The Toronto International Film Festival is officially back, bringing thousands of movie lovers, industry insiders, and star-studded premieres to the city from September 10 to 20.

Navigating the massive festival slate can be overwhelming, so whether you are planning your screening schedule or making a mental watch list for future releases, here’s The TV Watercooler’s roundup of fifteen films worth checking out at the festival (should you be fortunate enough to score some tickets) or keep an eye out for when they hit theatres or streaming services.

From heavily buzzed Palme d'Or winners and starry Hollywood satires to under-the-radar Midnight Madness thrillers, intimate Canadian documentaries, and overlooked indie gems, here are the top titles to keep on your radar during TIFF.

Atonement

Based on a heartbreaking true story and Dexter Filkins’ acclaimed 2012 New Yorker essay, Atonement is directed by Oscar nominee Reed Van Dyk. The film tackles the enduring, devastating consequences of the Iraq War long after the actual fighting stops. It follows a haunted former U.S. marine (Boyd Holbrook, The Morning Show) who, a decade after his unit tragically fired upon a civilian family, desperately seeks out the surviving matriarch (Hiam Abbass, Succession and Rami) with the help of a journalist (Kenneth Branagh).

Babies

Tackling the universal “will we or won’t we?” parental dilemma with a heavy dose of humour, Babies is a big-hearted comedy directed by Lauren Miller Rogen (Like Father). It follows a long-term, happily undecided couple (Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen) who suddenly get a chaotic crash course in child-rearing when their newly single friend (Kate Berlant, Maddie’s Secret) and her toddler move in. Boasting a stacked supporting cast – including Issa Rae (Insecure), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), David Strathairn (Nomadland), and Sharon Stone – Babies promises a large-canvas look at the messy realities of aging, community, and even potty-training anxiety.

Elsinore

Anchored by what promises to be a standout performance from Andrew Scott, Elsinore tells the incredible, inspiring true story of Ian Charleson (Chariots of Fire). When Charleson steps in to take over the lead role in Hamlet at London’s National Theatre after Daniel Day-Lewis famously walks off stage, his dream opportunity arrives at the exact moment he receives a devastating AIDS diagnosis. Directed by Simon Stone (The Dig) and written by Stephen Beresford (Pride), the film navigates Charleson’s courageous determination to perform through his illness, backed by a stellar supporting cast including Olivia Colman, Joe Locke (Heartstopper).

Fjord

Fresh off winning the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes, Fjord sees acclaimed Romanian director Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) return with a tense, high-stakes moral drama. The fil stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) as a conservative Christian Romanian-Norwegian couple whose disciplined family life in isolated Norway unravels after local authorities launch an investigation into their child-rearing practices.

HALF

If you’re looking for a high-octane “Midnight Madness” thriller, Half looks like a an absolute blast. Directed by Samjad (Golam), this wild “curry western” genre mashup follows twin half-vampire siblings (Ranjith Sajeev and Aishwarya Raj) who embark on a bloody, relentless quest for revenge across the desolate Rajasthan desert after being ambushed by local highway bandits. The film features martial arts action choreographed by The Night Comes for Us’ Very Tri Yulisman and looks to blend classic vampire lore, gritty Western tropes, and a killer Malayalam soundtrack.

Ink

Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) returns with Ink, a fast-paced stylish adaptation of James Graham’s acclaimed play tracing the explosive birth of modern UK tabloid culture. Set in 1969, the film follows rising media mogul Robert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) and his ambitious editor Larry Lamb (Jack O’Connell) as they take over the struggling daily newspaper The Sun and transform it into a sensationalist, circulation-busting powerhouse. Also features Claire Foy.

Misty Green

Written and directed by Chris Rock, Misty Green is set to be a hilarious, scathing satire of the film industry. The film stars Slow Horses’ Rosalind Eleazar in a career-making lead role as a talented Black actress fighting for a second act after he once-promising career hits the skids. When a lucrative offer from an ex-flame (Adam Driver) and a potential comeback role in a project from an ace director (Rock) intersect with her brother’s (Daniel Kaluuya) urgent financial crisis, she is forced to navigate the absurd, high-stakes trade-offs of Hollywood. Also features Anna Kendrick.

