The Toronto International Film Festival is back, and this year’s lineup is some of the most comedic and showstopping to grace the festival screen. Whether through a woman’s perspective or an entire community, each feature below tells riveting tales of victory and chilling discoveries, emphasizing that this year’s roster hones in on compelling story elements and emotional depth.

Below, our top picks for can’t-miss films at TIFF 2023.

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Concrete Utopia

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From award-winning South Korean director and screenwriter Um Tae-hwa, Concrete Utopia tells a post-apocalyptic story of survival through disaster. In Seoul, Min-seong (Park Seo-jun) and Myeong-hwa (Park Bo-young) face an earthquake swallowing every other building but theirs. Surrounded by vast rubble, Min-seong and the rest of the survivors must find a way to protect themselves by any means necessary.

Fair Play

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Los Angeles-based writer and director Chloe Domont, Fair Play tells a thrilling tale of a secret workplace romance gone astray. The film stars Pheobe Dynever and Alden Ehrenreich as Emily and Luke, an engaged couple under a strict company policy of zero worker intimacy. The tables turn when Emily gets promoted to the position Luke had also vied for. From there, the story deepens and shows the emotional and mental toll women face in high places.

Dumb Money

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When GameStop meets Wall Street. From director Craig Gillespie, Dumb Money is based on the true story of Keith Gill (Paul Dano). Taking place in 2021, hedge fund billionaires like Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogen) counted on GameStop’s downfall, while Gill refused to. As the video game store’s best amateur investor, his YouTube videos went viral, rallying a mass number of average citizens to also invest in the struggling brick-and-mortar business. Now known as Wall Street’s infamous scandal, the film showcases the power of the internet and community.

Woman of the Hour

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As Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour is a film that explores uncomfortable gender dynamics inspired by serial killer Rodney Alcala’s appearance on The Dating Game. Kendrick stars as Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress who later has a chilling run-in with Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) on the game show. As the film captures his murderous spree, it tells a dark tale of what women fear most through their encounters with men.

Lee

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Lee captures the cinematic portrait of one of the greatest American photojournalists, Lee Miller (Kate Winslet). The film is about the bravery behind artistry and women who fought for their place in male-dominated fields. Starting as a model in 1938 and moving to London shortly after, Lee Miller decided to expand her work and photograph some of history’s most moving images of the 20th century.

The Boy and the Heron

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An already beloved Japanese masterpiece, Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron is an imaginative tale of love and loss. Taking place during the Second World War, young Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) must face his grief after experiencing the heartache of a family tragedy. Inspired by layers of Genzaburo Yoshino’s novel How Do I Live? Miyazaki delivers his most transformative film, filled with profound mystery and breathtaking compositions.

Other notable mentions are Sylvester Stallone’s documentary Sly, Amanda Seyfried’s psychodrama Seven Veils, and Ethan Hawke’s TIFF directorial return with Wildcat.

Read more:
These Are the Most Anticipated Films at TIFF 2022
5 Canadian Films You Won’t Want to Miss at TIFF 2022
11 Women-Directed Films to Watch at TIFF 2022