11 Films From TIFF 2023 We Can't Wait To See Released

Toronto Film Festival 2023 (TIFF) was a good one. With the ongoing strike, taking a moment to celebrate film and share in the joy of watching new creations by filmmakers is a reminder of why the medium is so important, and why it will continue to be so once the strike eventually does end. 

Which, it will.

We’re also excited because this year we had a host of GreenSlate client projects that appeared in some form or another at TIFF.

So yes, we’re biased because these are our clients. 

But we’re also film lovers, and each one of these are intriguing in their own right.

So let’s take a quick look at each these films that screened at Toronto Film Festival 2023.

American Fiction

We were excited about American Fiction at TIFF, and it appears everybody else was as well. The film won the TIFF People's Choice Award. American Fiction stars Jeffrey Wright in Cord Jefferson’s adaptation of Percival Everett’s Erasure — a wicked satire about the commodification of marginalized voices and a portrait of an artist forced to re-examine his integrity.

The Burial

The Maggie Betts directed courtroom drama The Burial stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones teamed up as an unlikely duo determined to uphold justice against corporate greed.

Jones portrays Jeremiah O’Keefe, a funeral director in Biloxi, Mississippi who, due to debts, is forced to sell parts of his business to a corporation seeing death as a profit opportunity.

When a contractual dispute arises, he hires charismatic personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to help take on the big, lawyered-up corporation.

Gonzo Girl

Gonzo Girl is Patricia Arquette’s directorial debut and stars herself, William Dafoe, and Camila Marrone. The film is an adaptation of Cheryl Della Pietra's novel, which shares the same title. It draws heavily from Pietra's experiences as the personal assistant to Hunter S. Thompson.

While the book can't be strictly classified as a biography, its fictional elements are minimal, suggesting that the movie, Gonzo Girl, could be a wild ride.

Daddio

Daddio follows the conversation of two people during a taxi ride from JFK airport to central Manhattan. Aside from a fleeting appearance by a taxi handler and a quick, silent role by a little girl in another car, the movie's focus is almost solely focused on the characters played by Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson. 

The storyline follows an in-depth, emotional discussion between two strangers on their ride back home, touching on various subjects such as romance, computer science, and early life traumas.

The film is the directorial debut of Christy Hall, a playwright who originally intended for Daddio to be a stage play.

His Three Daughters

The world premier of His Three Daughters, directed by Azazel Jacobs, is a family drama starring Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne as estranged sisters brought together by their father's deteriorating health. As the father's condition worsens, the sisters must confront their differences and plan for the future.

Mother, Couch

The film featuring Ewan McGregor, Rhys Ifans, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Ellen Burstyn explores the profound influence of parents and the strength of family unity in guiding one's life path. This debut film from Niclas Larsson showcases his distinct style, building surrealism through a sequence of striking visuals.

Mother, Couch is ultimately about the turbulent, transformative experiences that destabilize us momentarily, leading to the discovery of a fresh, uncharted territory in our lives.

Pain Hustlers

Appearing at Toronto Film Festival 2023 is the David Yates directed film adaptation of Evan Hughes' 2022 non-fiction book, The Hard Sell; where they play pharmaceutical sales reps who inadvertently help spark the opioid crisis in their quest for financial gain.

Pain Hustlers stars Emily Blunt and Chris Evans and tells the real-life tale of unchecked capitalism and the enticement of the allure and thrill of success, despite the cost. Liza Drake (Blunt) is a single mother and bar dancer who crosses paths with Pete Brenner (Evans), a less-than-ethical drug representative for a near-bankrupt pharmaceutical start-up. Sensing potential in Drake, Brenner ropes her into selling a novel opioid developed for alleviating pain in cancer patients.

Sing Sing

Greg Kwedar's film Sing Sing spotlights a convict theater troupe within Sing Sing Correctional Facility's actual arts rehabilitation program. Under the guidance of inmate Divine G (Colman Domingo), the troupe introduces a new member, Divine Eye, and ventures into comedic elements — from pirate tales to gladiator fights. As Divine Eye struggles with vulnerability, Divine G works to bridge the gap while preparing for his clemency hearing.

The majority of the cast — consisting of former inmates and Rehabilitation Through the Arts program graduates — brings authenticity to the film.

The Holdovers

In The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti stars as Professor Hunham, a stern teacher at an elite 1971 boarding school who's punished with supervising students unable to go home during winter break. Hunham's decision to enforce advanced study triggers a clash with 15-year-old rebellious student, Angus (Dominic Sessa), observed by the lonely school cafeteria manager, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), grieving her son's death in Vietnam.

As the holiday season progresses, antagonism evolves into shared loneliness and understanding. Giamatti delivers a standout performance, while Sessa impresses in his breakout role showing his character's layered rebellion.

Director Alexander Payne adeptly illustrates that initial perceptions often don't capture the whole truth and that personal pains, though unique, often reveal how alike we are.

Wildcat

Ethan Hawke's latest directorial project Wildcat focuses on a pivotal period in writer Flannery O’Connor's life, portraying her uncompromising commitment to her distinctive literary style. The film features Hawke's daughter, Maya, as O’Connor, dwelling less on the process of writing and more on its enduring end result.

Key themes include O’Connor's devout Catholicism and her deliberate choice for a pared-down lifestyle. The film, featuring appearances from actors Philip Ettinger, Laura Linney, Steve Zahn, Alessandro Nivola, and Cooper Hoffman, echoes Hawke's work on Paul Schrader’s First Reformed with its exploration of spiritual struggle and divine purpose.

Dicks: The Musical

Just... watch the trailer. The TIFF midnight premier of Dicks: The Musical left quite the impression and boy do people have things to say about it. 

Which one of these are you the most excited to see when released?

➡️ TIFF 2023 ran from September 7 through September 17. See the full list of films that appeared at the Toronto Film Festival 2023 here.