Toronto International Film Festival 2025: Movie Scorecard
TIFF 2025 is in full swing, and the reviews are comin’ in hot as critics are praising performances by Matthew McConaughey, Sydney Sweeney, Paul Mescal, Daniel Craig, and more. From Sweeney’s dramatic transformation in Christy, which critics are saying is a major step-up for the actress, to Daniel Craig’s “best performance of Benoit Blanc so far” in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (read first reviews here), it’s safe to say this year could be one for the books, eh?
While director Hikari and Brendan Fraser received an emotional standing ovation for Rental Family, critics reported that Paul Mezcal’s performance in Hamnet“will bring you to tears.” Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey delivers a “pulsing perfomance as a flawed dad desperately trying to reach his ill son” in The Lost Bus.
Read on as we rank all the titles with Tomatometer scores, and be sure to check back as we update throughout the fest, which runs until September 14.
Critics Consensus: A gorgeous meditation on America, ably shouldered by one of Joel Edgerton's very best performances, Train Dreams takes on mythic proportions while maintaining an intimate emotional delicacy.
Synopsis: Based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel [More]
Critics Consensus: A thematically rich and visually arresting political thriller, The Secret Agent blends grindhouse stylization with biting social commentary to weave a vividly dangerous yet darkly human tale.
Synopsis: Brazil, 1977. Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s, is on the run. Hoping to reunite with his son, [More]
Critics Consensus: Directed with pristine precision by Park Chan-wook, No Other Choice is a wickedly clever takedown of the corporate rat race that finds a perfect avatar in Lee Byung-Hun's skillfully hapless performance.
Synopsis: When a man is abruptly laid off by the paper company where he has worked tirelessly for many years, he [More]
Critics Consensus: Brilliantly offbeat and tinged with a darkly humorous edge, Dead Man's Wire is brought to life by Bill Skarsgård's fearless performance, authentic period flavor, and anti-capitalist fervor.
Synopsis: On February 8, 1977, Tony Kiritsis entered the office of Richard Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took [More]
Critics Consensus:Cover-Up shines a light on Seymour Hersh's remarkable career and the pugnacious commitment it required, making for an absorbing and instructive treatise on journalistic responsibility.
Synopsis: Cover-Up is a political thriller that traces the explosive career of Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. Urgent and deeply [More]
Synopsis: Adapted from Kahlil Joseph's renowned video art installation, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions is a distinctive cinematic experience that mirrors the [More]
Critics Consensus: Elevated by Mads Mikkelsen and Sophie Sloan's magnetic chemistry, Dust Bunny is a dazzlingly imaginative and stylish feature debut from director Bryan Fuller.
Synopsis: Ten-year-old Aurora has a mysterious neighbor (Mads Mikkelsen) who kills real-life monsters. He's a hit man for hire. So, when [More]
Critics Consensus: A deft balance of prickly and sweet that's bound together by Robert Aramayo's knockout performance, I Swear doesn't sugarcoat the challenges of Tourette syndrome while delivering an uplifting tale of resilience.
Synopsis: Scottish setting, true life story of John Davidson. Diagnosed with Tourette's at 15, targeted as 'insane' by his peers, he [More]
Synopsis: From Oscar®-winning director Ben Proudfoot, THE EYES OF GHANA is a stunning feature documentary following 93-year-old documentarian Chris Hesse--personal cinematographer [More]
Synopsis: 16-year-old Choo befriends 3 rebellious classmates in their elite all-girls Chinese school. Their urge to resist authoritarian teachers and school [More]
Critics Consensus: Perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet, It Was Just an Accident is a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller.
Synopsis: What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences. [More]
Critics Consensus: A brutal reminder that the journey can be more important than the destination, Sirât is an unforgettable exercise in tension that wallops its audience like a deafening blast of bass to the face.
Synopsis: A father (Sergi López) and his son arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco. They are [More]
Critics Consensus: Deftly exploring the uneasy tension between artistic expression and personal connection, Sentimental Value is a bracingly mature work from writer-director Joachim Trier that's marvelously acted across the board.
Synopsis: Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora [More]
Critics Consensus: While not the flashiest Richard Linklater film, Blue Moon boasts a wonderful performance by Ethan Hawke as he embodies a man hanging on by a thread while the audience hangs on to every word said.
Synopsis: ...You know how in marriage they say "for better or for worse"? I think, in terms of my life, I [More]
Critics Consensus: Liable to leave audiences in a cold sweat, this fever dream immersion into parental stress connects with thunderous force thanks to Rose Byrne's gutsy star turn and director Mary Bronstein's uncompromising vision.
Synopsis: With her life crashing down around her, Linda (Rose Byrne) attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, [More]
Critics Consensus: Exquisitely well-crafted and laced with mordant humor, Sound of Falling is a haunting generational drama that announces Mascha Schillinski as a world-class directorial talent.
Synopsis: Over the course of a century, as four girls from different time periods experience their youth on a German farm, [More]
Critics Consensus: A sweet-natured dramedy about faking human connection until you make it, Rental Family provides Brendan Fraser an ideal showcase for his sensitive star power while backing him up with a terrific ensemble.
Synopsis: Set in modern-day Tokyo, RENTAL FAMILY follows an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who struggles to find purpose until he lands [More]
Critics Consensus: Finding moments of joy and levity even under dire circumstances thanks to its endlessly compelling subject, Fatma Hassona, this documentary helps put a deeply human face on a wide scale tragedy.
