Each year, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) draws Hollywood’s brightest stars and top talent to Toronto for a brilliant celebration of cinema. For just over a week, Toronto transforms into a hotspot for the film industry, showcasing both local talent and big names in the international film scene. As TIFF 2024 kicks off from September 5th to September 15th, get ready for an exceptional lineup of new films featuring legendary directors and acclaimed actresses such as Nicole Kidman and Tilda Swinton.

With so many highly anticipated films set to screen at TIFF, we’ve curated a list of the top 10 must-see movies you should keep on your radar.

A Sisters’ Tale

In A Sisters’ Tale, director Leila Amini chronicles her sister Nasreen’s journey to become a singer in Tehran, where women are prohibited from performing publicly. Over seven years, the film intimately captures Nasreen’s struggle against societal and familial constraints, balancing her artistic ambitions with her responsibilities as a mother and marital discord. Nasreen’s music, which she records in secret, reflects her desires for love and freedom. The documentary highlights the resilience of both Nasreen and Leila, presenting a poignant, personal portrait of a woman navigating her dreams amidst significant challenges.

Anora

Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or-winning film explores a turbulent romance between Anora, a New York exotic dancer, and Vanya, the son of a Russian oligarch. Played by Mikey Madison, Anora lives modestly but finds excitement in her nightly performances and an unexpected connection with Vanya, whose wealth and charm offer a glimpse into a world beyond her own. Their romance quickly escalates, but face threats from Vanya’s powerful family. Baker’s film blends quick montages with tense sequences, showcasing his directorial skill and Madison’s dynamic performance. The film’s tragicomic tone and compelling narrative highlight Baker’s mastery, marking his most dynamic work to date.

Babygirl

In Halina Reijn’s erotic thriller Babygirl, Nicole Kidman delivers a compelling performance as Romy, a high-powered executive who embarks on a risky affair with intern Samuel, played by Harris Dickinson. Despite a passionate marriage with her theatre director husband (Antonio Banderas), Romy seeks fulfillment elsewhere. The film delves into their complex power dynamics as Samuel, aware of Romy’s vulnerabilities, challenges her control. Through intense and provocative scenes, Babygirl explores deeper emotional truths rather than conforming strictly to genre conventions, offering a unique and unflinching examination of desire and power.

Bonjour Tristesse

Durga Chew-Bose’s adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse is a visually rich coming-of-age drama set on the French Riviera. The film follows 18-year-old Cécile (Lily McInerny), who enjoys a carefree summer with her charismatic father Raymond (Claes Bang) and his lover Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune), both close to her age. Her idyllic days are disrupted when Anne (Chloë Sevigny), a stylish American fashion designer and friend of Cécile’s late mother, arrives, challenging Cécile’s perception of her glamorous world. As Cécile navigates adult complexities and personal revelations, the film offers a stylish yet poignant exploration of growing up, adorned with costumes by Miyako Bellizzi and a score by Lesley Barber.

Disclaimer

In Alfonso Cuarón’s adaptation of Renée Knight’s novel Disclaimer, Cate Blanchett stars as Catherine Ravenscroft, a journalist whose career is built on exposing others’ secrets. Her life is upended when she receives a mysterious book depicting her darkest secret and a character based on her younger self. As Catherine struggles to uncover the sender’s identity and protect her family and reputation, Cuarón’s psychological thriller delves into themes of perception, truth, and the impact of past actions.

The End

Joshua Oppenheimer makes his fiction debut with The End, a sombre musical about the last known human family hiding in a bunker after environmental collapse. Starring Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, George MacKay, and Moses Ingram, the film depicts a family living a facade of normalcy amidst their crumbling world. George MacKay plays a young man who, having grown up in the bunker, is unfamiliar with the outside world. Their routine is disrupted when a woman from outside seeks refuge, causing the family’s fragile balance to unravel. The film combines weighty themes with musical elements to explore denial and guilt in the face of disaster.

The Last Showgirl

In Gia Coppola’s latest film, The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson stars as Shelley, a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl facing an uncertain future when her 30-year-long show abruptly closes. Surrounded by her showbiz “family,” Shelley, played with emotional depth by Anderson, must navigate life outside the spotlight. With the help of her brash best friend Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis) and dealing with the emotional impact of losing her job and reconnecting with her estranged daughter, Shelley struggles to adapt. Coppola’s film sensitively explores the human vulnerabilities hidden behind Las Vegas’s glamorous facade.

The Substance

In Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body-horror film The Substance, Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, a fading Hollywood star who undergoes a dubious procedure to rejuvenate her career. The procedure results in the creation of Sue (Margaret Qualley), a younger, bolder clone who thrives on weekly spinal taps. As Sue gains fame with the help of a manipulative executive (Dennis Quaid), Elisabeth faces a crisis, leading to a fierce battle for her own identity. Blending elements of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Nutty Professor with Fargeat’s signature audacious camp, the film offers a twisted critique of Hollywood’s beauty standards, highlighted by striking performances and inventive body-horror effects.

Without Blood

Directed by Angelina Jolie and filmed at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, Without Blood is a parable-like tale exploring themes of family, war, and revenge. Set in the early 20th century, the story begins with a brutal attack on a remote farmhouse where a doctor struggles to protect his children. Years later, Nina (Salma Hayek Pinault) confronts Tito (Demián Bichir), a lottery seller, in what initially appears to be a casual encounter. As their conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that Nina seeks revenge for past atrocities. Jolie, adapting Alessandro Baricco’s novel, captures the enduring impact of war with intense performances and precise storytelling, portraying how violence lingers long after the conflict ends.

The Last of the Sea Women

Sue Kim’s documentary The Last of the Sea Women offers a heartfelt tribute to the Haenyeo, South Korean fisherwomen who have long harvested seafood off Jeju Island. These women, trained to free dive and hold their breath for up to two minutes, face the dangers of their work without health insurance but have historically enjoyed good income and high status in a patriarchal society. Kim’s film focuses on the aging Haenyeo, now mostly in their 60s and 70s, while also featuring younger women using TikTok to document their dives. The tradition is threatened by pollution, climate change, and contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident. The Haenyeo’s fight to preserve their way of life includes political activism and international advocacy, supported by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The film is a powerful plea for ocean conservation and a celebration of these resilient women.

All films to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival from September 5th -15th.