TIFF 2017 Scorecard
85%
Critics Consensus: Led by a gripping performance from Melissa Leo, Novitiate grapples uncompromisingly -- and ultimately compellingly -- with questions of faith and feminism.
Synopsis: Spanning over a decade from the early 1950s through to the mid-60s, NOVITIATE is about a young girl's first initiation with love, in this case... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Julianne Nicholson, Dianna Agron
Directed By: Maggie Betts
96%
Critics Consensus: Western earns the viewer's attention with an unpredictable, patiently told tale that evokes the spirit of the titular genre while adding its own unique touches.
Synopsis: When some German construction workers begin a challenging new job in the Bulgarian countryside, their sense of adventure is awakened, but so, too, are their... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Fragnova
Directed By: Valeska Grisebach
89%
Critics Consensus: With its thorny themes and aggressive humor, Bodied dares to offend - and justifies its approach with a subversive comedy that edifies as it entertains.
Synopsis: A progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject turns into a competitive obsession.
Starring: Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Rory Uphold, Walter Perez
Directed By: Joseph Kahn
90%
Critics Consensus: Tender performances and a strong sense of style combine to create an eccentric, dreamy portrait of love and loneliness in On Body and Soul.
Synopsis: When a man and woman who meet at work begin to know each other, they discover that they have the same dreams at night, and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Géza Morcsányi, Alexandra Borbély, Zoltán Schneider, Ervin Nagy
Directed By: Ildikó Enyedi
92%
Critics Consensus: Writer-director Aki Kaurismäki further sharpens his craft with The Other Side of Hope, offering a timely drama whose melancholy air is leavened by its empathy.
Synopsis: A poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees that has recently arrived in Finland.
Starring: Sherwan Haji, Sakari Kuosmanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Ilkka Koivula
Directed By: Aki Kaurismäki
90%
Critics Consensus: Lean on Pete avoids mawkish melodrama, offering an empathetic yet clear-eyed portrayal of a young man at a crossroads that confirms Charley Plummer as a major talent.
Synopsis: Charley, a teen living with his single father, finds work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete. When he learns Pete is bound... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Zahn, Justin Rain
Directed By: Andrew Haigh
96%
Critics Consensus: Zama offers a series of scathingly insightful observations about colonialism and class dynamics -- and satisfyingly ends a long wait between projects from writer-director Lucrecia Martel.
Synopsis: Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín
Directed By: Lucrecia Martel
81%
Critics Consensus: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool showcases brilliant work from Annette Bening, whose performance is more than enough to outweigh this biopic's basic narrative.
Synopsis: Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame finds romance and happiness with a younger man, but her life changes forever when she is diagnosed with breast cancer in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Kenneth Cranham
Directed By: Paul McGuigan
89%
Critics Consensus: A powerful character study, A Ciambra burns slowly, letting its compelling cast carry what could otherwise be just another coming-of-age story.
Synopsis: A 14-year-old miscreant sets out to prove he's ready to step into his older brother's shoes.
Starring: Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon, Damiano Amato, Francesco Pio Amato
Directed By: Jonas Carpignano
87%
Critics Consensus: Professor Marston & The Wonder Women winds a lasso of cinematic truth around a fascinating fact-based tale with strong performances from its three stars.
Synopsis: If behind every great man is a great woman, then Harvard psychologist and inventor Dr. William Moulton Marston has the good fortune of having two... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Connie Britton
Directed By: Angela Robinson
88%
Critics Consensus: First They Killed My Father tackles its subject matter with grace, skill, and empathy, offering a ground-level look at historic atrocities that resonates beyond its story's borders.
Synopsis: Loung Ung is 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge assumes power over Cambodia in 1975. They soon begin a four-year reign of terror and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sareum Srey Moch, Phoeung Kompheak, Sveng Socheata, Tharoth Sam
Directed By: Angelina Jolie
74%
Critics Consensus: The Children Act showcases yet another powerful performance from Emma Thompson, who elevates this undeniably flawed picture into an affecting adult drama.
Synopsis: Judge Fiona May must race against the clock to determine the fate of a teenage boy in need of a lifesaving blood transfusion, stretching her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emma Thompson, Fionn Whitehead, Stanley Tucci, Ben Chaplin
Directed By: Richard Eyre
78%
Critics Consensus: What Will People Say? argues that institutional sexism starts at home -- and the results can be as powerful as they are difficult to watch.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nisha lives a double life. When out with her friends, she's a regular Norwegian teenager. At home with her family, she is the perfect... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Maria Mozhdah, Adil Hussain, Ekavali Khanna, Rohit Saraf
Directed By: Iram Haq
98%
Critics Consensus: Subversive, gorgeously shot, and suitably visceral, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts injects timely feminist themes into a neo-western grindhouse framework.
