WINNER
Filmmaker Susanna Fogel (CAT PERSON) tells the true story of NSA contractor Reality Winner discovering the classified document that Russia interfered with in the 2016 election and then leaked it to the press. WINNER is a black comedy biopic in a league of its own. The whistleblower story we’ve been waiting for.
The military exploited Reality’s extraordinary language abilities, critical thinking skills, and sheer humanity for more violent means. The argument about whether the end justifies the means remains open-ended. It depends on your overall opinion of the military-industrial complex. The guilt from her job translates to excessive workouts and do-gooder activities that no one else wants. Truthfully, Reality was thinking about the country when she broke protocol and then punished by the one person it affected most. It’s pretty gross, if not entirely expected.
Zach Galifianakis is Reality’s activist-minded father, Ron. He plays a proud papa with a brilliant mind and passion for justice. The apple did not fall far. Galifianakis brings the sass in all the right ways. Connie Britton is Mom Billie Winner-Davis, someone I greatly admire. I followed her on social media once the story broke, urging others to retweet and signing petitions for the Biden administration to pardon Reality. Britton delivers a pitch-perfect performance as a Texas mother with the typical priorities before Reality’s arrest.
Emilia Jones expertly shows us what a phenom Reality is, doing justice to her activist heart and take-no-shit attitude. Jones nails each beat with heart and humor. Making grown men cry in her breakout role in CODA, she once again owns the screen.
It’s an entire hour before we even touch on the infamous Russia document. The front end of the film gives us foundational reasons to root for Winner. Fogel skillfully injects humor into a story that appears authentically absurd from any sane outsider’s perspective. Jones’ narration sets the tone for the entire film. If you know Reality’s story, you understand what an indisputable hero she is. How this story got buried as quickly as it did will never cease to baffle me.
WINNER is wildly entertaining.
In Select Theaters and On Demand September 13, 2024
DIRECTED BY: Susanna Fogel
WRITTEN BY: Kerry Howley and Susanna Fogel
STARRING: Emilia Jones, Connie Britton, Danny Ramirez, Kathryn Newton, and Zach Galifianakis
RUN TIME: 103 minutes
RATING: Not Rated
GENRE: Comedy, Biography
SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story, Reality Winner (Emilia Jones) is a brilliant young misfit from a Texas border town who loves her pink gun almost as much as helping others. After teaching herself Arabic in high school so she can be of service in the Middle East, Reality is recruited by the Air Force but quickly becomes disillusioned when she finds her morals challenged. After transitioning to a money gig as an NSA contractor, Reality stumbles upon government secrets regarding Russia’s election hacking during the 2016 Presidential campaign. Does she expose the truth or keep quiet? Ultimately, she decides to leak the truth leading to her trial and historic sentencing for espionage. The film also stars Connie Britton, Danny Ramirez, Kathryn Newton, and Zach Galifianakis.
SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON
Director Reema Kagti brings TIFF ’24 audiences a dramatized version of the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon. The film begins in 1997 and follows aspiring amateur filmmaker Nasir Shaikh and fellow hometown artists in Malegaon, India. SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON is a story of small-town dreams coming true. Get ready to feel all the feels.
THE CRITIC
Lush cinematography and lighting immediately draw you into the narrative alongside McKellen’s iconic voice. From the costumes to the jewel-toned sets, it’s a period drama fans dream.
Sir Ian McKellen is vicious and brilliant. Playing Jimmy Erskine, he is a rather vile curmudgeon who revels in taking down enthusiastic artists and their work. Jimmy is an unapologetic diva. The fear he leaves in his wake destroys careers with the stroke of his pen. McKellen succeeds in making audiences adore a genuine villain.
Frida Kempff brings TIFF 2024 audiences the true story of Sally Bauer, a single mother attempting to swim the English Channel in 1939. THE SWEDISH TORPEDO is a unique and multilayered sports docudrama. It will take you by surprise. 
Viktor wants to be a soldier, but his deafness prevents it. His late father instilled “the military spirit,” and by Miyamoto Musashi’s canonical The Strategy of the Samurai, Viktor aspires to a noble warrior philosophy. Facing rejection after rejection, he finally convinces the local army to take him on as a volunteer field photographer. This opportunity to pursue his talent changes his path forever.
