10 movies getting the biggest advance buzz at TIFF 2023

TIFF 2023 kicks off in Toronto on September 7, and while there will be many films to choose from over the 10-day event, there are a few that are the talk of the town even before the festival begins.

With a mix of Hollywood royalty taking up the director’s chair, festival regulars making welcome returns, and even a legend presenting what’s likely to be his final work, there’s something here for just about everyone.

Here are 10 buzzworthy films from TIFF 2023.

The Holdovers

It’s been years since Alexander Payne wowed with his wine-y, wonderful Sideways at TIFF 2014. He returns with Paul Giamatti in tow for this story about a teacher at a boarding school. The trailer makes it look like some long-lost Robin Williams vehicle, but beneath the treacly premise promises another sardonic yet emotionally rich film from this fest fave.

Dumb Money

The dudebros that capitalized on market mayhem are immortalized in this telling of the GameStop stock run. Fueled by greed and gloating, the ploy made fools out of institutional players and millionaires out of basement-dwelling Reddit users. This too-wild-to-be-fiction tale promises to be quite the ride.

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Pain Hustlers

Another tale of capitalism gone awry. Evan Hughes, Emily Blunt, Chris Evans and the ever-beloved Catherine O’Hara star in this true story of an unlikely pharma rep tasked with spreading opioids to the masses.

Next Goal Wins

Taika Waititi has been to TIFF with a number of his wonderful films, including Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit back in 2019. His latest stars Oscar Kightley, Michael Fassbender, and Elisabeth Moss in this true story of the American Samoan football team trying to have a kick at qualifying for the World Cup.

Hit Man

After soaring in the boffo box office of Top Gun: Maverick, Glenn Powell takes centre stage in Richard Linklater’s latest, the story of a philosophy professor who sidelines doing police surveillance. When he must step in to pretend to be a killer, the carefully drawn ethical lines blur more and more.

Stop Making Sense

Can a 40-year-old film be the most buzzworthy of them all? A brand-new restoration of one of the best concert films of all time sees Talking Heads reuniting for a conversation at the screening to be beamed to IMAX theatres around the world and this celebration of the late Jonathan Demme’s masterful film is easily one of the highlights of TIFF ’23.

Woman of the Hour

Anna Kendrick steps into the director’s chair for this wild, true story about a registered sex offender who appeared on a game show designed to foster relationships. Going behind the headlines, the film looks to be creepy, powerful, and more than a little profound.

Dicks: The Musical

Larry Charles, the brilliant beardo bravely returns to the Midnight Madness slate after the Borat premiere debacle where the projector died and the film couldn’t be screened. His latest looks to be a rock-hard stroke of genius, a full bore musical taking the Parent Trap shtick to appropriate levels of wild insanity.

Knox Goes Away

Michael Keaton directs himself in this dark, brooding, noir-y film about a hit man with fast-acting dementia who has one task to do before his memory is wiped. With the likes of Al Pacino and James Marsden supporting, this could be one of the breakout films of the fest.

The Boy and the Heron

While already released to acclaim in its native Japan, there are legions of local anime and Hayao Miyazaki fans drooling over the prospect of the master filmmaker’s latest making its international debut. The emotionally rich storyline is imaginatively realized with the celebrated visual style that’s made Studio Ghibli beloved around the world.