The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the premiere festivals for movies in the world. Every year, the biggest and best movies from studios from all over the world release their movies at this event. These movies go on to become some of the biggest box office grossers, or even win multiple awards during awards seasons. So let’s take a look at the 13 most anticipated movies of TIFF 23.
The 13 Most Anticipated Movies of TIFF 23
Boy Kills World
Moritz Mohr’s feature-film debut is a wicked, maximalist action opera that pits a titular Boy (Bill Skarsgård) against Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deafened, and voiceless. Moulded from this tragic childhood into an instrument for revenge by an enigmatic shaman, Boy is set loose in his far-flung dystopia on the eve of its annual culling of dissidents.
The concept behind Boy Kills World sounds unbelievable. The promised mayhem and martial arts extravaganza seems like an amazingly good time for anyone interested in that genre of movies. Boy Kills World will premiere at TIFF 23 In September.
Dumb Money Is One Of The Most Anticipated TIFF Movies
Paul Dano and Seth Rogen find themselves on opposite ends during a tug-of-war, in Craig Gillespie’s take on the outrageous battle of wits between amateur investors and hedge fund billionaires that became the infamous GameStop Wall Street scandal. This one looks like a spiritual successor to The Big Short, with its comedic take on a very outrageous real-world event that actually happened. The star-studded movie looks like a great time and one that will surely highlight the ridiculousness of our world’s financial situation.
Excited For Dream Scenario Just Because Of Nic Cage
This satirical swipe at celebrity and groupthink from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and co-producer Ari Aster stars Nicolas Cage as an inconspicuous academic who is thrust into the limelight after he starts inexplicably appearing in people’s dreams. I won’t lie to you guys. The only reason I’m looking forward to this movie at TIFF ’23 is because of Nic Cage. But not only that, the premise itself sounds like an amazingly good time. And I love when Nic Cage plays unassuming roles. It just means that the potential for a crazy good performance is that much more likely.
Dicks: The Musical Sounds Like A Hilarious Good Time
Larry Charles (Borat) conducts an uproarious musical-comedy riff on The Parent Trap that follows a pair of identical twins who conspire to reunite their divorced and disturbingly deranged parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally). The trailer for this movie is pretty off-the-wall crazy. What promises to be a hilarious new romp that showcases a different take on a classic trope of family-friendly movies, but with a very adult spin. The star cast is also nothing to scoff at. It might be the raunchy comedy of TIFF this year, given its very adult-centric content.
Fair Play Looks Intense
A Wall Street for the #MeToo era, writer-director Chloe Domont’s feature debut is a finance drama set in the merciless milieu of hedge fund managers, the film stars Phoebe Dynevor (TV’s Bridgerton) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) as a couple whose secret romance is tested by a workplace where success is a zero-sum game. Any story set post Me Too is intriguing as it provides a deep analysis of industries during a troubling time. When those in power became exposed for their abuse of power and thousands rose up and demanded justice. The finance industry is definitely one where those exploits occurred more often than not, so I’m very much looking forward to a serious story from that time.
Hit Man Is One Of TIFF’s Most Anticipated
Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a philosophy professor by day, lecturing his students on theories of morality. In his downtime, he works with the police in surveillance vans as a tech-savvy staff investigator during undercover sting operations. When the temperamental officer who normally plays the role of hitman is placed on leave for misconduct, milquetoast Gary is asked to step in because he vaguely resembles the ousted officer. To everyone’s surprise, Gary thrives impersonating the fabricated killers.
Richard Linklater is one of our most prolific directors. So his name on any movie makes it highly anticipated. Add to the fact that Glen Powell is an actor on the rise, playing a meek character who finds his voice, with interesting results, and I’m in! Hit Man looks like a very unique premise that could go dark very quickly.
