6 Buzzworthy Films That Made Waves at TIFF

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival marked a milestone year, opening with glamour and excitement and attracting global attention, which the festival is acclaimed for. Held annually in September, Toronto transforms into an international stage as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) takes its place among the "Big Five" — alongside Venice, Cannes, Berlin, and Sundance. Marking five decades of cinematic excellence, TIFF honored its legacy while unveiling a slate of highly anticipated new releases. The festival showcased an impressive 291 films, spanning a diverse array of genres and formats.

I had the chance to see some of the festival's most talked-about films, from the South Korean dark, comedic thriller and winner of this year's TIFF's Best International People's Choice award, "No Other Choice" to Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein", a gothic masterpiece that received a 15-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

These standout TIFF films are among some of the ones I've watched, generating early awards-season buzz and deserve a spot on your must-watch list.

Director: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-Jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won

Adapted from Donald E. Westlake's 1997 satirical thriller The Ax, "No Other Choice," follows Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun), a dedicated paper factory worker suddenly laid off after 25 years, a narrative that reflects the harsh reality that many can relate to; decades of loyalty to a company only to be repaid with a pink slip and the uphill battles of finding a new job in a scarce market.

Propelled by the suffocating weight of desperation to support his family (his wife, Mi-ri, played by actress Son Ye-jin, step-son, and daughter), he hatches a darkly clever, murderous plan to eliminate his job rivals for a new coveted position at another paper company. Seeing no other alternative, he resorts to a 'kill-or-be-killed' mentality, targeting anyone standing between him and securing the job. Despite landing the position in the finale, an ironic twist reveals his hard-won triumph may be short-lived by a new threat – AI.

This movie is right up your alley if you enjoy black comedy or a satirical take on late capitalism, and it gives a stark, piercing glimpse into the lengths some people will resort to when survival is at stake. Fans of Squid Game will recognize Lee Byung-hun in the lead role of this South Korean dark comedy.

Director Park Chan-wook's cinematography evokes an almost dreamlike world, finding a balance between Byung-hun's physical comedy and the poetic soundtrack to make extravagant, nearly farcical scenes feel grounded in reality.

Cast: Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Alex Jennings, and Fala Chen.

Director: Edward Berger

There's nothing glamorous about "Conclave" director Edward Berger's "Ballad of a Small Player," based on Lawrence Osborne's 2014 novel—and that's what makes it so powerful. Set against the mesmerizing backdrop of Macau's neon-lit casinos, the film trades in glitter only to show the emptiness behind it. The film trades spectacle for introspection, capturing the slow unraveling of a man who indulges in excess in the attempt to fill an inner void.

Colin Farrell anchors the film as Lord Doyle, a disgraced conman masquerading as nobility, drowning in debt as a gambling addict. Farrell performs one of his most layered performances, taking us into the mindset of a gambling addict's psyche: the intoxicating thrill of risk, the gnawing emptiness that follows each loss, the frantic desperation to chase another high, and the shame and guilt that linger beneath the surface.

The scene that lingers most finds Doyle in his hotel room, surrounded by lavish displays of food, savagely stuffing his face with lobster and champagne to the point he nearly chokes. It's not just excess on display but desperation—an addict's futile attempt to consume his way out of despair. Grotesque, heartbreaking, and seared into memory, the scene captures the desperation of filling a void with excess instead of confronting one's own traumas.

Berger directs with patience, refusing cheap thrills in favor of mood, silence, and slow-burning despair. That won't satisfy viewers looking for casino fireworks, but for those open to it, "Ballad of a Small Player" hits hard.

Farrell dominates the film, portraying a man who, despite repeated lapses into addiction, finds a path toward redemption—leaving the audience with a sense of hope even as temptation lingers.

Director: Richard Brown, Tebogo Malope

Cast: Barack Obama, Stephen Curry, J. Cole, Masai Ujiri, Amadou Gallo Fall, Joakim Noah, Adam Silver, Mark Tatum, Pascal Siakam

This documentary showcases the transformative power of sports, tracing the impact of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). A compelling four-part documentary that celebrates the birth of a league destined to reshape basketball across Africa.

The BAL, a visionary partnership between the NBA and FIBA, was created to provide young African players with a clear, professional pathway—a platform to develop their skills at home while elevating the game of basketball across Africa.

The series chronicles the league's inaugural season in 2021, featuring 12 teams from countries as diverse as Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and Rwanda, capturing not just the games but the cultural richness and unique stories behind each player.

Co-directed by Richard Brown and Tebogo Malope, the documentary delves into the minds behind the league's creation, including BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and Masai Ujiri (Giants of Africa co-founder, former Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman, and series executive producer), who highlight the decades of work and ambition that brought the project to life.

