The 50th Toronto International Festival (TIFF) certainly offers movies that will compete for Oscar gold in March 2026, but this fabulous cinematic lineup has countless other options for professionals and fans of all ages. This proud Phoenix Film Festival critic has caught 38 films so far. Here are five of my favorites: The Best of TIFF 2025 – Part One.
Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you soon, Phoenix!
“I Swear” – A total crowd-pleaser! Robert Aramayo delivers an endearing performance as John Davidson, a real-life Scotsman with Tourette’s, in a heartbreaking, hilarious, tender, and emotional biopic. Director/writer Kirk Jones (“Waking Ned Devine” (1998)), Aramayo, and the terrific supporting cast – led by Maxine Peake, Peter Mullan, and Shirley Henderson – wield these emotions and more in a film that dives headfirst and close-up into Davidson’s struggles that began during his teenage years. Unwanted verbal (and sometimes physical) outbursts could occur at any second, which obviously leads to John’s constant anxiety – but also the sympathetic audience’s - in anticipation of ill-timed, savory moments, as we curse the disorder and hope for a cure as much as Davidson does.
“The Last Viking” – Anker (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) robs a bank, and just before the police arrive, he instructs his younger brother, Manfred (Mads Mikkelsen), to hide the money. Manfred, however, isn’t entirely reliable due to his mental illness, and when the system releases Anker from prison, the pair embark on a dysfunctional treasure hunt for the loot! Director/writer Anders Thomas Jensen pens several colorful characters in a kooky, wild, and violent dramedy that is paired with a haunting Viking tale. Mikkelsen’s physical comedic gifts and flawless timing lead to utterly flabbergasting moments, but the famous “Casino Royale” (2006) villain also carries convincing dramatic depth when playing the ever-so-fragile Manfred.
“No Other Choice” – Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun) is content, fulfilled, and living his best life! He’s a long-time executive with a paper company and lives in a beautiful, spacious home with his loving wife and two children. However, Man-soo’s happy reality falls into jeopardy when he loses his job, and the bills pile up. Director Park Chan-wook (“Old Boy” (2003), “The Handmaiden” (2016)) and Lee determine that our lead’s desperate times call for extreme actions. You see, Man-soo has “no other choice” in this entertaining and unpredictable experience, and Park spins his cinematic gifts into the idea that one unfortunate corporate judgment can crumple a secure existence into a precarious, unstable one.
“Obsession” – Have you ever had a crush on someone who didn’t reciprocate those feelings? Welcome to Bear’s (Michael Johnston) world! He’s in love with long-time friend and co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Bear seems forever stuck in the friend zone until he makes a wish for Nikki to love him, and guess what? His request comes true! Unfortunately, Nikki doesn’t just suddenly adore Bear; she’s obsessed with him in director/writer Curry Barker’s creepy, insidious horror flick. Barker plays a lot with lighting, relationship anxieties, and taxing anticipation (for the worst) with this nightmarish bond, one in which Bear realizes that breaking up is not an option. Navarrette – in her first big-screen horror role - is frighteningly exceptional as the fanatical Nikki.
“Sirat” – Director/writer Oliver Laxe’s searing and surreal road-trip movie feels like “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) meets “Tracks” (2013), and this comparison does not do this movie justice. Set in the desolate, despairing Moroccan desert, a distressed father, Luis (Sergi Lopez), searches for his daughter. He travels with his young son, Esteban (Bruno Nunez Arjona), to a rave in the middle of nowhere with the hopes of finding her. After this rhythmic party breaks up, the fish-out-of-water parent-child duo follows a small group of counter-culture attendees to the next one. However, gas stations, convenience stores, and fast-food joints are nonexistent on this barren landscape, as the on-screen ensemble hopes that they don’t also become missing.