Knox Goes Away Is Michael Keaton’s Directorial Venture
Michael Keaton returns to double duty, directing and acting in this crime drama about a hitman who is diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia, with one last task to take care of before he can fade away. Keaton directing himself in this movie which has an amazing premise is definitely a must-watch for TIFF ’23. With a cool star-studded cast, the story is as tragic as it sounds exciting. Dealing with dementia is a very difficult situation in real life, so it’ll be interesting to see how Keaton balances the hardness of a hitman with the vulnerability required of someone struggling with that condition.
Next Goal Wins Takes Things Lighter
Whip-smart, playful, and deeply rooted in Asia-Pacific culture, Taika Waititi is the perfect filmmaker to adapt the unlikely true story of Next Goal Wins. Last at the Festival in 2019 with Jojo Rabbit, which won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award before scoring the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, Waititi brings his irresistible mix of big emotion and hilarity to tell the tale of a soccer team best known for being absolutely hopeless.
On the lighter side of the most anticipated movies of TIFF 23, is Next Goal Wins. Taika Waititi has proven his ability to mix drama with comedy with amazing results. So yet another underdog story in a sports setting should have even more of those emotional moments.
Pain Hustlers Looks To Be A Highlight Of The Movies At TIFF 23
Based on the real-life story of capitalism run amok — chronicled by journalist Evan Hughes in his 2022 narrative non-fiction book, The Hard Sell — Pain Hustlers lures you into the glamour and excitement of success, however, it may be achieved. Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a single mom working as a dancer at a bar when she meets Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), a greasy drug rep for a pharmaceutical startup on the verge of bankruptcy. With a hunch about her talent, he recruits her to peddle a new kind of opioid designed to give pain relief to cancer patients.
Chris Evans as a sleazy pill pusher, along with Emily Blunt as a dancer turned pharmacology salesman in a true story about the rise of drug salesmen? Yes, please! The talent of these stars, along with the gall of the true story behind it makes this definitely one of the most anticipated movies of TIF 23.
Poolman Is Chris Pine’s Directorial Debut
Boasting a brilliant cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annette Bening, and Danny DeVito, Chris Pine’s directorial debut is a noir comedy about an anxious pool cleaner who unravels a curious conspiracy in the city of Los Angeles. After a string of charming roles in Dungeons & Dragons and Don’t Worry Darling, Pine returns to direct his own movie. And with a very cool cast as well. And the story is very quirky from what you’d expect from Pine. I love when stars known for their looks, fall back on their talent instead, which is what Pine’s character looks like here.
Quiz Lady Looks Like A Lot Of Fun
From Oscar winner, Jessica Yu comes a comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as two very different sisters who are forced to pay off their mother’s gambling debts by concocting a scheme to go on a quiz show. A story of an intellectual adventure is always promising a fun watch. And when you add Sandra Oh and Awkwafina to the list as two estranged sisters on a scheme to get rich, using their brains, well, what else do we need to sign up for this awesome-sounding comedy?
Reptile Is One Of The Most Anticipated Movies At TIFF 23
Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Silverstone star in this moody, enigmatic, intricately plotted noir set in New England. The fiction feature debut from director Grant Singer, Reptile seethes with a captivating, doom-laden ambiance on par with the best of David Fincher or Denis Villeneuve. Things get darker with a movie that is already likened to the works of Fincher and Villeneuve. Those names alone should make Reptile a must-watch, but then you add a talent like Del Toro, Timberlake and the rarely seen Silverstone.
Sly Closes Out The Most Anticipated Movies Of TIFF 23
As Stallone literally packs up his stuff to move to Palm Beach from Hollywood, filmmaker Thom Zimny — who hung out with Bruce Springsteen for the thoughtful, casually valedictory documentary Western Stars (TIFF ’19) — helps him sift through his metaphorical baggage and come to terms with his status as a cultural touchstone. Closing out TIFF 23 is a documentary about one of the greatest storytelling in Hollywood. A guy who seems like he’s a certain kind of actor, but has spent his career subverting those expectations. This documentary explores that carer, and I cannot wait to watch it.
The Toronto International Film Festival takes place from September 7 to 17, 2023 in Toronto.
Which are your most anticipated movies of TIFF 23? Let us know in the comments below.