Synopsis: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk offers an intimate, first-hand perspective on life under siege in Gaza, captured [More]
Critics Consensus: Giving Benoit Blanc a worthy mystery with its genuinely soulful fixation on faith and a scene-stealing Josh O'Connor performance, Wake Up Dead Man is another Knives Out puzzle that comes together splendidly.
Synopsis: Detective Benoit Blanc sifts through a series of suspects when a monsignor turns up dead. [More]
Critics Consensus: Seamlessly recreating one of cinema's most groundbreaking productions, Nouvelle Vague doesn't reinvent the medium the way its subjects did, but it pays tribute to their accomplishment with infectious admiration.
Synopsis: This is the story of Godard making "Breathless", told in the style and spirit in which Godard made "Breathless". [More]
Critics Consensus: Blending together different influences that complement each other like the colors of a rainbow, Arco soars with its clever world-building and lovable characters.
Synopsis: In 2075, a 10-year-old girl, Iris, sees a mysterious boy wearing a rainbow jumpsuit falling from the sky. It's Arco. [More]
Critics Consensus: Breaking hearts and mending them in one fell swoop, Hamnet speculates on the inspiration behind Shakespeare's masterpiece with palpable emotional force thanks to Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal's astonishing performances.
Synopsis: From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, HAMNET tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation [More]
Critics Consensus: Marrying a clever spin on the afterlife with an infectious sweet streak, Eternity is a spiritual successor to classic romantic screwball comedies that's worthy of their company.
Synopsis: In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with [More]
Critics Consensus: Reveling in Tessa Thompson's commanding turn as Hedda, Nia DaCosta's smoldering update on Henrik Ibsen's seminal play locates a bracingly contemporary pulse within a classic text.
Synopsis: From writer/director Nia DaCosta comes a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's classic play. HEDDA (Tessa Thompson) finds herself torn [More]
Critics Consensus: Recreating a real-life disaster with terrifying authenticity, The Lost Bus ratchets up the tension while maintaining a humanist core thanks to Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera's effective performances.
Synopsis: A determined bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a deadly wildfire. [More]
Critics Consensus: A disarmingly sweet tonal gearshift for director Derek Cianfrance, Roofman is shaggy as a narrative but expertly tailored to Channing Tatum's strengths as an eminently likable leading man.
Synopsis: Based on an unbelievable true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns [More]
Critics Consensus: A promising directorial feature debut by Aziz Ansari, Good Fortune's socially-minded humor is given wings by Keanu Reeves' heavenly comedic timing.
Synopsis: In GOOD FORTUNE, a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling [More]
Critics Consensus: Focusing on the good times as it chronicles John Candy's life and career, I Like Me gathers those who knew and loved the iconic actor for a bittersweet retrospective that feels like a cathartic group hug.
Synopsis: From director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds--both lifelong John Candy fans--comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of [More]
Critics Consensus: Dwayne Johnson goes the distance with his transformative turn as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, a gritty biopic that sidesteps cliché even at the expense of narrative satisfaction while still landing the dramatic body blows that count.
Synopsis: The true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend [More]
Critics Consensus: A sobering drama that throws everything along with the kitchen sink at its doggedly determined hero, Steve's pileup of crises can strain credulity but Cillian Murphy's superb performance keeps it grounded in reality.
Synopsis: Set in the mid-90s, Steve is a reimagining of Max Porter's Sunday Times bestseller Shy. The film follows a pivotal [More]
Critics Consensus: Appropriately enough, Renoir offers viewers a drama of sumptuous beauty -- which is more than enough to offset its frustratingly slow pace and rather thinly written screenplay.
Synopsis: Pierre-Auguste Renoir paints on the French Riviera in 1915 after his wife dies and his son is wounded in a [More]
Critics Consensus:A Private Life mixes Hitchcockian suspense, glossy aesthetics, and a playful streak of camp into an entertaining if somewhat slight mystery that's held together by Jodie Foster's captivating presence.
Synopsis: When renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner learns of the death of one of her patients she is deeply troubled. Convinced that [More]
Critics Consensus: While Christy falters in tonal cohesion and emotional impact, it remains a compelling showcase for Sydney Sweeney's transformative performance, grounding a mythic genre in raw, personal storytelling.
Synopsis: Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia--until she discovered a knack for punching [More]
Critics Consensus: Scarlett Johansson's directorial debut may have the pitfalls of an unsteady visionary, but this ultimately uneven caper is greatly amplified by June Squibb's exquisite performance.
Synopsis: In Eleanor The Great, June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who after [More]
Critics Consensus: Elegantly plated but over-seasoned with grit, Black Rabbit's unrelenting edginess can be off-putting but Jason Bateman and Jude Law's committed performances make for a satiating enough meal.
Critics Consensus: Driven by a commanding performance from Russell Crowe, Nuremberg is a handsomely crafted historical drama, but its measured pacing and emotional restraint keep it from fully realizing the complexity of its subject.
Synopsis: As the Nuremberg trials are set to begin, a U.S. Army psychiatrist gets locked in a dramatic psychological showdown with [More]
Critics Consensus: A dryly witty yet overwrought slow burner, The Wizard of the Kremlin can't overcome its thin characters, sluggish pacing, and repetitive storytelling.
Synopsis: Russia, early 1990s. Amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov, charts his path. First an artist, then a [More]
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