With interviews from global figures like J. Cole (Grammy-winning artist and player for The Rwanda Patriots), Barack Obama (44th President of the United States and a strategic partner of NBA Africa), Steph Curry (four-time NBA champion), as well as local voices like sports journalist Usher Komugisha, the series paints a portrait of determination, talent, and unity.

You don't need to be a basketball expert to appreciate the impact of this documentary. Informative and inspiring, the documentary highlights the BAL's transformative power, demonstrating that with vision and opportunity, dreams can indeed come true.

Director: Byun Sung-hyun

Cast: Sul Kyung-gu, Hong Kyung, Ryoo Seung-bum, Yamada Takayuki, Shiina Kippei, Kim Seung-o, Show Kasamatsu, Nairu Yamamoto

A festival unexpected underdog that stole the show, "Good News" clearly struck a chord at the sold-out Princess of Wales Theatre, where its satire and humor drew waves of laughter and applause from the audience.

The story plunged viewers into the mayhem of a hijacked plane; this satirical and comical geopolitical thriller kept audiences on edge from take-off to landing. Inspired by actual events, "Good News" reimagines a 1970 plane hijacking in which a flight departing Tokyo's Haneda Airport was nearly diverted to Pyongyang, North Korea. A commercial aircraft en route to Itazuke falls under the control of Japan's militant extremist Communist group, the Red Army Faction, demanding a course change to Pyongyang.

Split into five chapters, it delivers a somewhat timely message about the dangers of bureaucratic indecision. The plot remains easy to follow, even as it jumps between perspectives and indulges several fantasy sequences. The dynamic relationship between the cast is evident throughout in a movie that turns a serious topic into a frivolous one, managing to maintain a consistent tone even amidst the chaos.

Young Korean actor Hong Kyung shines in his performance as Seo Go-myung, a lieutenant seeking recognition, delivering a performance that marks him as one of Korean cinema's most promising talents to watch.

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery

Del Toro's interpretation of Mary Shelley's iconic masterpiece "Frankenstein" brings the classic to life for a new generation with cinematography that wouldn't feel out of place in an Old Hollywood epic.

At TIFF's North American premiere, Guillermo del Toro expressed that it took years to bring the film to life, revealing it as a deeply personal project. From the start, he wanted to explore themes of pain, regret, and forgiveness drawn from his own life, particularly a story about his complex relationship with his father.

Watching Oscar Isaac's portrayal of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who slips further into madness throughout the film, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. "Frankenstein" unfolds through the dual lenses of Victor and his Creature (played by Jacob Elordi). Del Toro initially considered making two separate films—one for each viewpoint—but ultimately chose to weave both perspectives into a single story.

One of the reasons that makes "Frankenstein" unique is that it's one of the few recent productions to find a happy balance between period-accurate costuming and delivering a set design that feels appropriate for del Toro's epic undertaking. Although based on an early 19th-century novel, del Toro's version of "Frankenstein" delivers a deeply personal message about life as an outcast and the struggles of breaking generational cycles that's just as relevant for a modern audience.

Director: HIKARI

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, Akira Emoto

Every so often, a film captures the essence of being human beautifully. Perhaps it was the recent loss of my aunt that made "Rental Family" move me so profoundly.

At first glance, its premise may seem curious—even absurd: agencies in Japan that rent out surrogate family members for weddings, birthdays, or to ease loneliness. Brendan Fraser plays Phillip, a struggling American actor in Tokyo, who takes on multiple roles for a surrogacy agency in which he is 'hired' by families and individuals to act out specific roles to fill in the gaps in their lives, from acting as a father figure to a young girl, to a journalist who interviews a celebrated Japanese actor affected by dementia, to posing as a groom at a wedding. As he steps into these roles, he begins to care for his clients genuinely, and the boundary between work and life starts to blur. In navigating their joys and struggles, he rediscovers a sense of purpose, belonging, and the quiet, enduring beauty of human connection.

The idea of "Rental Families" in Japan is not new; its roots stretch back centuries, though it experienced a notable revival in the 1980s.

Although the film is a loving homage to the country, its cinematography draws viewers into Japan's landscapes and rhythms with understated elegance; it tells a story beneath the beauty, and illustrates the rigid cultural expectations that compel those who refuse to conform to societal and family expectations to live dual lives.

Fraser's performance is quietly powerful—humorous one moment, raw and vulnerable in the next. The story unfolds as a heartfelt reflection on loss, belonging, grief, and the families we choose.

At the premiere, Hikari shared a powerful message about the film's final scene—Phillip facing his own reflection in the mirror—that embodies her core message, drawing from her own experiences: anytime you feel lost or seek answers, the journey always begins within yourself.