24 must-see movies at TIFF 2024: Jason Reitman's 'Saturday Night, Demi Moore in 'The Substance' and more

It's time for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Canada's biggest event of the year featuring movie premieres and star-studded red carpets. Taking place from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15, a number of highly anticipated films will land in Toronto theatres, with tickets still on sale for the general public.

From the already buzzy Megalopolis from Francis Ford Coppola, to Coralie Fargeat's The Substance starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Emilia Pérez, starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón is also a highlight of the festival, and there's a lot for movie fans to get excited about.

Saturday Night

A movie about Saturday Night Live (SNL) from Jason Reitman at a Toronto festival — it's a perfect combination.

The Canadian filmmaker is taking us behind the chaotic lead up to the very first episode of SNL, from fellow Canadian Lorne Michaels, in Saturday Night.

The cast for that first episode of SNL included Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Jane Curtin (Kim Matula), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), Michael O'Donoghue (Tommy Dewey) and Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), with host George Carlin (Matthew Rhys).

The Canadian premiere of Saturday Night is on Sept. 10 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 11, Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.

The Substance

After Coralie Fargeat won Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival for her film The Substance, the movie starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley is coming to Toronto.

As Hollywood actor Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) gets older, trying to fight to stay relevant and being told she's too old to be on TV, she decides to use a black market drug to create a younger version of herself, played by Qualley.

The Substance will have its North American premiere on Sept. 5, part of the TIFF Midnight Madness programming. Additional screenings are on Sept. 6 and Sept. 13.

Megalopolis

Already causing controversy wth AI-generated quotes used in its trailer and dividing critics after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, famed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis will have its North American premiere in Toronto.

Starring Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight, Driver plays Cesar Catilina, a city planner at odds with New Rome mayor Cicero (Esposito). Cesar is working on an invention, magalon, a material to construct buildings that can adapt along with the people inside the structures.

Megalopolis will have its North American premiere on Sept. 9 at Roy Thomson Hall, with an additional screening on Sept. 10

Nutcrackers

David Gordon Green's film will kickoff the first day of TIFF, starring Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini and Edi Patterson.

Stiller plays Chicago real estate developer Michael, and after his sister and her husband are in an accident, their four boys become Michael's responsibility.

Nutcrackers will have its world premiere on Sept. 5 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with an additional screening later that night, and others on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

Emilia Pérez

Starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofía Gascón, Jacques Audiard's film Emilia Pérez is one of the most highly anticipated films at the Toronto festival.

Saldaña plays defense attorney Rita Moro Castro in Mexico City, who gets the attention of Manitas Del Monte (Gascón), a cartel kingpin seeking gender confirmation surgery, and needs Rita's assistance to organize the procedure, in addition to reconnecting with wife Jessi (Gomez).

Emilia Pérez will have its Canadian premiere on Sept. 9 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 10, Sept. 13, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Anora

After winning the prestigious Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival, Sean Baker's Anora will have its Canadian premiere at TIFF.

Mikey Madison plays sex worker Anora "Ani" from Brooklyn. When she finds herself talking to a wealthy Russian boy, sparking a romance, it's all threatened by his powerful family.

Anora will have its Canadian premiere on Sept. 8 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with an additional screening on Sept. 9.

The Last Showgirl

Gia Coppola's film makes its world premiere in Toronto, starring Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song and Billie Lourd.

Shelley (Anderson) is a Las Vegas showgirl and has been for 30 years. When stage manager Eddie (Bautista) announces the show is going to permanently close, Shelley and others need to figure out what their futures look like, a particularly affecting reality for a woman in her 50s.

The Last Showgirl will have its world premiere on Sept. 6 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 8, Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.

Nightbitch

Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, director Marielle Heller explores the story with Amy Adams playing Mother, an exhausted stay-at-home mom to her toddler, in a suburban home, while her husband frequently travels for business. In an exploration of motherhood, Mother's life starts going in an different direction when she seems to be turning into a dog.

Nightbitch will have its world premiere on Sept. 7 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Additional screenings are on Sept. 8, Sept. 12, Sept. 13 and Sept. 15.

Queer

After the sensation of Challengers Luca Guadagnino gives us Queer, an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel.

Daniel Craig stars in the film as Lee. Set in 1940s Mexico, Lee spends time with American expatriates at bars and becomes infatuated by Allerton (Drew Starkey). The film also features Lesley Manville and Jason Schwartzman.

Queer has its North American premiere on Sept. 9 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Additional screenings are on Sept. 10, Sept. 13, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Bonjour Tristesse

An adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s novel, Cécile (Lily McInerny) is on a French seaside vacation with her father Raymond (Claes Bang). The relaxing vacation is threatened when a friend of Cécile's late mother, Anne (Chloë Sevigny), arrives.

Bonjour Tristesse will have its world premiere on Sept. 5 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with an additional screening on Sept. 6.

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Canadian music artists Tegan and Sara Quin give us a look at the complicated impacts of fame.

In 2011 Tegan's personal files were hacked, with the film from Erin Lee Carr (Britney vs. Spears) focusing on a catfishing scheme that followed, where a fake Tegan connected with fans.

