Screen critics’ stand-out titles from Toronto 2024

Screen International’s critics have picked out some of the key titles to watch from this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, which ran September 6-15.

Compiled by Nikki Baughan.

The Assessment
Dir. Fleur Fortune
Our critic said: “Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel are appealing as the married pair, with Alicia Vikander delivering a gutsy performance.”
Read our review

Better Man *
Dir. Michael Gracey
Our critic said: “This unusual tribute to Robbie Williams is a very entertaining, surprisingly moving film.”
Read our review

Blue Road
Dir. Sinead O’Shea
Our critic said: “A far more fitting tribute to author Edna O’Brien, her life and work, than the gushing epitaphs delivered on the Irish author’s death last year.”
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Conclave *
Dir. Edward Berger
Our critic said: “Most effective when it’s as shamelessly entertaining as its ambitious characters.”
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The End *
Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
Our critic said: “An audacious and frequently enrapturing experience, with superb performances at its emotional heart.”
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The Fire Inside
Dir. Rachel Morrison
Our critic said: “As with Moonlight, Jenkins and Morrison are not here to reprint cliches – and the craft of the film follows suit.”
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Harbin
Dir. Woo Min-ho
Our critic said: “The refined pleasure of this gripping historical spy drama lies in its painstaking craft.”
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The Last Showgirl
Dir. Gia Coppola
Our critic said: “[Pamela Anderson] is mercurial, committed and oftentimes unrecognisable, giving the performance of her life.”
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Nutcrackers
Dir. David Gordon Green
Our critic said: “[A] wholesome throwback to rambunctious family films like The Bad News Bears.”
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The Piano Lesson *
Dir. Malcolm Washington
Our critic said: “Danielle Deadwyler is the heart and soul of a film whose every inch is deeply felt.”
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Relay
Dir. David Mackenzie
Our critic said: “The pacing is so unhurried, and the script has such deliberate mechanics that the film remains enthralling, despite an overbearing score.”
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Unstoppable
Dir. William Goldenberg
Our critic said: “An affecting, by-the-numbers inspirational sports film, whose ripped from the headlines drama remains grounded.”
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The Wild Robot
Dir. Chris Sanders
Our critic said: “Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal lend their voices to this gorgeous animation about a robot finding her place in the world.”
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*first screened at Telluride

• Screen critics’ stand-out titles from the 2024 Venice Film Festival