TIFF ’26: What to See at This Year’s Fest, Sept. 11

By Liz Braun, Thom Ernst, Karen Gordon, Kim Hughes John Kirk, Chris Knight, Liam Lacey, Bonnie Laufer, Alice Shih and Jim Slotek

Away we go! The 51st annual Toronto International Film Festival is officially underway with hundreds of features, documentaries, and shorts from around the globe screening (and many premiering) before the festival closes September 20.

A scene from Clarissa.

Original-Cin writers have viewed dozens of titles — and are anticipating dozens more; be sure to check out our intro piece detailing the films we are most keen to see. Starting today and repeating every day until TIFF’s conclusion, we offer capsule reviews of what’s hot and what’s not.

We hope this helps make things more manageable. As always, never be afraid to take a chance on something unfamiliar. Brilliance could await.

Clarissa (Special Presentations)

Fri, Sept. 11, 2:45 pm, VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre; Sat, Sept. 12, 12 pm, Scotiabank 14.

From Nigerian filmmaking brothers Arie and Chuko Esiri comes this spectacularly lovely, distinctly languid adaptation of Virgina Woolf’s 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway which, though set in modern-day Lagos, is otherwise faithful to its source material. As she prepares for a party at her home that evening, affluent Clarissa Dalloway reflects on her past and, especially, her pick of husband: straight-arrow businessman Richard over sentimental writer Peter, both attending the gathering alongside Sally, another key figure from Clarissa’s past. With glimpses of a lifetime unfolding over the course of a day — the film volleys between timeframes and includes a symbolic sidebar of sorts about a former soldier with PTSD — Clarissa explores how breezy youthful choices become questionable over time and too late for a course-correction. Sophie Okonedo and David Oyelowo lead a tremendously good cast. KH

Fjord (Special Presentations)

Fri, Sept. 11, 4:15 pm, Scotiabank 13.

If you walk out of Fjord not quite sure what to think, then you’re likely on the right track. Writer-director Cristian Mungiu’s thoughtful, quiet film, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last spring, is both morally and psychologically complex. Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve play a deeply religious and conservative Christian couple who move from his home country (Romania) to hers (Norway) with their five children where a branch of their faith community is based. Others in the town are welcoming but make it clear that they’re not comfortable with the family’s religious values. When their teenage daughter shows up at school with bruises, child services remove all the children, including a breast-feeding infant, and the film becomes a courtroom drama as the parents petition to get their kids back. Mungiu isn’t interested in telling us what to think about any of the characters. So, are we to judge the characters, the society or is he inviting us to look at our own reactions? KG

Low Lies the Land (TIFF Docs)

Fri, Sept. 11, 3:45 pm, TIFF Lightbox 4; Tue, Sept. 15, 9:35 pm, Scotiabank 8; Fri, Sept. 18, 11:30 am, Scotiabank 14.

The vagaries of agriculture in a rapidly changing climate are but one of the many challenges facing the generational winegrowing families featured in this beautifully shot, if slow-moving, documentary set in northern Italy’s Piemonte region. Director Emanuele Gerosa tiptoes behind his subjects as they traverse their fields (pruning, always pruning) and prepare food in their homes, all while fretting about what the future might bring. The presence of a predatory real estate agent hoping to plant visions of hefty cashouts adds drama, but Low Lies the Land is largely meditative if very pretty to observe. KH

Rapinoe (TIFF Docs)

Fri, Sept. 11, 8:45 pm, Scotiabank 14; Sun, Sept. 20, 9:30 am, Scotiabank 10.

American soccer star Megan Rapinoe is a generational figure who transcended her sport as an influential cultural personality. As a member of the United States national team (two World Cups and an Olympic Gold) she was a joy to watch on the field, with her dyed pixie hairdos and dazzling agility. Off the pitch, she drew headlines as an articulate champion of gay rights, a leader in women athletes fight for fair pay, and supporter of Black Lives Matter. Rebecca Huntt’s biography-spanning interview with Rapinoe includes insightful input from friends, teammates, and family members, especially Rapinoe’s twin sister, Rachael. Despite some questionable directorial indulgences (random images of flowing water, a voiceover Mary Oliver poem) and a too-tidy psychology profile, Rapinoe’s humour and charisma shine through. LL

A scene from The Stunt Driver.

The Stunt Driver (Special Presentations)

Fri, Sept. 11, 8:45 pm, Royal Alexandra Theatre; Sat, Sept. 12, 9:55 pm, Scotiabank 3.

Chalk up another hoser-hero story for comedy director Michael Dowse (FUBAR, Goon), this one with a few left turns into drama and tragedy. The tale of the late Montreal daredevil Ken Carter (Jay Baruchel) and his insane ‘70s plan to ride a rocket car over the St. Lawrence (one-up on Evel Knievel’s Snake River attempt) begins as broadly comic as the concept, with Carter giving dumb and often profane speeches aggrandizing his choice of career: “(the fans) live through us, so we have to live large.” Following him is a filmmaking team of “expensive hippies” from the NFB. As his dream drags on in endless prep and second thoughts, so does the movie, before things turn serious. The supporting cast is terrific, including Ed Helms as the rocket expert who can’t help but see fatality ahead, Ben Foster as Knievel, and Laurence Leboeuf as Carter’s wife Gloria, who’d rather he find more mundane — and safer — work. JS