The 51st Toronto International Film Festival is all complete, but the memories of many movies and a handful of shows that were showcased live on. The lengthy roster of stories comprised world premieres, anticipated international films, returning TV shows, and horror adaptations, among many other emotional and compelling tales.
After 11 days of movies, there was a lot to digest and consider, with Apple, Netflix, and Amazon all offering some standout selections. Here are the best films and TV shows I caught at TIFF, and when and where you can find them on streaming.
Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a unique thriller
Faith, family, and fighting blend together in this fantastic film
Unfortunately, Marvel fans are never going to get their Blade film starring Mahershala Ali. But after seeing Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother at TIFF, I’d argue fans got something far better. Director Bassam Tariq, who at one point was assigned to helm the Marvel film alongside Ali, tells an engrossing, unique story here about a devoted Muslim father who happens to be a hitman.
A newly widowed father of three, Latif (Ali) struggles with his familial obligations as well as the moral ambiguity and responsibility of his job. While trying to find breast milk for his infant child, Latif is brought into a job to kill an evangelical leader (John Cho) while also taking care of his other two teenage children. It’s a kinetic action film that is tense, funny, and incredibly heartfelt, with a strong emphasis on faith and community.
Your Mother Your Mother Your mother is an Amazon MGM Studios film. It will release wide on October 9 and eventually find its way to Prime Video.
Season six of Slow Horses is dark and chilling
The latest Slough House mystery is looks inward
Whether a TV series that has ran for five seasons already should be included in the lineup at a film festival is definitely a question worth asking, especially when the film festival showing comes only a week before it drops on streaming. Regardless, I loved the first two episodes of season six of Slow Horses, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.
The season has a more intimate and dire feeling than previous ones, doing a better job balancing humor, action, and drama. There are a few seemingly connected threads that pop up at the start of the season: former Slough House agents are being murdered; current agents aren’t getting paid; a familiar foe from the past resurfaces. There is also another reveal, one that has been pretty well spoiled already, that promises some new dynamics and more tension.
You can stream Slow Horses now on Apple TV.
Tenzing offers inspiration and thrills
The Apple TV movie recounts the summit of Mount Everest
Apple TV’s movies are mostly subpar, nowhere near as consistently good as its television offerings, but Tenzing presents a rare standout. This film tells the true story of Indian-Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, one-half of the first duo alongside New Zealander Edmund Hillary to ever scale Mount Everest.
The film triumphs on several fronts, notably centering on the story of Norgay and resisting the temptation to spend too much time with more recognizable actors in the film, including Tom Hiddleston as Hillary and Willem Dafoe as Colonel John Hunt. The movie moves around between several key points of Norgay’s life, including a pivotal moment in his youth when he met an accomplished mountaineer looking to scale Everest.
Tenzing also succeeds because it is downright gorgeous. There are some awe-inspiring scenes, including during the final push to the summit. The visuals and the sincere story work so well that the film doesn’t need to rely on manufacturing conflict or tension. There is no need to analyze the geopolitics involved, or create distress on a mountain that isn’t really there. A stellar performance by Genden Phuntsok as Norgay, as well as stunning cinematography, make Tenzing a terrific watch and surely Apple TV’s best movie.Tenzing will be released in select theaters on October 9. It will be available on Apple TV on October 16.
Smudge the Blades is a heartfelt underdog sports movie
This Indigenous tale offers a refreshing take on a familiar story
For something a little different, there’s a lot of heart and charm to this small Canadian film that tells the story of an Indigenous youth hockey team trying to find respect and playing time in Northern Alberta. From director Cody Lightning, Smudge the Blades follows the Treaty 6 Blades, an under-18 squad that is dealing with an aggressive coach (Ed Helms), judgmental fans, league bureaucracy, crooked refs, and, of course, their own teenage distractions and concerns.
There are a lot of Mighty Ducks vibes here, and that’s a good thing. When a new coach (Lightning) reluctantly agrees to take over the team, he injects some unorthodox ideas and casual vibes that the team takes to. The story follows a familiar underdog path, but it’s endearing throughout, and indeed refreshing, making Smudge the Blades a timeless yet modern sports tale absolutely worth a watch.
Smudge the Blades will be available to stream in Canada on CBC and Crave in the coming months.
Docuseries 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback is timely and troubling
A universal story out of Australia is coming to Netflix
Documentary and true-crime fans will want to check out this documentary, a harrowing and at times hopeful account of the death of an Aboriginal teenager in the Northern Territory in Australia by the hands of police. This documentary series chronicles the events leading up to and following the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot in his home three times in a matter of seconds by an officer.
Directed by Darren Dale, Death in the Outback features interviews with friends, family, community members, and police officers, as well as extensive body camera and courtroom footage. The result is a gripping and revealing watch that may be highly troubling for some viewers. Still, the timely issues that are unfortunately universal in the film make it an important watch.
Netflix has acquired the four-part docu-series with plans to make it available for streaming in early 2027.
The Assassin(s) is a captivating political thriller
This Korean drama is based on a chilling true story
This Korean procedural story offers plenty of thrills as it recounts the staggering true story of an assassination attempt against the president in 1974. The film is tight and gripping, following parallel investigations by dogged and dedicated police officers and intrepid journalists looking to uncover the truth behind the incident.
The story is far more complex than it seems. Both the police department and the media are hamstrung by an authoritarian government that seeks to control investigations and limit the free press. Those forces work to create tension and intrigue; both officers and journalists are repeatedly threatened and beaten as they uncover lies around the explanation of the assassination attempt. The title points to a central mystery, where additional bullets at the scene of the crime are not accounted for. All of it adds up to a thrilling, at times sobering story that is all too timely.
With the popularity of Korean stories stateside, The Assassin(s) is likely to find a streaming home by the end of the year.
Hope is a creature feature unlike anything else
This Korean whirlwind embraces and subverts heroes and monsters
Lastly, there is a Hope, Korean movie now out in wide release that got a special Midnight Madness showing at TIFF. I don’t want to say much about it because you’re much better served knowing as little as possible. All you need to know is that this small town is plagued by a monster. The movie is over two-and-a-half hours, and it’s engrossing every second of the way, with action unlike anything I can remember seeing.
Hope is currently in theaters, with a streaming date likely in the new year.