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara will have its world premiere on Sept. 13, with additional screenings on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Babygirl

Directed and written by Halina Reijn, Romy (Nicole Kidman) is an executive who starts cheating on her husband, played by Antonio Banderas, with an intern at her company, Samuel (Harris Dickinson). Their sexual relationship creates complicated power dynamics and tensions.

Babygirl will have its North American premiere on Sept. 10 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with an additional screening on Sept. 11.

We Live in Time

Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield star in John Crowley's film We Live in Time.

The film chronicles the story of couple Almut (Pugh) and Tobias (Garfield), from their first encounter to Almut receiving a medical diagnosis that impacts the life they've built together.

We Live in Time will have its world premiere on Sept. 6 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with an additional screening on Sept. 7.

The Fire Inside

Famed cinematographer Rachel Morrison makes her directorial debut with The Fire Inside, based on the true story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing and the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic medals.

A young Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) wants to spar with the boys at a boxing gym, where Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) becomes her coach.

The Fire Inside will have its world premiere on Sept. 7 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 8, Sept. 13 and Sept. 15.

Superboys of Malegaon

Based on a true story, Superboys of Malegaon is about the life of Nasir Shaikh, as he brings together a group from his hometown of Malegaon to make a film.

The movie is directed by Reema Kagti and stars Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Shashank Arora.

Superboys of Malegaon will have its world premiere on Sept. 13 at Roy Thomson Hall, with additional screenings on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe

Fans of the famed Italian singer Andrea Bocelli will want to see Cosima Spender's film that takes us into the 30-year career of the artist. Using interviews, archival performance footage and showing personal moments with Bocelli's friends, it's a unique look at the life of the Italian tenor.

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe will have its world premiere on Sept. 7 at Roy Thomson Hall, with additional screenings on Sept. 8 and Sept. 13.

K-Pops

Eight-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak directed K-Pops, in addition to acting in the film alongside his son Soul Rasheed. The film also stars Jee Young Han, Jonnie "Dumbfoundead" Park and Yvette Nicole Brown.

The movie is about a drummer whose friend encourages him to travel to South Korea to work on a pop idol show. That's where he meets performer Tae Young (Rasheed), whose mother he had a relationship with more than a decade ago.

On Swift Horses

Based on Shannon Pufahl’s 2019 novel, On Swift Horses is set in the 1950. Newlyweds Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Lee (Will Poulter) are moving from Kansas City to San Diego when Lee's brother Julius (Jacob Elordi) returns from the Korean War, finding himself in Las Vegas. Muriel starts secretly gambling on racehorses, and finds love she she didn't think was possible.

On Swift Horses will have its world premiere on Sept. 7 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 8, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Vice Is Broke

The documentary from Eddie Huang investigates the rise and fall of the Montreal media company Vice, including interviews with Vice alumni and evaluating the media moguls who poured money into the company tap into the youth market.

Vice Is Broke will have its world premiere on Sept. 5 at the TIFF Lightbox, with additional screenings on Sept. 6 and Sept. 12.

The Luckiest Man in America

In 1984 an unemployed ice cream truck driver from Ohio, Michael Larson (Paul Walter Hauser) joins the game show Press Your Luck, hosted by Peter Tomarken (Walton Goggins). As he quickly gets on a winning streak, secrets behind he motivations for being on the show are revealed.

The Luckiest Man in America will have its world premiere on Sept. 5 at the TIFF Lightbox, with additional screenings on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13.

The Assessment

Set in the near future, parenting is controlled due to concerns about overpopulation. Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) are nervous about their application to be parents, having to go through a seven-day assessment, causing tension for the couple.

The Assessment will have its world premiere on Sept. 8 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, with additional screenings on Sept. 9, Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.

40 Acres

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler) lives on a generational farm with her partner Galen (Michael Greyeyes) as a way to protect their family. But when Hailey’s eldest child Emanuel (Kataem O’Connor) meets a young woman, played by Milcania Diaz-Rojas, the family is in jeopardy.

40 Acres will have its premiere Sept. 6 at the TIFF Lightbox, with an additional screening on Sept. 7.

Riff Raff

Director Dito Montiel assembled a star-studded cast for Riff Raff, a crime comedy with Jennifer Coolidge, Ed Harris, Gabrielle Union, Lewis Pullman, Pete Davidson and Bill Murray.

While Vince (Harris) was once a criminal, he turned his life around when he fell in love with Sandy (Union). The couple plan to spend New Year's Even together in their country home, but Vince’s son Rocco (Pullman) shows up unannounced with his girlfriend Marina (Emanuela Postacchini), and Vince’s first wife, Ruth (Coolidge), and it's not the smoothest reunion.

Riff Raff premieres Sept. 9 at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre with additional screenings on Sept. 10, Sept. 13, Sept. 14 and Sept. 15.

Matt and Mara

After the release of award-winning BlackBerry, Matt Johnson collaborates with Deragh Campbell in Kazik Radwanski's film Matt and Mara.

Matt (Johnson) is an author and Mara (Campbell) is a creative writing professor who became friends in university. They reconnect when Matt shows up outside her university classroom. The pair get closer at a time when Mara is in a strained marriage, exploring where this friendship between Matt and Mara will go.