The 49th Annual Toronto International Film Festival

Written by Hailey Passmore

The 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival took place downtown Toronto from the 5th until the 15th of September. As the strikes were resolved, all available cast and crew were able to attend the festival to help promote and discuss their films with the public and press. Seeing the films at press and industry screenings, premieres and world premieres and attending carpets was quite enjoyable at the festival this year. Spending all except the final day at the festival, I was able to watch a total of 33 films.

Thursday 5 September

Day one of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival started with three press and industry screenings. We spent our early morning at the TIFF Lightbox to see the screening of Oh, Canada (Schrader, 2024). In the end of his life, famed Canadian American documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife (Richard Gere) agrees to an interview with past students to reflect on his mythologized life. Emma (Uma Thurman) is the one Fife wants to confess too. However, because of his age and illness, Schrader uses character changes (a younger Fife played by Jacob Elordi) and nonlinear jumps to show the effects the sickness has had on him. Though the film is shot with great angles and style, perhaps the jumps and changes caused it to be hard to follow. There also was the ending, which could be seen by some as a little jab at Canadians. Following Oh, Canada was another press and industry screening of I, The Executioner (Seung-wan, 2024) and Sad Jokes (Stumm, 2024). South Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan directed 2023 TIFF film Smugglers and returned this year with another comedic crime thriller. I, The Executioner follows detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) and his team as they relentlessly pursue the city’s criminals. At the point of the film, the nation has been plunged into turmoil by a relentless serial killer and the team must join forces with Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in) to track the killer down. The opening scene allows the audience to become truly immersed in the criminal world of the film with an action-packed sequence. As the film continues, however, some scenes were dragged out and the end could have occurred much sooner. That said, the action and twists remained enjoyable. In Sad Jokes, Stumm portrays the main character Joseph, a director who has just broken up with his boyfriend and is working on a new idea for a film. While dealing with the film and breakup, Joseph must also focus on his son’s mother Sonya as she deals with depression. A little muddled, Sad Jokes is a beautifully shot film, with great angles as it follows the everyday lives of these normal people.

The day ended with the world premiere of Samuel Van Grinsven’s Went Up the Hill (2024). Starring the lustrous Vicky Krieps and former Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery, Went Up the Hill is a new horror drama with elements of mother’s and nursery rhymes. Using inspiration from the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme, Jack (Montgomery) returns to New Zealand to attend his estranged mother’s funeral and meets Jill (Krieps), her widow. While there, the two search for answers while Jack’s mother’s ghost returns to inhabit both their bodies. Jack and Jill believe all is going well, and they will get their answers, until things take a turn for the worse when the mother’s true colours are revealed. When telling a somber and spooky story, Went Up the Hill works well with its dark shots and low lighting in most of the scenes. Dark colours and clothing are used to help remind viewers that they are watching a ghost story, and to help with the leery feelings Jack and Jill experience. As always, an excellent performance by Krieps combined with the costar power of Montgomery.

Friday 6 September

Today I saw three press and industry screenings Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (Davidtz, 2024), The End (Oppenheimer, 2024), The Cut (Ellis, 2024). And I ended the day with the world premiere of We Live in Time (Crowley, 2024). Based on the novel of the same name, Embeth Davidtz uses her directorial debut to explore Alexandra Fuller’s memoir of the leadup to the 1980 election in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from a child’s perspective. As someone who does not know much about the history of Zimbabwe, seeing a child’s perspective of the fragile relationship between white landowners and Black farm workers was unique and perhaps more informative. Presented with musical elements, The End is Joshua Oppenheimer’s science fiction fantasy drama following a rich family living in a post-apocalyptic salt mine bunker. The son (George MacKay) was born in the bunker, and his parents have taught him their version of the world’s history. All is going well, until a young girl finds her way into the bunker and then into their lives. In the case of The End, the musical elements did not add anything to the film, and the film was held by the stupendous performance by MacKay. The Cut was a market screening, and they had enough room for industry members and press to join as well. Be warned that the film has quite a few trigger warnings as it follows a retired boxer as he tries to lose over 30 pounds before a match. Orlando Bloom’s performance is filled with energy and rage as he trains and sweats through the rigorous training bestowed upon his character by Boz (John Turturro). It is worth watching Bloom’s performance, if you can cope with the triggers in the film. 

Then, perhaps my most anticipated film of the festival, the world premiere of We Live in Time at the VISA screening room at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Presented to the audience by David Crowley, Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, this experience was like no other. The audience's reactions to the film, the cast and director discussing the process of making the film, it is a definite must watch. I look forward to rewatching it at the London Film Festival with a British audience to see their reactions. 

We Live in Time Full Review

Saturday 7 September

Day three’s film watches included Little Jaffna (Valin, 2024), Hard Truths (Leigh, 2024), and Bird (Arnold, 2024). Hoping to have gotten into Anora (Baker, 2024) or The Room Next Door (Almodóvar, 2024), we had no backups this morning. However, landing in a screening for Little Jaffna was not disappointing. It tells the story of an undercover Tamil police officer in the ‘Little Jaffna’ district of Paris as he goes undercover to bring down a criminal organization. Director Lawrence Valin shows how personal it can be for undercover officers sometimes when infiltrating criminal groups, and what can then occur for all members. While many others have loved Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, I found it a bit uncomfortable. As it follows Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a woman tormented by anger and depression, who takes it out on others around her, it was difficult to watch a film where the protagonist is consistently attacking people verbally. Though Jean-Baptiste’s performance was excellent, I was unable to connect with the story as others have. 

