternity follows a woman in the afterlife who has one week to choose between the man she spent her life with and her long-dead first love. Check out our list of must-see films below.

Sentimental Value

Sentimental Value is a poignant drama from acclaimed Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who reunites with his Worst Person in the World star, Renate Reinsve, for the film. Having won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, it’s set to have a special presentation at TIFF. The story centres on Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), a once-celebrated film director who has been largely absent from his daughters’ lives. He decides to make a comeback film, with his script based on a family tragedy that took place in the home where his daughters, Nora (Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), grew up. While he offers the lead role to his daughter Nora, now a successful stage actress, she declines and he then casts famous American actress (Elle Fanning) in the role. As the film-within-a-film production begins, the act of reliving these painful family memories forces the characters to confront their fractured relationships and the emotional toll of their shared history.

Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro‘s upcoming film, Frankenstein, centres around Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) who becomes consumed by a monumental experiment: to create life. He is instantly horrified by his creation Frankenstein (Jacob Elordi). He abandons the creature, setting in motion a tragic and emotional saga. Mia Goth stars as Frankenstein’s fiancé Elizabeth. For Jurassic World: Rebirth, the production crew went to extraordinary lengths to bring the story to life, a fact Blaise experienced firsthand while filming in the stunning backdrop of Thailand. The film took its cast and crew to some of the country’s most remote and breathtaking coastal and jungle properties, and the journey was often as challenging as the scenes themselves.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson is bringing his third film in the acclaimed whodunnit franchise to TIFF, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The film is set in a small town and focusing on its local church, starring Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Jeremy Renner. Mila Kunis plays a local cop trying to solve this complex murder case. Daniel Craig reprises his role as detective Benoit Blanc.

Eleanor the Great

Scarlett Johansson makes her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great. The story centres on Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb), a witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old woman. After the devastating loss of her best friend, Bessie (Rita Zohar), Eleanor moves from Florida to New York City to live with her daughter. She stumbles into a support group for Holocaust survivors and, in a moment of desperation for connection, tells her late friend’s story of survival, claiming it as her own. This white lie takes on a life of its own, leading to an unlikely friendship with a 19-year-old college student who wants to write a paper on her.  

Hamnet

Oscar winner Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet is a historical drama film based on Maggie O’Farrell‘s bestselling novel of the same name. The film is a fictionalized account of the life of Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley), the wife of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), after the death of their 11-year-old son, Hamnet. The loss served as an emotional backdrop to the creation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous and celebrated plays, Hamlet.

Hedda

Directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Tessa Thompson in the title role, Hedda is a modern and provocative reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1891 play, Hedda Gabler. The story follows Hedda, a newlywed who finds herself feeling suffocated by her marriage to the kind but unexciting George and the quiet, conventional life she is now expected to lead. The arrival of a former flame Eilert Lövborg (Nina Hoss) reignites long-repressed desires and tensions. As Hedda begins to manipulate the people around her, including her husband and his rival for a coveted position, the plot spirals into a series of tragic events. 

Couture

Couture, directed by Alice Winocour, is a drama that takes place during the high-stakes frenzy of Paris Fashion Week and intertwines the lives of three different women. The film’s central character is Maxine (Angelina Jolie), a successful American filmmaker in her forties who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she forms a deep connection with an old collaborator (Louis Garrel). Simultaneously, the film follows Ada (Anyier Anei), a promising young model who has escaped a difficult past and is working to make her mark in the fashion world, and Angèle (Ella Rumpf), a skilled makeup artist who works tirelessly behind the scenes. As their paths intersect, Couture reveals the quiet strength and resilience of these women across different professions, cultures and continents.

Swiped

Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, Swiped is inspired by the real-life story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, played by Lily James. The film follows Wolfe Herd’s journey as a young and ambitious college graduate who breaks into the male-dominated tech industry. It details her instrumental role in the creation of Tinder, where she served as the Vice President of Marketing and helped the dating app become a global phenomenon. However, the film then shifts to her departure from the company and her subsequent lawsuit for sexual harassment. It is after this traumatic experience that Wolfe Herd decides to launch her own revolutionary dating app, Bumble, with a feature that empowers women by requiring them to make the first move. 

Eternity

Eternity is a romantic comedy from A24, starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner. The story takes place in a unique afterlife where souls have one week to decide with whom they want to spend the rest of eternity. For Joan (Olsen), this choice becomes an impossible one—she is faced with having to choose between the man she spent her life with, Larry (Miles Teller), and her first love, Luke (Callum Turner), who died decades ago and has been patiently waiting for her arrival. With its star-studded cast and intriguing premise, Eternity is set to be a unique and thought-provoking entry in the romantic comedy genre.

Wayward (Series)

Wayward, created by and starring Mae Martin, is a limited series set in the picturesque yet sinister town of Tall Pines, where a school for “troubled teens” is located. The story follows Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin), a police officer who moves to the town with his pregnant wife. His new life takes a dark turn when he encounters two students from the academy, Abbie and Leila, who are desperate to escape and expose the secrets of the institution. Alex investigates a series of unusual incidents and suspects that the school’s mysterious and powerful leader, Evelyn (Toni Collette), is at the centre of the town’s problems.

Feature Image: Courtesy of TIFF.

For more information on TIFF’s 50th edition visit TIFF.net.