I had an incredible time at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, where I watched 20 movies during the 11 days of Canadian and international cinema. Here are my TIFF 24 top 5 movie recommendations to watch when (or if) they hit theaters near you.
5. The Piano Lesson
Synopsis: “The Piano Lesson” tells the story of a family at odds about what to do with a family heirloom: a piano. What’s so special about it? In the wood are carvings of their ancestors during a time they were enslaved. Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell it and use the money to buy land, while his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) refuses to entertain the idea.
My Review: This is a moving story about family and connections to our past that we hold on to. This star studded cast delivers an incredible performance filled with emotion, heart, and music. Each character is interesting and the family dynamic, especially the tension, is palpable. The story is told beautifully and the final act us sure to take audiences by surprise!
4. The Life of Chuck
Synopsis: In an unconventional story, Mike Flanagan adapts one of Stephen King’s short stories that carries the spirit of his most optimistic work. The world is slowly ending and everywhere are goodbye tributes to Chuck (Tom Hiddleston). But who is he and why is a seemingly ordinary accountant getting such a grand send-off? Chuck’s life story soon begins to unravel, going back to his childhood and core moments in his life.
My Review: “The Life of Chuck” is a beautiful celebration of life. The format used to tell the story it an enjoyable experience, the extended sequence in the middle was joyful, and there’s just enough mystery and unease weaved throughout the story to keep things interesting (it’s Stephen King story after all!). The core theme is beautiful and one that’ll certainly resonate with audiences.
3. Escape From the 21st Century
Synopsis: Once upon the year 1999, on a planet very much like our own — only 3,000 light years away — three teenagers find themselves plunging into chemical waste that imbues them with a unique ability: when they sneeze their consciousness travels 20 years into the future. With their sinuses now propelling them to and fro in time, they are burdened with two precepts: the future sucks, and they have power to change it.
My Review: This high-octane, action packed film blends action, comedy, and science fiction to take you on a wild ride through time. The comedy really hit, the creative use of visuals during action scenes action was fun and innovative, and the crew of naive, impulsive, stumbling teens-turned-adults were entertaining to watch.
2. U Are the Universe
Synopsis: In the distant future, average Ukrainian space trucker Andriy (Volodymyr Kravchuk) is aboard a cargo ship on a four-year round-trip mission to transport nuclear waste from Earth to Jupiter’s moon Callisto. His only companion, a robot named Maxim (Leonid Popadko). Maxim has a joke for every occasion, which comes in handy when the Earth explodes in the far distance and Andriy is now the last living person in the universe — until a call reaches him from a faraway space station. Touching the most universal aspects of life — love, loneliness, joy, sadness — “U Are The Universe” is a genre-bending journey into the soul, infinity… and beyond!
My Review: As a huge fan of science fiction, it’s not surprise that “U Are The Universe” was one of the movies I most anticipated. What I didn’t expect was just how engaging, enjoyable, and beautiful the story would be; with so much humanity and heart, yearning for connection, and persevering in the face of unimaginable loss. The sci-fi elements and world building are done well and the visuals are stunning. And that ending, wow! Without spoiling, it was a bold choice that I was hoping for, and really pays off.
1. The Wild Robot
Synopsis: This sci-fi adventure follows a robot designed to assist humans. She finds herself stranded on an island populated exclusively by beasts. “The Wild Robot” is an epic tale of survival, in which animals and machines must question their programming and embrace their hidden strengths. Featuring the voices of Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Lupita Nyong’o, Stephanie Hsu, and Bill Nighy.
My Review: As expected, “The Wild Robot” is sure to make audiences reach for their tissues. A beautiful story on love, family, community, belonging, and finding yourself. You think you know how the movie will play out, but it has a few surprises in store! The animation is stunning with a unique style of hand-painted brushstrokes, the voice acting is moving, and the score is incredible. Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Kit Conner do an incredible job voicing these characters and getting you attached to each one.
Honourable Mention: From Ground Zero
Synopsis: The combined work of 22 artists living in a besieged Gaza Strip. This omnibus film provides a contextualizing and critically important look beyond the brutal Livestream. Organized by the Mashawari Fund for films and filmmakers in Gaza.
My Review: 22 wonderful glimpses of Gaza. Personal stories, slices of life, endless creativity, these stories have joy, hardship, loss, love, fear, and everything in between. After a year of watching endless videos of horrors unfolding, these short show Connecting us across an ocean, it’s an honour to witness these stories from the ground, straight from Palestinian filmmakers and creatives.
You can see a list of all the movies I watched at TIFF 2024 and my ratings on Letterboxd.
And check out my roundups of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Middle Eastern & North African, Animated, and Horror movies that premiered at TIFF 2024.