Then, an excellent end to day three, Andrea Arnold’s Bird was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking with stellar performances all around. On my watchlist since it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Bird follows 12-year-old Bailey (Nykiya Adams) living with her single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan) and brother Hunter in a squat (Jason Buda). Exposing the nature of what happens to those who cannot afford to live in their country using the perspective of a young child allows more emotion to be felt by the audience. Adams, as Keoghan said during the film’s introduction, is an up-and-coming star with her magnificent skills shown in the film.

Sunday 8 September

Today the two films I saw were both based on novels: On Swift Horses (Minahan, 2024) and Without Blood (Jolie, 2024). Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter, On Swift Horses follows a “love” triangle between newlyweds and brother-in-law. Muriel (Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Poulter) want to begin their life in a new home, but Lee’s brother Julius (Elordi) gets involved in lots of risky endeavours. Over the 1950s, we see the three parallel journeys of chance, romance and self-discovery to unknown outcomes. Stellar performances from the trio leave you sitting on the edge of your seat throughout the film.

At noon today, it was the In Conversation with Cate Blanchett event at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey discussed Blanchett’s lustrous career with her, while showing clips from her previous and upcoming projects. Previously submitted fan questions were answered and then it was opened up to the floor. As always, Blanchett articulates her opinions in the most respectful way and entertains the audience with her sly jokes. 

Between films today, we managed to go to the fan area for the TIFF Tribute Awards at the Royal York Hotel. Guests attended to celebrate film and each other. Stars seen on the carpet included Denis Villeneuve, David Cronenberg, Lupita Nyong’o, Amy Adams, Edgar Ramirez, Cate Blanchett and Sandra Oh. 

Then, based on the book of the same title, Angelina Jolie’s latest directed film Without Blood focuses on the everlasting effects war can cause. Salma Hayek stars as Nina where she has grown up with difficulty and unease after witnessing her father and brother killed in a revenge hit at the beginning of the 20th century. Not her strongest film, the message behind it is more important than the film itself. 

Monday 9 September

The Order (Kurzel, 2024), The Assessment (Fortuné, 2024) were the two press screenings of the day, followed by the North American premiere of Rumours (Maddin, Johnson & Johnson, 2024). Another dark story, The Order follows lone FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) as he discovers the true nature of a group of domestic terrorists inspired by radicals and religious/Nazi influences. The scariest part of the film is the soundtrack chosen, it has horror film sounds that remind the audience that the film is based on true events and allows reflections to be made on the choices of individuals in the film. Thankfully, after the darkness of The Order, spirits were lifted by the comedic elements in Fleur Fortuné’s The Assessment. Taking place in a futuristic utopian society, Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) undergo scrutiny in an examination to determine their fitness for parenthood. Tested by Virginia (Alicia Vikander), the couple learns things about themselves during this rigorous process, and the results are unexpected. Two stellar performances by Olsen and Vikander, The Assessment is a comedic look at parenting in a utopian society. 

Before attending the North American premiere of Rumours, we attended the red carpets for it and Emilia Perez. Seeing the cast and crew interact with fans before premiering their films to the audience is always enjoyable. In Rumours, Guy Maddin, along with Galen and Evan Johnson, direct a spin on tales from the G7. The seven leaders of the world’s wealthiest liberal democracies get lost in the woods at the summit and face peril as they attempt to draft their latest global crisis statement. Using rumours and theories on the G7 members, the directors made a film focused on satire and though it is set in such a weird world, its comedic elements are its strong points.

Tuesday 10 September

When the Light Breaks (Rúnarsson, 2024) preceded by O (Rúnarsson, 2024) was today’s press and industry screening. Two Icelandic films, O was a short film surrounding an alcoholic father whose daughter just married. The stronger of the two was When the Light Breaks, a film concentrated on love, friendship and loss. Though it primarily focuses on relationships, When the Light Breaks could also be seen as an homage to the beauty of Iceland. As for public screenings, I watched Emilia Pérez (Audiard, 2024), Queer (Guadagnino, 2024), and the North American premiere of Babygirl (Reijn, 2024). Emilia Pérez must be in my top three of the festival. Not only does it shine the light on a transgender main character, but its pop music sequences, and stylization entertain as well. The newest film from Luca Guadagnino is based on the novel of the same name and stars Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey. Difficult to explain in full, the film follows American expat William Lee (Craig) who’s solitary life is stirred when one young Eugene Allerton (Starkey) arrives in town. Having seen previous Guadagnino films, when watching Queer, the styles and edits from his body of work can be seen throughout the film. Lastly, I was able to get a ticket to Halina Reijn’s Babygirl. Romy (Nicole Kidman) is a career and family driven CEO with all going well until she begins a torrid affair with Samuel (Harrison Dickinson), a much younger intern. Proving once again why she is one of her generations most stupendous actors with her role as Romy, Nicole Kidman’s best actress win in Venice was well deserved. Babygirl explores sexual desire felt by women later in life, something that is rarely seen in cinema today.

