7 MOVIES I’m Excited to see at TIFF 2026
TIFF is right around the corner, and I can’t believe I’m heading to cover the festival soon. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) runs from September 10-20. I will be attending 9/10-/16, and I’m so excited and grateful to cover on behalf of my own Outlet!
I am looking forward to watching so many films, gathering with fellow critic friends, and meeting some in person. There is so much to see; I’m planning to watch a lot while I’m out there, and hopefully some screeners if I can’t see them all in person. But I’m excited to highlight some of the movies on my list!
CLOSING NIGHT
| WORLD PREMIERE – SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS |
| Directed by Cody Fern Written by Cody Fern and Devon Bostick Starring Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest, Toby Wallace, and Odessa A’zion |
When famed actress Sandra Vale (Sarah Paulson) summons her estranged family to a reunion after decades of silence, her sister April (Naomi Watts) and mother Diane (Dianne Wiest) arrive to keep their family’s darkest secret from tearing everything apart.
Starring: Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts, Dianne Wiest, Toby Wallace, and Odessa A’zion
2026 / Australia, Canada / 115 min
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
It’s the only film this year to screen at Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, TIFF, NYFF and London, and it’s at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. NEON puts it in theaters October 16.
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group – many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years – reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, newly restored and now directed by Greaves’ son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves’ intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem – Official Trailer – In Theaters October 16
@neonrated and @onceuponatimeinharlem2026
FJORD
WINNER – PALME D’OR – CANNES FILM FESTIVAL CANADIAN PREMIERE – Thursday
| Directed by Cristian Mungiu Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve |
From two-time Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu, a Norwegian woman and her devout Romanian husband relocate with their five children to a remote, close-knit, coastal town. Their teenage children form a fast bond with a neighboring family as unease begins to simmer around their rigid beliefs. When allegations of abuse emerge, they are forced to confront a system of judgment that blurs the line between concern and prejudice.
Written and Directed by Cristian Mungiu
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Lisa Carlehed, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Henrikke Lund-Olsen, Vanessa Ceban
Produced by Cristian Mungiu, Pascal Caucheteux, Vincent Maraval, Dyveke Bjørkly Graver, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar, Grégoire Sorlat, Sean Wheelan, Kristina Börjeson, Mimmi Spång, Adela Vrânceanu Celibidache, Katrin Pors, Mikkel Jersin, Jussi Rantamäki, Emilia Haukka, Marco Perego, Tudor Reu
2026 / Romania, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark / 146 minutes
WILD HORSE NINE
| Synopsis: Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are dispatched from Santiago to Easter island by their bureau chief, MJ (Steve Buscemi). Amongst the Island’s iconic statues, and as the longtime partners wrestle with their dark pasts and present conspiracies, Chris’s newfound bond with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas) threatens to send everyone’s trip to this remote paradise sideways. |
| Release Date: November 06, 2026 |
| Cast: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey, Tom Waits, Mariana Di Girolamo, Paola Giannini, Ailín Salas, Samuel Wayt |
| WILD HORSE NINE #SearchlightPictures #WildHorseNine In theaters November 6, 2026. |
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Written by: Martin McDonagh
Produced by: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh, Anita Overland
YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER
| From writer-director Bassam Tariq, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother stars Mahershala Ali as Latif, a devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood. When his wife dies, he embarks on a desperate journey across Houston to protect his children, confronting the forces closing in around him – and the beliefs threatening to unravel within. |
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”I thought I was Your sword, now I have to fill her shoes.” Watch the trailer for Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, in select theaters September 25, everywhere October.
| YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER (Amazon MGM Studios / Orion) |
Follow @OrionPictures #AmazonMGM #YourMotherMovie #MahershalaAli
Section: Special Presentations
Written and Directed by: Bassam Tariq
Cast: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Abubakr Ali, Laith Nakli, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Giancarlo Esposito, also starring Adia, Jaheel Kamara
Produced by: Lucan Toh, p.g.a., Babak Anvari, Bassam Tariq, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Brian O’Neill
Genres: Drama, Action
The Debut | A24
From writer/director Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore, Jesse Eisenberg, and Paul Giamatti.
THE DEBUT – Coming Soon.
When Mona Friedman is cast in a bit part at a small community theater, she transforms from a shy, unassuming housewife into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect the artistic integrity of her marginal role—even if it means waging war against the show’s domineering director.
The Debut | Official Trailer HD | A24
ABOUT A24: The studio behind EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, UNCUT GEMS, MIDSOMMAR, MOONLIGHT, BEEF on Netflix, EUPHORIA on Max & more.
INK | Netflix
Ink is a 2026 biographical drama film directed by Danny Boyle and adapted by James Graham from his 2017 stage play. A co-production of the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, it follows Larry Lamb as he accepts Rupert Murdoch offer to be the editor of the British tabloid newspaper The Sun.
INK | Official Teaser | Netflix
Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy star in INK, from Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle. A group of visionaries and misfits had an idea for a new kind of news — one that would give the people what they want and would change the face of the world we live in today. Based on the Tony Award-winning play of the same name. INK. In select theaters December 11 and on Netflix January 8 in the US and Latin America.
Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/83035739 About Netflix: Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services offering TV series, films, games and live programming across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.
Some other films I am looking forward to:
Being Huemann
Josephine
I Play Rocky
A Talent For Murder
Bunker
A Girl Unknown
Mr. Nelson Did You Kill People
Everybody Wants To F* Me
Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo
Bad Lieutenant
September 10–20, 2026: Toronto International Film Festival presented by Rogers
https://tiff.net/films?schedule
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film.
TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds.
As Canada’s premiere home of cinema, TIFF offers screenings, lectures, discussions, festivals, workshops, events, professional development and opportunities to meet, hear and learn from filmmakers from Canada and around the world.
September 10–20, 2026: Toronto International Film Festival presented by Rogers
https://tiff.net/films?schedule
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