TIFF 2024 felt like a star-studded affair, even more so than usual, making a Best of TIFF 2024 list all that more challenging. At every screening, we were met with top-tier actors, directors and writers bringing the goriest horror, heart-breaking love stories and more historical epics than ever before. After our writers regrouped to chat about the festival, we learned that we all had some really unique favourites from TIFF this year.
With four writers on the ground at TIFF 2024, we were able to cover more ground than ever before. CGM saw more films, covered more red carpets, and conducted more interviews than in past years. We have published more than 25 TIFF reviews on CGM, with plenty more to come, including Conclave , Eden , Saturday Night , The Room Next Door , The Return , and more. Some of this year’s standouts were expected going into the festival, but each of us found at least one that caught us off guard and made it to our Best of TIFF list.
Friendship is a movie that won’t appeal to everyone. But as someone who loves (and frequently quotes) Tim Robinson’s sketch show I Think You Should Leave , it’s easily the hardest I’ve laughed at a movie, not just at TIFF but all year. Operating as almost an extended episode of the show, Robinson and writer-director Andrew DeYoung use the struggle of gaining new adult friendships as a basis for hilariously bizarre bits, all with a game Paul Rudd and Kate Mara joining in the ridiculousness. Also, it’s got the single funniest drug trip sequence I’ve seen in decades.
The Taiwanese horror-comedy Dead Talents Society was the most surprisingly great movie I saw at TIFF 2024. The lore and world-building of this ghost world were such a great spin on the Beetlejuice films . It even had some influence from Monsters Inc. but in a more adult way. The film took a lot of inspiration from horror tropes from the Ju-On/The Grudge movies, along with reality series on ghost hunting. The story was cute, hilarious, and strangely heartwarming. Rarely does a horror-comedy manage to be a bit tear-jerking, but this one did it somehow.
Ron Howard’s Eden brought the heat with this biographical/historical thriller film, led by a great ensemble cast. There were rarely any faults with this film. It was based on true accounts, so it had a lot of details and moments for reference. Watching these three groups of island dwellers survive in the Galapagos was like observing a season of the reality TV series Survivor —scheming and trying to survive by any means necessary. The unique concepts and the island’s shifting seasons were easy to follow but always left the audience in mystery as to what could go wrong next, perfect for the Best of TIFF 2024.
It’s hard not to include Heretic on a list of the best of TIFF—it delivered far beyond my expectations. The low-key horror thriller showcases a thrilling and chilling transformation of Hugh Grant, traditionally known for romantic comedies, into the sinister Mr. Reed. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods ( A Quiet Place ), this psychological thriller follows two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes ( Sophie Thatcher ) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), as they engage in a dangerous battle of faith and survival inside Reed’s eerie home. Grant’s captivating performance walks the line between charm and menace, making the film both tense and darkly humorous.
The tightly crafted script, combined with excellent chemistry between the leads, creates an atmosphere of mounting dread. Beck and Woods masterfully balance suspense and dark humour, while Chung Chung-hoon’s cinematography and Chris Bacon’s score heighten the film’s eerie tone. Heretic is a gripping exploration of faith, manipulation, and conviction, delivering a satisfying climax that will keep audiences talking long after its November 2024 release.
I was honestly debating whether to include On Swift Horses as one of my best of TIFF, but the performances pushed it over the edge for me. Directed by Daniel Minahan and based on Shannon Pufahl’s novel, the film is a visually striking exploration of love, sexuality, and self-discovery in 1950s America. Premiering at TIFF 2024, the film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones , Jacob Elordi , and Will Poulter , who deliver strong, nuanced performances. The story follows Muriel (Edgar-Jones), her husband Lee (Poulter), and his younger brother Julius (Elordi) as they navigate conflicting desires and societal expectations.
Now , this is not to say that On Swift Horses is, by any stretch, a perfect film. While its attention to period detail and Luc Montpellier’s beautiful cinematography stand out, the storyline often feels muddled, trying to juggle too many themes within its runtime. Julius’ journey to Las Vegas and his relationship with Henry (Diego Calva), alongside Muriel’s hidden passions, add depth but can feel disjointed. Despite pacing issues, On Swift Horses is a slow-burn romance that rewards viewers with its emotional depth, authenticity, and exploration of hidden desires in a repressive era.