Wednesday 11 September

One week into the festival and staying strong with three films. A press and industry screening of The Life of Chuck (Flanagan, 2024) was how I started my day. What resulted in being the TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, The Life of Chuck stars Tom Hiddleston, in what could be seen as his career best. Moving backward in time from his death, the film follows Chuck Krantz’ life and life lessons he learns along the way. Since I could not get into the last press screening of Friendship (DeYoung, 2024), I rushed to get into The Friend (Siegel & McGehee, 2024). Starring Naomi Watts, The Friend is the story of Iris (Watts) and her new friend Apollo the dog (Bing the dog) after his original owner Walter (Bill Murray) passes away. Watts is a brilliant actor, but the star of the show ends up being Apollo.

The night ended with the red carpet and premiere of David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds (2024). Without giving too much away, Cronenberg’s grief over his wife was clearly reflected in the film. The Shrouds sticks to the Cronenberg aesthetic but is not one of the strongest of his films. In the science fiction world, Karsh (Vincent Cassel) creates grave cameras after the death of his wife and in the end learns this might not have been the best way to grieve. 

Thursday 12 September

The second Thursday of the festival, September 12th, was when I watched the most films in a single day. I got to start my day off with a press and industry screening of the lovely Sketch (Worley, 2024). With little sleep, having the treat that was Sketch was easy and entertaining. A grieving family must band together after the daughter’s drawings come to life to fight them off and protect their city. The child acting in this film is just wonderful, and the concept was executed almost perfectly. Hopefully this film will be released soon for many families to see together. We then managed to get into Nightbitch (Heller, 2024) and Matt and Mara (Radwanski, 2024). Though a bit uncomfortable at times, Nightbitch – based on the novel of the same name – follows a mother (Amy Adams) as she copes with postpartum and single parenting. This film recognizes mothers and what some might go through, in a fictionalized way, when beginning parenthood and how to find themselves while raising their child(ren). Loved by others, and just liked by me, Matt and Mara is a Canadian film following the titular characters as they return into each other’s day to day lives.

Ending the night was the world premiere of Hold Your Breath (Joines & Crouse, 2024) and The Salt Path (Elliott, 2024). Both of these films came into my radar due do their leading actresses. Starring Sarah Paulson as Margaret, Hold Your Breath follows a young mother in 1930s Oklahoma as she becomes haunted by her past and tries to keep her children safe in the dust storms. I believe this film would not have worked as well as it did without the casting of Sarah Paulson. Paulson plays characters like these tremendously and truly encapsulates the essence of the mothers. The Salt Path is based on the memoir of a British couple who lost their home and decide to walk the “Salt Path” – England’s longest footpath, along the Southwest Coast. Without a thick plot, The Salt Path excels in showing the love the couple has for each other and showcases the Southwest English scenery. 

Friday 13 September

Perhaps in my top three films of the festival, The Girl with the Needle (von Horn, 2024) is a Danish black and white drama set in post WWI Copenhagen. Like most Danish films, The Girl with the Needle is dark and twisted, yet still excels in its filmmaking style and storytelling. Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), a young factory worker, finds herself pregnant, in poverty and abandoned. In order to give her child the best life possible, she meets Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm) who helps poor mothers find foster homes for their children. As Karoline works with Dagmar, it becomes apparent that she is not being told the entire truth of what happens to the babies. Bleak and depressing, The Girl with the Needle still became one of my top films viewed at the festival this year. Changing genre to comedy and based on a true story Saturday Night (Reitman, 2024) became a hit for many festival viewers. However, perhaps it was because I know less about Saturday Night Live lore, it did not connect with me as much as it did for others. Knowing little about the moments before the first episode aired, Saturday Night follows Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) as he struggles to make the perfect first episode. Then, Steven Soderbergh’s latest film Presence followed a family who moved into a suburban house after moving away from the daughter’s trauma of the death of her friend. Presence does a brilliant job with camera angles and long shots, until the last scene where the dialogue became awkward and changed the trajectory of the film. Stellar performances were still made by the entire cast and listening to Soderbergh discuss the filmmaking process was a positive. 

Saturday 14 September

To end my second year at the Toronto International Film Festival, I attended the North American premiere of Flow (Zibalodis, 2024). Premiering at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Flow received great praise, and after watching the film, it is simple to see why. For the main character, the cat, the world seems to be ending when the land floods and he is left stranded in an ocean. The cat must learn to work with others to help everyone survive. As a silent and animated film, Flow keeps you on the edge of your seat and by the time the film finishes its length is hardly noticed and you are left stressed but happy at the same time. 

Though the 49th Annual Toronto International Film Festival was filled with many films, tons I did not manage to see, I feel very satisfied with those that I watched. Even if you missed it, keep an eye out for these films, along with the others from TIFF 2024 and make sure to see as many films as you can in cinemas.

Poster and screencap credits to IMDb, Letterboxd and TIFF.