Movie ReviewsSeen a lot of movies, got a lot of opinions.
Let’s get Lily Gladstone her Oscar.
TIFF25: “Dust Bunny” is a Goofy, Monster-Killing Romp
Dust Bunny is meant to entertain as much as it’s meant to frighten. Where snappy dialogue provides as much of a thrill as every creak of the floorboards.
TIFF25: “Renoir” Captures Loss and Growing Up
Renoir creates nostalgia for the moments Fuki is living through in a way that asks the audience to remember their own thorny adolescence as it is unperceptively shifting toward adulthood.
TIFF25: “Mile Ends Kicks” is “Almost Famous” for the Aughts
Levack is still one of the Canadian filmmakers to watch and Mile End Kicks will stir up a lot of positive nostalgia for many viewers, but for others it’ll feel more like a cover than an original.
TIFF25: Guillermo de Toro’s “Frankenstein” Needs More Life
Frankenstein is missing the intimacy of Shelley’s novel which makes the film feel as though it is a mere recreation of life instead of life itself.
TIFF25: “Obsession” Will Make You Careful What You Wish For
Most people grow out of the need to be the center of someone’s world. If not, Obsession warns, it might just be the death of you.
TIFF25: “Bayaan” is a Taut Crime Drama About Abuse
Bayaan asks us what role we’re playing in all of this. Are we bystanders or will we refuse to rest until the real story is told?
TIFF25: “Forastera” is a Summertime Ghost Story, But Not How You’d Think
Forastera is a powerful debut feature that captures summertime and the tendency of adolescence to swing between freeing and stifling. Between youthful joy and adult sadness. Somewhere in the middle is life itself, in all of its painful, achingly lovely glory.
TIFF25: “Whitetail” Speaks to Preservation from Within
Whitetail is a cautionary tale about how preservation must start from within before we’re able to share it with the world around us.
TIFF25: “Nuns vs. the Vatican” is a Powerful Piece of Documentary Journalism
Nuns vs. the Vatican is brave, journalistic storytelling in the name of justice.
TIFF25: “Levers” Captures Dreamy Imagery of a Changing World
Levers is a slice of life that has been altered irrevocably and captured in an utterly magnificent fashion.
TIFF25: “Honey Bunch” is a Weird Odyssey of Grief
Honey Bunch is an extreme attempt to discover how to love someone and how to manage the mistakes we make as we try to create a relationship built on devotion.
TIFF25: “Hamnet” is Chloe Zhao’s Finest
To experience Hamnet is to fall in love, to be pulverized by the grand emotions that make us alive.
“Code 3” is an Unexpected Heartfelt Letter to EMTs
Code 3’s mix of tones creates a funny, touching film that speaks to the unsung heroes of the healthcare world: the EMTs.
TIFF25: “The Testament of Ann Lee” Shakes the Earth
The Testament of Ann Lee is a frantic piece of passion that etches Ann’s name in the history books.
“The Cut” Sees Orlando Bloom Going for the Kill
Swinging between a touch too dramatic and utterly visceral, The Cut lands its fair share of punches.
“Stranger Eyes” Asks What it Means to Be Seen
Stranger Eyes asks for the viewer’s attention and perception, skews it, and then asks viewers to find the fine line between surveillance for the sake of safety and for the thrill of voyeurism.
“Somnium” Creeps into Your Hollywood Hopes and Dreams
Somnium is an unsettling look at the facade of Los Angeles and the way it can be molded to make or break a person’s spirit.
“The Fantastic Golem Affairs” Tackles Loneliness Through Absurdity
The Fantastic Golem Affairs is about connection in the purest sense. It asks us to view each other as our weirdest and most vulnerable selves to see if there’s still worth within us.
“The Toxic Avenger” (2023) Has a Warm, Oozy Heart
Toxic Avenger gives you the splattering brain matter, flying blood, and oozy, toxic heart on its sleeve. When you boil it all down, The Toxic Avenger (2023) is a movie about a dad trying to show his kid how much he loves him and taking down the corrupt American healthcare system along the way. Isn’t that what superhero movies should be all about?
“What We Hide” Unearths Pain of Addiction
Maybe that’s where the title of What We Hide comes from. We often hide our love when people hurt us or we hide our pain when we love someone. Neither is sustainable. Something has to break.