“Toronto International Film Festival” Archives

Critics respond to some of the most anticipated films at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

This year’s festival runs September 4 – 14, 2025 and features 200+ films from some of the world’s greatest filmmakers.

Reviews of Volker Schlöndorff’s WW2 morality tale, Jia Zhang-ke’s intriguing drama, and Nimród Antal’s urban thriller.

Reviews of Konrad Niewolski’s prison film, Ittisoontorn Vichailak’s musical tribute, Johnnie To’s judo flick, and Gulshat Omarova coming-of-age movie.

Reviews of David O. Russell’s philosophical comedy, Brad Anderson’s psychological thriller, and Zhang Yimou’s martial arts epic.

Reviews of David Gordon Green’s Southern fable and Ra’up McGee’s directorial debut.

Reviews of Attila Janisch’s haunting murder mystery and Mamoru Oshii’s lavish cyberpunk epic.

This is a film that so desperately wants you to find it meaningful that it practically begs you.

Yet another droll, dyer-than-dry account focusing on a down-and-out man on the fringes of society.

Simply put, The Fall ends up drowning in its own excesses.

Of course, the outcome of the film is never really in question. However, the joy is in the way that the film arrives there.

Compared to the rest Herzog’s canon, Rescue Dawn might rank a little lower than others, but overall a very solid, if sometimes safe film.

There’s plenty of sound and fury to go around in Macbeth, but really nothing significant.

There’s some espionage, betrayal, and financial hijinks, but to call it “high-voltage” is to dramatically oversell the film.

Proof yet again that even the biggest budget can’t save a film if it’s lacking a solid storyline and well-developed characters.

Much like Jesus’ parables, Father Anatoly’s unconventional behavior cuts through religious formalism and legalism.

As a pure mood piece laced through with introspective thoughts concerning the roles of fathers, Times and Winds can be quite powerful and haunting.

One of the best, most pointed and tragic gangster epics in recent history.

A great disappointment, even with adjusted expectations.

Visually and technically breathtaking but riddled with a number of sci-fi/action movie clichés.