Omari Douglas, Arthur Darvill, and Harriet Walter are perfectly cast. Each delivers a memorable performance. Colin Hanks gives Nathan an effortless sweetness so desperately needed in the circumstances. Susan Wokoma plays Gemma’s best friend, Ruth. She is a glorious balance of sense and sass. Billie Lourd is Nathan’s sister, Audrey. She’s flighty, fearless, and passionate. 
Aisling Bea is endlessly hysterical playing the straight woman to Lourd’s outlandishness. Her accessible nature makes you want to be her best friend. You are buying what she is selling. Lourd and Bea share a chemistry that is magic. I’d love to see a film of Wokoma, Lourd, and Bea doing anything together. 
Screenwriter Melissa Bubnic utilizes flashbacks to solidify the emotional stronghold between Gemma and Nathan. The editing is essential here. Reisinger gives audiences a unique examination of grief, love, and family. AND MRS is a romcom that is one-of-a-kind, built upon a surprising complexity. “Love waits for no one.” 
Ps-stick around for the credits. You won’t regret it.
RED ROOMS
Juliette Gariépy initially gives Kelly-Anne a quiet ferocity. Assume nothing about the character as she slowly reveals her sleuthing skills. Gariépy morphs into a startling presence, with each consecutive scene getting under your skin. Gariépy is disturbing. 
The juxtaposition of her photoshoot stills and those of security camera suspects is undeniably clever mirroring. Once the infamous video plays, the decision to focus on our protagonist and not the most gruesome acts almost makes the plot more invasive. The combination of the audio and your imagination causes you to turn away. Kelly-Anne’s skills keep her on a tightrope. One missed step, and the bottom drops out. 
The script is far more nuanced than at first glance. Plante delves into technology, the female fascination with true crime, and the repercussions of unresolved trauma. The more Kelly-Anne shares with Clementine, the more unsettled the audience. As a parent, RED ROOMS is a visceral viewing experience. It is simultaneously rage and despair-inducing. As a mother, putting that hat aside, as difficult as that may be, the film is indisputably brilliant storytelling. The hideous twists keep coming. RED ROOMS will hold you captive, whether you like it or not.
Kim Ho-jung is magnificent. Sara’s journey spans motherhood, friendship, sleuthing, romance, and identity. Ho-jung embodies silliness, anxiety, boldness, and worldly naivete. She masters each moment with ceaseless charm. She is a star.
In Luna Carmoon‘s debut, HOARD, it is 1984, and Cynthia and Maria live a trying existence. Mom is a hoarder with chaotic mood shifts. Maria exists in freefall, never knowing when she’ll be bullied or exposed to inappropriate scenarios. An accident leads to foster care. In 1994, teenage Maria latches onto a visitor and former foster as he attempts to tap into her unresolved grief and trauma.
Hayley Squires delivers authentic emotional distress. Hoarding is a trauma response and, often, a mental illness. Squires slides into that skin with astonishing ease. Her highs and lows are captivating.
Her and Quinn’s chemistry is glorious. Their unfiltered bond fascinates from start to finish. Together, their animalistic instincts create a healing trauma bond like no other.
Sook-Yin Lee
Joseph Kahn
THE BECOMERS
THE BECOMERS is bold, eschewing any societal norms. Have you ever seen an alien sex scene? Because you’re about to, and it is gooey. Russell Marl voices their backstory with a particular tone that perfectly encapsulates the film’s feel. Fritz Myers’ score is jarring and yet works perfectly. Myers also creates unique Alien vocalizations. The editing is delightful.
Isabel Alamin gives Francesca a tentative fear. She’s incredibly compelling. Molly Plunk and Mike Lopez‘s turns as couple Carol and Gordon. Their trust in Clark’s vision is evident. Plunk and Gordon embody the seemingly wacky premise and capture the sincerest longings within the slapstick comedy.
CLOSE TO YOU
CLOSE TO YOU
I’m not just saying all these nice things because the film happens to feature two of my favorite genre people (and internet friends), Emily Bennett and Toby Poser. Wisner and Temple earn each moment.
Emily plays Ruth with a fearful innocence and tenacity. Bennett has that inarguable “it” factor in transforming for each new role. From 
In filmmaker Mary Dauterman‘s Popcorn Frights film, BOOGER, Anna spirals following the sudden death of her roommate. Holding tight to Izzy’s phone and their adopted stray cat. When Booger bites her and escapes out the window, Anna’s grief journey is derailed by unusual symptoms from her injury. 
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