Synopsis: When a young widow is raped and her cattle are stolen, she fights back and kills several of her attackers. She embarks on a journey... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marsha Timothy, Egy Fedly, Dea Panendra, Yoga Pratama
Directed By: Mouly Surya
81%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A man who runs a pet euthanizing service runs afoul of a white supremacist.
Starring: Matti Onnismaa, Jari Virman, Heikki Nousiainen, Pihla Penttinen
Directed By: Teemu Nikki
84%
Critics Consensus: Darkest Hour is held together by Gary Oldman's electrifying performance, which brings Winston Churchill to life even when the movie's narrative falters.
Synopsis: The fate of Western Europe hangs on Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. The newly appointed British prime minister must decide... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James
Directed By: Joe Wright
89%
Critics Consensus: Limited in setting but impressive in scope, In Syria uses one group's experiences to offer a brilliantly effective indictment of the horrors of war.
Synopsis: In Damascus, a mother attempts to keep her family safe as war rages and a sniper lies in wait outside her home.
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bou Abboud, Juliette Navis, Mohsen Abbas
Directed By: Philippe Van Leeuw
87%
Critics Consensus: The Third Murder makes satisfying work of its weighty themes, even if it doesn't quite stand with writer-director Hirokazu Koreeda's best efforts.
Synopsis: Well-known attorney Shigemori takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi, who served jail time for another murder 30 years ago. Shigemori's chances of winning... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Kôji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa
Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda
74%
Critics Consensus: Let the Corpses Tan challenges the audience's expectations -- and delivers a singularly stylish, unforgettably unique viewing experience in the bargain.
Synopsis: During a beautiful Mediterranean summer, Rhino and his gang steal a cache of gold. They believe they've found the perfect hideout: a remote and abandoned... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elina Löwensohn, Stéphane Ferrara, Bernie Bonvoisin, Michelangelo Marchese
Directed By: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
92%
Critics Consensus: Beast plays like bleak poetry, unfurling its psychological thrills while guided by its captivating leads and mesmerizing, visceral visuals.
Synopsis: In a small island community, a troubled young woman falls for a mysterious outsider who empowers her to escape her oppressive family. When he comes... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Geraldine James, Johnny Flynn, Charley Palmer Rothwell
Directed By: Michael Pearce
80%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Searching for his dog, Aslak ventures into a dark, misty forest that may be home to a werewolf.
Starring: Adam Ekeli, Kathrine Fagerland, Jørgen Langhelle, Jone Hope Larsen
Directed By: Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen
82%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a German drifter wanders into a seemingly idyllic town in the Luxembourg countryside and decides to put down roots, everything is not as it... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Frederick Lau, Vicky Krieps, Marco Lorenzini, Martine Kohn
Directed By: Govinda Van Maele
83%
Critics Consensus: The Final Year uses director Greg Barker's wide-ranging access to take a detailed inside look at the closing months of the Obama administration.
Synopsis: An account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office.
Starring: Ben Rhodes, Samantha Power, John Kerry, Susan Rice
Directed By: Greg Barker
79%
Critics Consensus: Brad's Status transcends its familiar premise with insightful observations and affecting interplay between stars Ben Stiller and Austin Abrams.
Synopsis: Brad Sloan has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban California, but it's not quite what he imagined during his glory days in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Stiller, Michael Sheen, Jenna Fischer, Luke Wilson
Directed By: Mike White
96%
Critics Consensus: Custody uses formal restraint -- and a series of searing performances -- to take a hard-hitting look at the often painful bond between parents and children.
Synopsis: Miriam and Antoine Besson have divorced, and Miriam is seeking sole custody of their son Julien to protect him from a father she claims is... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Denis Ménochet, Léa Drucker, Thomas Gioria, Mathilde Auneveux
Directed By: Xavier Legrand
94%
Critics Consensus: Angels Wear White can be uncomfortable viewing, but its grim subject matter is balanced by a smartly constructed story elevated by powerful acting.
Synopsis: In a quiet seaside village in China, two victims of a brutal assault find themselves trapped in a web of danger and violence.
Starring: Vicky Chen, Meijun Zhou, Le Geng, Weiwei Liu
Directed By: Vivian Qu
84%
Critics Consensus: Battle of the Sexes turns real-life events into a crowd-pleasing, well-acted dramedy that ably entertains while smartly serving up a volley of present-day parallels.
Synopsis: The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales
Directed By: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
81%
Critics Consensus: Dark River is just as bleak as its title would suggest, but solidly conceived characters and a standout performance from Ruth Wilson make it worth diving in.
Synopsis: Following the death of her father, Alice returns home to Yorkshire for the first time in 15 years to claim the tenancy of the family... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean, Esme Creed-Miles
Directed By: Clio Barnard
79%
Critics Consensus: The Killing of a Sacred Deer continues director Yorgos Lanthimos' stubbornly idiosyncratic streak -- and demonstrates again that his is a talent not to be ignored.
Synopsis: Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bill Camp, Raffey Cassidy, Denise Dal Vera, Colin Farrell
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
