SAEDNEWS: TIFF 2025 celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dazzling lineup of more than 200 films. From Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein to Chloé Zhao’s heartbreaking Hamnet, here are the 10 standout titles that defined this year’s festival.
According to Saed News; Happy 50th, TIFF! The Toronto International Film Festival has long been known as a “festival of festivals,” curating the best films from around the world. Its golden jubilee edition was no exception, showcasing over 200 titles across 11 days. As always, there were disappointments and hidden gems, but several films left a lasting mark on audiences and critics alike. Here are the 10 that defined TIFF 2025.
Saoirse Ronan shines in this biting satire about education, inequality, and the gig economy. Playing a teacher who finds herself literally chaining a troubled student in her basement, Ronan leans into the darker edges of the role. Swedish filmmaker Jonatan Etzler balances black comedy with sharp social critique, creating one of the year’s funniest yet most uncomfortable films.
Steven Soderbergh continues his winning streak with a meditative art-heist drama starring Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen. What could have been a straightforward caper becomes a layered exploration of creativity, influence, and artistic legacy. McKellen’s irritable genius clashes beautifully with Coel’s cool reserve, making this one of Soderbergh’s most introspective works.
Based on a Japanese cult video game, Exit 8 is a surreal horror thriller set in the Tokyo subway system. Directed by Genki Kawamura, the film blends puzzle-solving tension with existential dread, as protagonist Kazunari Ninomiya faces looping corridors and ominous anomalies. Beyond its stylish creepiness, the movie doubles as a moving parable about parenting and choices.
Guillermo del Toro finally delivers his long-awaited Frankenstein, and it’s everything fans hoped for: Gothic, emotional, and visually spectacular. Oscar Isaac reimagines Victor Frankenstein as both a dandy and a rock star, while Jacob Elordi surprises as a sympathetic yet vengeful Creature. Del Toro infuses the classic tale with themes of parenthood, belonging, and rage, making this an instant awards contender.
Chloé Zhao adapts Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed novel about Shakespeare’s son, whose death inspired Hamlet. The result is the festival’s most devastating film — a heartbreaking meditation on grief and art. Jessie Buckley delivers a career-defining performance as Agnes, while Paul Mescal brings rugged humanity to Shakespeare himself. Prepare to cry.
Park Chan-wook blends dark comedy and satire in this adaptation of Donald E. Westlake’s novel. Lee Byung-hun plays a laid-off businessman who turns to murder in the cutthroat world of job competition. With slapstick moments and razor-sharp critiques of late capitalism, the film is bleakly hilarious and utterly thrilling.
Lucretia Martel crafts a haunting documentary about land disputes and violence in Argentina’s Chuschagasta community. Rather than a linear courtroom narrative, Martel paints a mural-like portrait of history, injustice, and resilience. The result is one of the most thought-provoking nonfiction works of the year.
Curry Barker’s debut feature stunned TIFF’s Midnight Madness program. A supernatural love story gone horribly wrong, it follows a teenager who buys a cursed object to win over his crush, only to unleash terrifying consequences. With its slow-burn tension and breakout performance by Inde Navarrette, Obsession earned a $12 million Focus Features deal and “next big thing” status for Barker.
Mona Fastvold returns with a bold part-musical biopic about Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers. Amanda Seyfried gives a mesmerizing performance as the visionary religious leader, capturing both ecstatic devotion and political defiance. Combining meticulous period detail with themes of resistance, the film plays like both historical epic and personal statement.
Together, these films reflect TIFF’s role as a launchpad for cinematic innovation — from arthouse dramas to blockbuster-ready horror. They also show the global range of the festival, spotlighting stories from Argentina to Korea to Shakespeare’s England.
As TIFF 50 comes to a close, it’s clear this was a year for daring stories, audacious directors, and unforgettable performances.
