With TIFF right around the corner and the fact that, once again, I am lucky enough to be able to go to the Festival as press and watch as much as I can. Of course, like every festival, there are a few movies that I look forward to the most, some that I just need to watch. Hidden gems are always a nice surplus, but there are just some films that just from the description and the little you have seen before that you just can’t wait to see.

This is this list, my seven most anticipated films of TIFF. Of course, there are more, films that I can’t wait to see but I just had to pick some. 

So here are some honourable mentions. Canne’s Palme D’Or Winner Titane directed by Julia Ducournau, the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen directed by Stephen Chbosky, Antoine Fuqua’s The Guilty, Denis Villeneuve’s epic blockbuster Dune, Michael Pearce’s Encounter starring Oscar-Nominated Actor Riz Ahmed and finally, Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield.

(Please note this list is in Alphabetical Order.)

France (Dir. Bruno Dumont)

“France is a deceptively unhinged and heady concoction of stinging satire and meltdown melodrama.” This sentence alone from the TIFF website was enough for me to get excited. Then I just kept reading and just knew I needed to watch this film, looking to be a characters study about our world but more importantly about our obsession with fame and social media. Lea Sedoux is one of those actresses that has such a resume that you can’t help but be excited to see her on-screen and this seems to be so against type for her that it makes it even more exciting. While I have not seen any other projects from Dumont, just from the description of this film, I can tell that this will be one to remember.

The Humans (Dir. Stephen Karam)

Steven Yeun. Beanie Feldstein. These two names alone are enough to make me excited for a film. But everything that I have read about The Humans just makes me excited. A family drama is something, but one that seems to explore themes of family and love but also how sometimes disagreement in a family is something that we can’t shy away from. With a stellar cast and based on a Tony-winning play, I truly hope that this will be one of those stage adaptations that can translate to screen and not feel static like so many do. Because, everything about this film just seems to be great and it would be a shame if, in the end, it was stiff because of the fact that it is an adaptation of a stage play.

Last Night In Soho (Dir. Edgar Wright)

Edgar Wright’s latest film just seems to be one of those psychological thrillers that will stay with you for a very long time. From the very first image to the trailer, everything about this film seemed fascinating to me. Not only is it Wright doing something different than what we have seen from him before, but it also seems to be that kind of ming boggling film that will stay with you after it ends. The type of films that a year after watching, you just can’t seem to stop thinking about it. With a stellar cast, this film could be a special one and I truly hope it is.

Mothering Sunday (Dir. Eva Husson)

Sometimes a film is on your list only for its cast and that is exactly why I am excited for Mothering Sunday. I know nearly nothing about it, only that it stars Olivia Colman and Colin Firth and is set post-WWI. Olivia Colman is one of those actresses that I just watch everything she does, no matter what, if her name is in the cast, I will watch and Mothering Sunday is one of those instances. But there is also this thing during Festivals where I love going in blind into films and it just makes it a little bit more exciting and this TIFF, Mothering Sunday is just that. A film that I am going in completely blind and for its cast and hope that by the end, I will fall in love with it.

Petite Maman (Dir. Celina Sciamma)

Celina Sciamma’s Portrait of A Lady on Fire took me by the heart and never let me go. Already a fan of hers from her previous work, Portrait just solidified how I saw the director and how I wished more people knew about her. Petite Maman looks to be everything that I want, a beautiful story about grief, love and family. With a short runtime, the film looks to be one that will make you emotional, mixing sadness and happiness all in one. Sciamma’s has been one of my favourite French filmmaker working today and I just know Petite Maman will continue the trend of her completely destroying me with her films.

Silent Night (Dir. Camille Griffin)

I love a good Christmas movie, especially one that is about a family. The reason? It’s always full of drama. Camille Griffin’s Silent Night seems to be just that, plus you add the great Keira Knightley and you create a film that is tailor-made for me. Christmas films can be cheesy and over the top but it’s also the type of films that sometimes hit you so hard you are left to be a puddle of emotions. Add the family element to it and you have the recipe for a film that will for sure end up being emotional, dramatic and maybe a bit over the top. And that is all I want from a good Christmas film honestly.

Spencer (Dir. Pablo Larraín)

If there is one thing that everyone knows about me (or at least should know) is my love for Kristen Stewart knows no bound. Pair her with Pablo Larraín and you have a film that I just need to see right away. Spencer tells the story of the weekend Princess Diana decided to divorce Prince Charles and from everything I have been able to see and hear, I just know this will be one of the biggest Oscar contenders this season. If Larraín can create an insightful film and pair it with a Stewart that can nail the accent, then you have everything you need in order to create a masterpiece.