What to Watch at TIFF 2023
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
TIFF 2023 is just around the corner, which couldn’t be more official now that the entire festival schedule has been released. It may seem a bit early to start planning, but I cannot assure you more that it can never be too early to prepare for the Toronto International Film Festival. With the possibility of tickets selling out at lightning speeds as soon as they’re available to the public, you must have backups, backups for your backups, and backups for the backups of your backups. What films will you want to check out if the most popular titles are off-sale? This is your opportunity to discover more obscure films as well (which are sometimes the better options in the end).
Regardless, whether they are on everyone’s radar or not as discussed, I have put together the ten films that I think are the ones you should watch at this year’s festival. From acclaimed filmmakers to festival award winners (yes, even before they arrive at TIFF), we have a few features that are already making their rounds, be they in the awards season circuit or as top-tier releases of 2023 that are too good for any trophy. Let’s not waste any more time. Here are my picks for what you should catch at TIFF 2023.
Anatomy of a Fall
We kick off with Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning thriller Anatomy of a Fall from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which details the harrowing trial of an author’s arrest as she is framed for the murder of her husband; her only key witness is her son who is blind. Already a beloved film before it has been widely released, Anatomy of a Fall doesn’t have many showtimes at TIFF this year so I would implore you to try and get tickets before they’re out. You won’t want to miss this one.
The Boy and the Heron
The most obvious pick is one that I could not leave off. As far back as I can remember, the opening night film at TIFF has usually been fine but never this terrific. It may be early to call Hayao Miyazaki’s return magnificent if I haven’t seen the film yet, but take the acclaim from the Japanese screenings as proof that The Boy and the Heron (formerly titled How Do You Live? in North America) is going to be an animation opus from the master of the medium that you do not want to miss.
Fallen Leaves
Aki Kaurismäki has returned with this quirky dramedy involving two lost souls that just want to feel loved. Fallen Leaves has already made a bit of a splash at various circuits, including the Cannes and Lima Film Festivals, and it will likely resonate just as loudly at TIFF (we Torontonians usually flock towards these kinds of films, in case our voting track record is any indication). While it is likely heavier than it is funny, it looks like the kind of cathartic experience that audiences will like (we will take silver linings where we can get them during these troubled times).
Fingernails
I’m a sucker for weird Greek films, and I won’t say no to any upcoming filmmaker that can deliver these goods. Introducing Christos Nikou (who actually worked on Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth as an assistant director) who is releasing his English language debut with Fingernails: what seems to be a sci-fi romantic drama that follows in the footsteps of works like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Her. Featuring Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed, Fingernails details a failing relationship that is put to the test via a facility’s project that determines the worth of a couple’s love with one another.
Green Border
Is anyone ever going to say no to a new film by Agnieszka Holland? I certainly won’t. Zielona granica, or Green Border, is a fascinating concept involving Syrian refugees and an English teacher from Afghanistan who are met at the Polish-Belarus border while President Alexander Lukashenko has placed the nation of Belarus in a state of chaos (allowing the country to be a back door for migrants to enter the European Union). These characters meet a young patrol guard who is given the ultimate test upon their arrival. This will likely be a tense, challenging watch.
The Holdovers
Six years after his only blemish (Downsizing), Alexander Payne is back with The Holdovers: a dramedy (what else?) that feels a bit like that one part of The Catcher in the Rye where a rebellious student seeks solace at a teacher’s domicile for he has nowhere else to go (but hopefully far less creepy). Starring Paul Giamatti as a detested educator who has to reform uncooperative students during the holidays, The Holdover is sure to be equal parts hilarious and meaningful. This will likely be one of the more popular films at TIFF, so it may be tricky to get a seat here (at least there are a few screenings to choose from).
La chimera
Alice Rohrwacher’s name was already on everyone’s minds once she was up for Best Live Action Short Film at this past Academy Awards (for Le pupille), but that short has nothing on the reputation her latest feature film, La chimera, has already garnered. After a major release at Cannes (where it proved to be a major competitor to eventual winner Anatomy of a Fall), this romantic drama about the black market underworld of Etruscan archeology has been picked up for distribution by Neon which is also a great sign. I foresee a potential Best International Feature Film run at next year’s Oscars for this title.
Les Indésirables
Ladj Ly made a huge splash with his visceral political drama Les Misérables (no affiliation with Victor Hugo’s classic here) upon its release, so whatever follow-up we got was sure to be anticipated. The result is the sister film Les Indésirables: a sociopolitical war between a mayor and an activist who are tasked with bringing a suffering suburb to better living conditions. As long as it is as thought provoking and comfortable in the grey area of such a challenging debate as its predecessor film, Les Indésirables will be widely discussed this festival (especially since this is its world premiere).
The New Boy
While the reception thus far has been a little polarizing, I am still excited for Warwick Thornton’s The New Boy, starring Cate Blanchett as a nun tasked with looking after an abandoned, aboriginal orphan (the titular new boy, if you will). The young boy is played by Aswan Reid who has been championed by critics so far as one of the best child performances in quite some time. Between the co-leads and the promising artistic scale, The New Boy may be unconventional but I think it will be worth seeing nonetheless.
The Zone of Interest
We end with what is my most anticipated film of the festival: Jonathan Glazer’s return with The Zone of Interest. An adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel of the same name, The Zone of Interest details a family that tries to survive and live in a house and garden outside of Auschwitz. A24 is only releasing this film in December amid awards season as they clearly have faith in this film’s potential dominance, so you won’t want to miss its release at TIFF (there are also very few showtimes at this moment). Finally, I must toss in the fact that this film currently has an astounding 98 on Metacritic, and it is scored by the incomparable Mica Levi (the best score composer working today, in my opinion).
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.