Our five favorite movies from TIFF 2020!

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

And so, another edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is in the books. As everyone knows, this year was a challenging one for the festival, with them forced to take much of their operation online in a hybrid physical/digital format that allowed for limited physical screenings and virtual windows for most of their premieres. Furthermore, the main slate trimmed to fifty titles, a fraction of the number they usually present. 

Nevertheless, even though there were far fewer movies, TIFF, which has always stood for quality above quantity, was able to program some outstanding features. Despite everything, there were some rich deals (with Netflix buying PIECES OF A WOMAN and Halle Berry's BRUISED and Mark Wahlberg's GOOD JOE BELL selling for $20 million to Solstice Studios), and many of the films screened are sure to be talked about during this year's delayed Oscar season. 

The following are some of our favorite movies from the festival, with additional info about how and when you can see these great flicks included. 
 

Check out JoBlo.com's TIFF coverage right here!

Nomadland

As far as I'm concerned, nothing this year has even come close to NOMADLAND. Even in a non-pandemic year, I firmly believe NOMADLAND would have still taken home the much-coveted TIFF People's Choice Award, and director Chloe Zhao's made a docu-drama classic. Frances McDormand stars as an itinerant worker forced to roam the American West in search of menial jobs while living in her run-down RV. Most of the rest of the cast is comprised of the real "Nomads" the film is about, giving it a bittersweet flavor that will stay with you for days. It's a beautiful film. Fox Searchlght is putting this out on December 4th

Pieces of a Woman

WHITE GOD director Kornél Mundruczó and frequent collaborator Kata Wéber have crafted a sobering examination of grief and the relationships fractured by its fall-out in their riveting PIECES OF.A WOMAN. It stars "The Crown"'s Vanessa Kirby as a young woman who, along with her husband, is grieving the loss of her child in a home birth gone horribly awry. Her performance is one of the best I've seen in a while and seems sure to propel her to the A-list. Netflix picked this one up and should be releasing it during the awards season, which I assume means close to the holidays. It's a tough watch but, like NOMADLAND, one of the best films of the year and a must-see. 

I Care a Lot

A black-hearted comedy/thriller, I CARE A LOT was one of the festival's biggest surprises. Offering star Rosamund Pike her best (and most sinister) role since GONE GIRL, this story of a caregiver exploiting the elderly for personal gain works as both a genre film and a sobering critique of an industry gone mad. Peter Dinklage is similarly excellent as the crime boss she runs afoul of, while Dianne Wiest steals every scene she's in. Sadly, no word yet on when this is coming out, or which company has the distribution rights.

The Father

In many ways, it seemed to me that one of the big themes at this year's edition of TIFF seemed to be growing old in the western world. THE FATHER is an interesting companion piece to NOMADLAND, I CARE A LOT, and Viggo Mortensen's FALLING, in that, like those other films, it takes an unvarnished look at the struggles faced by an increasingly aged population. Although Hopkins's character here is arguably a lot better off financially than any of the other aging characters in TIFF's other films, he's faced with his bitter reality – one his increasingly dementia afflicted mind can't understand. Hopkins is extraordinary. Sony Classics is putting this out on December 18th

One Night in Miami

A huge hit at both TIFF and the Venice FIlm Festival, and coming out right before her Emmy win for 
"Watchmen", Oscar-winner Regina King steps behind the camera for this historical drama which Amazon Prime is releasing later this year. It imagines a meeting between Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) – who would soon take the name Muhammad Ali – Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Odom Jr is especially good in this thoughtful, beautifully acted, written and directed drama. 

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.