5 Best Films of TIFF 2018
This year at TIFF was fantastic! There were some superb films and to narrow them down is very difficult, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top 5 films of TIFF. These are films you MUST see when they hit theaters later this year. They are in no particular order.
Boy Erased, November 2, 2018
Boy Erased stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Joel Edgerton. It is based on the memoir by Garrad Conley and directed by Joel Edgerton and explores the experience of Jared Eamons as he is coming of age and begins to question his sexuality.
Once his father, a Baptist minister is informed of his son’s potential sins, he consults the elders of the church who decide he must go to conversion therapy. As the film continues, we are privy to some of the “techniques” that are used by the “counselors” in the conversion therapy group. The performances by Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman are breathtaking, and they have some of the best moments of the film together. This is a must-see film from TIFF this year.
A Star Is Born, October 5, 2018
A Star Is Born follows Jackson (Cooper), a country star as he discovers and falls in love with Ally (Lady Gaga). As they fall further in love, she is privy to more of the demons that have plagued him his whole life. While her career begins to skyrocket and his plummet, they have difficulty navigating this new dynamic in their relationship. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper create something truly magical here and will blow you away!
The Hate U Give, October 5, 2018
In The Hate U Give, Amandla Stenberg plays Starr Carter. We learn that Starr has a double life, living in the projects of Garden Heights and alternately in her white high school, Williamson.
The film opens with her explaining the different Starrs that she has to be depending on the situation. One night, she heads to a party with her friend and ends up leaving with an old friend, Khalil. When they are pulled over by the police, Khalil is shot and killed. The rest of the film deals with her finding her voice and deciding whether or not to speak up at the risk of endangering her family. Throughout the rest of the film, we get to see Starr find her voice with the help of her father, Maverick (Russell Hornsby) and mother, Lisa (Regina Hall). Amandla Stenberg has finally found the role that really showcases her talents as an actress and she leaves it all out there.
Halloween, October 19, 2018
David Gordon Green’s, Halloween shows Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finally getting her long-awaited confrontation with Michael Myers (Nick Castle) when he escapes from his prison transfer. Laurie has been preparing for this for 40 years, at the psychological expense of her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer). When Michael escapes on Halloween night, he begins his reign of terror very quickly, and Laurie gets her chance to end it once and for all. The film works fantastically for fans of the franchise as it ignores everything but the original. It also allows a way for new fans in to really appreciate and understand the appeal of Michael Myers.
Green Book, November 21, 2018
Green Book, set in 1962 tells the story of Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), a big-mouthed Italian Bronx native who is hired to drive around Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) on tour in the deep south. Their trip would take place during the height of segregation and Jim Crow laws in the south. To travel safely, they need to follow the Green Book, a guide for African Americans trying to move through the south. However, they must rely on more than just the Green Book to make it through their trip. They need to find common ground and use a bit of Tony’s street smarts to get them through the journey. While the film tackles very complicated and often painful topics, it does so with a sense of humor that makes Green Book one of the best films of not only TIFF but the year.
