The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicks off tomorrow, and everyone is already hyped about the big titles premiering over the next 12 days. Some already have Oscar buzz, including films I reviewed at Cannes, like La Bola Negra.
But what about the smaller titles? The Midnight Mayhem carnage? The odd indies and the heartfelt passion projects? Those are far easier to miss amongst the hundreds of screenings this year. So, in that spirit, I've picked out 10 alternative titles that you should keep an eye on during the festival. Look for their reviews in the coming days, and see as many great films as you can.
Bucking Fastard
Probably the biggest name on this list, Werner Herzog is a perennial festival favorite and a legendary filmmaker who has done it all. His latest is a passion project that he's spoken of for well over a decade, and it's tremendous to see it finally complete.
Based on the true and truly bizarre story of twin sisters (Kate and Rooney Mara) who share their literal dreams, dress alike, and speak in unison. One day, they fall in love with the same man (Orlando Bloom), and things only get weirder from there.
The title is from real-life court documents, where the duo, in unison, misspoke their insult towards the man of their dreams, resulting in the all-time oddity: Bucking Fastard.
Half
A Tamil curry western kung-fu gore film about two vampire siblings who are ambushed by a gang of murderous bandits somewhere in the desert. If that doesn't sell it to you, I don't think you're the target audience. This fascinating genre cocktail at least promises to be anything but boring, and it features action choreography from industry legend Very Tri Yulisman.
See it with a big crowd at the Midnight Madness screenings.
Hombre Al Agua
Gael Garcia Bernal directs and stars in this mix of Faustian bargains and Kafkaesque absurdity as a lifeguard who befriends an obsessive millionaire and sees his life crumble as a result. Bernal is one of the great talents of his generation, and he's quietly built himself a solid filmography as a director.
His latest promises similar strengths to his past works. A quiet unease permeates every frame, and a distant, almost magical-realist touch keeps us guessing the truth until the very last frame.
Rescue
Shot with the help of Doctors Without Borders, Rescue is an unflinching and horrifically timely portrait of refugees escaping their homeland over the ocean, and the inhumane treatment they endure in their quest for a better life.
This one is not easy viewing, and it's a hard film to recommend in the middle of a festival packed with so much escapist fun. But it is vital that everyone sees it and takes it to heart. Even now, somewhere out on the ocean, families cross into the unknown, and many will never see land again.
In Alaska
Starring Noomi Rapace and newcomer Leo Matthew Temela, In Alaska is a slow-burning thriller about a suicidal Inuit boy (Temela) who accidentally launches a manhunt when he damages an oil pipeline during a suicide attempt.
Shot in gorgeous locations across Alaska and Canada, In Alaska is the kind of old-fashioned, classy thriller we used to get many more of back in the day. Today, each one feels like a rare delight, and this one is no exception.
Krux
If The Zone of Interest was all about how easily we can ignore evil, even as it happens next door, then Krux is the natural companion piece that investigates what happens to those on the wrong side of history when history comes calling.
Meticulously and dispassionately crafted, Krux is not an easy film, nor does it offer any of the usual outs that fiction uses to make the medicine go down easier. Instead, it's brutal and unflinching in its depiction of a Nazi town coming to grips with the realization that they've lost the war, and their enemies are coming for justice.
Sadly, this is still timely and important. It shouldn't be, but here we are.
The Assassin(s)
South Korean history is a subject I'm woefully unaware of, so I will take any chance I get to learn something new. This hugely anticipated historic thriller takes place in the 70s, after a failed presidential assassination, as a mixed group of journalists and cops seek answers to the multitude of unexplained questions surrounding the event.
Promising a mix between All the President's Men and JFK, The Assassin(s) looks like one of the most interesting and thrilling retellings of modern history at the festival.
The Surgeon
Written and directed by surgeon-turned-filmmaker Roshan Sethi, The Surgeon is a tightly wound thriller where Michelle Yeoh plays a kidnapped specialist forced to perform a life-saving operation on a member of a criminal enterprise (led by Martin Freeman, of all people!).
Sethi previously directed the charming romantic comedy A Nice Indian Boy, so The Surgeon is quite a stylistic leap for him. But considering his past career and his clear talent for tone, I'm hugely excited to see what he's cooked up in this darkly comedic thriller, featuring one of the great icons of genre cinema.
Smudge the Blades
There are plenty of sports movies out there, and even more underdog stories about disparate characters becoming a team. But there are very few, if any, told from the perspective of native players who aren't privileged white kids led by Emilio Estevez.
Written and directed by Cody Lightning and starring the great Paulina Alexis from Reservation Dogs, Smudge the Blades is tonally more aligned with the irreverent Slapshot than the saccharine life lessons of The Mighty Ducks. For anyone who has ever played hockey, it's a treat to see a film that treats the sport this realistically. For everyone else, it's just a treat to find a film this honest and vulnerable that is also so funny.
Inherit
Director Banjong Pisanthanakun is a horror legend who has created some of the most chilling features in the genre of the past three decades. His latest, a Hitchcockian take on eternal youth, demon possession, power, and temptation, promises a stylish and deliciously operatic angle on well-worn material.
I couldn't be more excited to have him scare the bejesus out of me once again.
