Film-Forward

Family drama

Lingui, the Sacred Bonds | TIFF 2021

For moviegoers searching for a thoughtful and suspenseful work outside of the North American and Western European bubble, this is a must-see.

Brighton 4th

Ruin porn addicts will revel in the film’s rich dinginess, while others may be pulled in by a gruffly sentimental story of a purehearted immigrant putting his life on the line for distinctly lesser men.

A Hero

A lot of activity takes place around a wistful antihero buffeted by events: a noble deed that goes awry, a social media pile-on, and a good old-fashioned vendetta.

C’mon C’mon

Mike Mills’s big heart is his greatest strength, but also his greatest weakness, both of which are on display in his new film.

Encounter

Riz Ahmed’s new film begins with an alien invasion and turns into something else.

Indian Sweets and Spices

This is not the sort of film in which you forget that you are watching actors.

Belfast

One might think that a film named after the capital of Northern Ireland and set in 1969 just as the Troubles were heating up wouldn’t give you the warm and fuzzies. Yet Kenneth Branagh’s semiautobiographical film does.

Son of Monarchs

A subtle work concerned with the intimate relationship between the real and the fantastic, fed by memory and imagination.

The Gravedigger’s Wife | TIFF 2021

From Somalia, a family drama that ranks high among the gems of the festival.