Sketch was by far my biggest surprise this year, and that has landed it on our Best of TIFF 2024 list. Of course, anything with Tony Hale and D’Arcy Carden attached caught my attention, but I’m not usually a huge fan of “family” films unless I’m with my kids. Sketch proved me wrong by really respecting the viewer. Comedy could be enjoyed by children but was never dumbed down, so it was not lost on adults. The lessons at the heart of Sketch were meaningful and something that parents and children could connect to, and they felt real rather than glorified for entertainment. All of this was done with one of the most unique stories I’ve seen brought to life by some pretty outstanding creativity. Definitely the most feel-good film I saw at TIFF 2024.
The Assessment spends its entire runtime having you say, “What the hell?!” only to have everything make sense in its final act. Its political commentary does not go unnoticed, with government corruption, reproductive control and global warming prominent but not in-your-face preachy. The performances by Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander, and Himesh Patel are outstanding, and the plot is awkward and twisted in the best possible way. In a future where we have destroyed the planet, The Assessment is a unique, smart film that gives a glimpse at how far things could go and leaves us with a lot to think about, landing it on the Best of TIFF 2024 list.
The Paradise of Thorns was my number-one pick for Best of TIFF 2024. It dealt with issues such as anti-queer laws, land deeds, family conflicts, and honouring loved ones. The story was simple enough to understand but filled with complex relationships. The spirit of this film transcended the medium, where gay marriage was legalized in Thailand around the domestic premiere of the film. This was not only an entertaining film but a real-life impactful one for the queer community. Even though this was Boss Kuno’s directorial/writing debut, it did not feel that way.
Back in 2018, Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto unleashed The Night Comes For Us , one of the best and most brutal martial arts movies to come out in the last 15 years. Six years later, Tjahjanto may have surpassed himself with The Shadow Strays , a relentless, two-and-a-half hour blitzkrieg of blades, bullets and blood. Aurora Ribero delivers a physical performance for the ages as a young assassin going rogue against her former employers. If Tjahjanto brings this type of energy to the upcoming Nobody 2 , we’re in for one brutal treat.
Coralie Fargeat’s satirical body horror was the talk of TIFF 2024, winning the Midnight Madness People’s Choice award and putting it on our Best of TIFF 2024 list. The hype is very, very real. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley give some of the best work of both their respective careers as two versions of the same person after Moore takes a black-market substance to create a younger doppelganger. It’s a scathing takedown of how the entertainment industry uses and discards older women, and the splatterific final 20 minutes must be seen to be believed…as long as you’re not squeamish.
I’ll be honest: I was pretty sure I was going to love We Live in Time long before I ever saw it. With what Florence Hugh and Andrew Garfield have been putting out there lately, I didn’t think twice about snatching up a ticket. What We Live in Time does, which makes it outstanding, rather than just good, is tells a story about love and loss through moments in time. These are moments that define their relationship, good and bad. Some small, some big, but they tell a tale of something more grand than they fell in love, they lived, they died. It tells so much more than a story of loss, and I believe it’s a film everyone should watch, landing on our Best of TIFF 2024 list.
I walked into William Tell excited to see a return to form for the historical epic, and while it did not achieve that lofty vision, it was still a wild and fun ride. Set during the Swiss rebellion under Austrian rule, the film follows William Tell (Claes Bang) as he is drawn back into conflict after years of peace. While the film succeeds with its engaging battles, strong visuals, and a stellar villain in Connor Swindells’ Viceroy Gessler, it suffers from overindulgence in Tell’s crossbow prowess and timeline inconsistencies.
Even though director Nick Hamm captures the scale of past epics, the film feels overly self-serious. Sequel bait detracts from its overall impact and feels somewhat cheap. Despite these flaws, William Tell is an enjoyable watch, offering compelling performances and enough action to satisfy fans of the genre, even if it doesn’t break new ground.
I was lucky enough to see Young Werther before the hustle and bustle of festival life, and it kicked off TIFF 2024 on a very high note. Right from the get-go, Werther pulls you into his world, and you’re immediately enthralled by him. The story has taken some creative liberties from its source material from the 1700s, but you are along for the ride and are truly invested in Charlotte and Werther, for better or for worse. Young Werther blended time periods, love, heartbreak, drama, and comedy perfectly to create one of the most interesting stories that had me howling at TIFF 2024.
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