Phoolan

From Canadian director Richie Mehta (Delhi Crime, Amal), Phoolan brings the extraordinary early life of Phoolan Devi – India’s legendary “Bandit Queen” – to the screen in a tense, high-stakes biographical thriller. Anchored by a fierce lead performance from Sneha Kumari, the film focuses on a gruelling 48-hour siege in rural India where a 17-year-old Devi and her small band of outlaws must outsmart 2,000 heavily armed men sent to eliminate her.

River

A debut from Joshua Giuliano, River is another Midnight Madness offering that focuses on

Another Midnight Madness offering, River is a debut from Joshua Giuliano. The slasher traps three siblings – Jane Levy (Surburgatory), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), and Max Mattern (the Cape Feat TV series) – on a stalled motorboat in the middle of a rural waterway. Things turn deadly when a mysterious, featureless killer (Dane LiLiegro) appears on the shoreline and begins relentlessly stalking them.

Rogue Trooper

Duncan Jones (Moon) is back to bring a legendary British comic book icon to life in Rogue Trooper, an outlandish, visually stunning animated space-opera. The film follows 19 (Aneurin Barnard, Dunkirk), a genetically engineered, blue-skinned super-soldier dropped behind enemy lines on a toxic planet during an endless interstellar war.

Joined by the digitized consciousness of his fallen squadmates, who live on inside biochips embedded in his gun – (Jack Lowden, Slow Horses), helmet (Daryl McCormack, Bad Sisters), and backpack (Reece Shearsmith, The League of Gentlemen) – 19 embarks on a mission to expose a military traitor. Also features the voices of Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Jemaine Clement (Alice and Steve), Sean Bean (Game of Thrones), Hayley Atwell (Rivals), and Diane Morgan (Ann Droid).

Run Terry Run

From Canadian director Sean Menard (299 Queen Street West and The Carter Effect), Run Terry Run offers an intimate and inspiring look at Canadian legend Terry Fox. Utilizing never-before-seen footage entrusted by the Fox family, the documentary retraces Fox’s 1980 Marathon of Hope, during which the 21-year-old amputee ran a full marathon every single day for 143 days across 5,000 kilometres to raise funds for cancer research.

The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd

Written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Leaves of Grass), The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd is a psychologically rich drama exploring love, justice, and redemption within the American prison system. The film stars Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried as Karen, a teacher escaping an abusive marriage by taking a job at a maximum-security prison, where she forms an intense, risky connection with a charismatic inmate played by Scott McNairy (Furious).

The Man I Love

Directed by Ira Sachs (Passages), The Man I Love is set to be a warm, naturalistic portrait of artistic community and connection set against the backdrop of 1980s New York. Oscar winner Rami Malek stars as Jimmy, a vibrant performance artist who, despite a devastating AIDS diagnosis, refuses to let illness define his final chapters as he pours his remaining energy into starring in a groundbreaking theatre production. The film also stars Rebecca Hall (The Town), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), and Tom Sturridge (The Sandman).

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York

Anchored by John Turturro (Severance), The Only Living Pickpocket is set up as a low-key, character-driven crime drama that would feel like a throwback to ‘70s “New Hollywood.” Written and directed by Noah Segan (Blood Relatives), the film follows an old-school Bronx pickpocket, Harry, who avoids technology and plays by his own rules. But when he accidentally steals from the hot-headed son of a powerful crime boss, Harry is forced on a tense, single-day race across the city to make things right. The film also stars Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito (The Gentlemen), and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black).

The Surgeon

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) steps into a high-stakes action-thriller in The Surgeon. Directed by Roshan Sethi (A Nice Indian Boy), who draws on his own real-life background as a physician, the film follows a retired doctor who is kidnapped by a ruthless criminal gang (led by Martin Freeman) and forced to perform a life-saving operation at gunpoint.

To score rush tickets, visit https://tiff.net/schedule and select the film title.