April 18, 2025

Welcome to the TFCA weekly, a round-up of reviews and coverage by members of the Toronto Film Critics Association.

In Release this Week

Blue Sun Palace (dir. Constance Tsang; USA only)

“Tsang’s script treats its working-class characters with empathy, offering no judgment on the massage workers nor the married Cheung’s affair with Didi,” says Rachel West at the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. “With veteran actor Lee’s restrained performance, Cheung is transformed into a man who yearns for the peace and happiness that constantly remains just out of his grasp. Despite the film’s initial focus on Didi, Amy, and their coworkers, Cheung does feel like the most well-rounded character with a completely formed backstory. Perhaps by design, Didi and Amy remain slightly more unknowable.”

Call of the Void (dir. James B. Cox)

“The blend of psychological horror and actual horror comes across as a weird mix in a film that ends up with a muddled ending,” writes Gilbert Seah at Afro Toronto.

The Courageous (dir. Jasmin Gordon)

“Ophélia Kolb leads the cast of The Courageous; she’s three months behind on rent and faces an unkind future, finding shelter where she can, an empty house that’s on the market that she tells the children they own, a remote spot in the woods, and eating what and when they can, a shared single glass of lemonade a diner, cherries from a private property,” writes Anne Brodie at What She Said. “Uncomfortable? Make that deeply challenging. But a triumph of expression and humanity.”

“It’s a subtle, potent commentary on a world that forces people who’ve made mistakes and done wrong in the past to continually pay for their slips and falls in perpetuity without any clear path forward,” says Andrew Parker at The Gate. “Gordon pushes the boundaries of a viewer’s understanding, but whether or not that connects with everyone who views The Courageous is debatable.”

Dead Mail (dir. Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConagh)

“The lack of blood, gore, and violence is compensated by the weird way in which lost items and dead mail can be traced, all of which could be either true or made up,” notes Gilbert Seah at Afro Toronto. “The ambiguity of the situation is heightened at the end with notes of what has happened to each of the story’s characters, which are too odd to be believed.  The setting and cinematography on scratchy, deliberately scratched and blurred film mark this film above others in the genre.”

iHostage (dir. Bobby Boermans)

“Through the eyes of the attacker, the hostages, and the first responders.  At best iHOSTAGE delivers a tense and emotional tale of courage, survival, and the lasting impact of terror,” says Gilbert Seah at Afro Toronto.

It Feeds (dir. Chad Archibald)

“It Feeds is Archibald’s most refined work, a passport-holding horror film that crosses freely into mystery, thriller, and family drama,” says Thom Ernst at Original Cin. “It’s a Lovecraftian nightmare threaded through the fabric of a Linwood Barclay thriller. Squint and you’re liable to catch a faint trace of Gilmore Girls’ wholesomeness—granted horror’s version of wholesomeness is not traditional wholesomeness.”

Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (dir. Tolga Karaçelik)

“Things get nuttier as the film moves into misinterpreted actions, gun dealers, bored and then confused hotel clerks, and a llama. But even in its wildest moments, Psycho Therapy never fully loses its sense of decorum. There’s an odd civility at play—as though the whole thing were set in the drawing room of a very peculiar country club,” says Thom Ernst at Original Cin. “Psycho Therapy is a charming return to form for the adult comedy—dialogue-driven, character-first, and delightfully absurd. A smart and silly piece of narrative chaos that earns every word of its unwieldy title.”

Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler)

“The climax is predicated on a character making a very stupid and frustrating decision and, while the circumstances are understandably dire, it still feels like a narrative contrivance to make something happen,” observes Joe Lipsett at Queer Horror Movies. “Perhaps it’s just Coogler’s priorities, but the final battle feels very rushed. Without spoiling anything…it could be considered slightly subversive, but after so much build-up, there’s something anticlimactic about how fast everything occurs.”

“Sinners is not perfect. The Ryan Coogler-directed, Michael B. Jordan-acted, action-musical-vampire-romance flick is perhaps a bit over-ambitious in trying to tackle its final genre: social satire and critique. But even for its small faults, it is also something else: in short, an incredible, best-of-the-year achievement,” says Jackson Weaver at CBC. “Despite the almost endless messages on offer, Sinners’ stumbling blocks also lie in its depth. Once that lush and (literally) barn-burning party scene already advertised in a slew of promotional materials hits, the film’s resolution doesn’t fully commit to unpacking the thesis introduced there.”

“A masterful work of historically minded, character based horror, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners hits like a wooden stake to the heart that’s been shot out of a cannon substituting jet fuel for gunpowder,” notes Andrew Parker at The Gate. “A complex, ambitious, ingenious, visually stunning, and wildly entertaining genre concoction, Sinners is destined to go down among the greats. A movie that fires on all possible cylinders, wears its genre influences proudly, and still offers more food for thought than most ‘prestige’ projects ever could, Sinners is a fucking masterpiece. Full stop. It’s as close to a perfect cinematic experience as one could ever hope to get.”

“Sinners is loaded with knockout acting, particularly the dual performance of frequent Coogler collaborator Michael B. Jordan,” writes Peter Howell at the Toronto Star. “He deftly and seamlessly plays twin brothers Smoke and Stack, cousins of Sammie and veterans of the Second World War and gangland Chicago. They’ve returned to their rural hometown of Clarksdale, Miss., laden with cash, liquor and ambitious plans to open their own juke joint…Ruth E. Carter’s costume design is a master-class in storytelling through fabric, seamlessly blending Southern Gothic style, spiritual symbolism and period authenticity to evoke the haunting atmosphere of 1932 Mississippi.”

“A lot happens in Sinners even before a lot happens, but when the music kicks in and the joint starts hopping, all hell breaks loose. Some of the best scenes in cinema happen in the course it takes for Coogler to tell his story. And Coogler tells the story the way he wants.  Directing from his own script, Coogler has created a gothic horror musical epic, with encompassing detail, unearthly magic, and historic accuracy. A bombastic meditation on race, freedom, confinement and the magical, sinful, erotic release that can only come from music,” says Thom Ernst at Original Cin. “Sinners is a movie to see again and again and again. And then, go see it with friends.”

“Ryan Coogler’s love of his craft is on full display throughout Sinners,” says Kathleen Newman-Bremang at Refinery 29. “This is an artist who cares deeply about his medium, and you can tell through every exquisite detail: the entrancing and addictive score (Ludwig Göransson), the staggering cinematography (Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the film was shot on IMAX 70mm cameras), the era-specific and intricate production design (Oscar-winner Hannah Beachler) and the impeccable costumes (thee legend Ruth E. Carter). But it’s in the storytelling where Coogler shines most.”

“I found myself reminded several times of the 1979 song ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia,’ given the film’s portrayal of the intersection of secular music and something evil in the world,” writes Chris Knight at the National Post. “And I was knocked silly and sideways by a raucous scene in Smoke/Stack’s establishment, in which Sammie’s guitar music conjures up collaborations with phantoms of past and future performers, including a 19th-century Japanese dancer and a 21st-century electric guitarist. If the TARDIS from Dr. Who had a disco, this is what it would look like.”

The Ugly Stepsister (dir. Emilie Blichfeldt)

“A unique blend of a dark fairy tale with modern feminist commentary and oozy body horror elements, The Ugly Stepsister takes a classic, turns it on its head, and then vomits all over the room. It’s audacious, captivating, and in an odd way, quite alluring to look at,” says Andrew Parker at The Gate.

The Wedding Banquet (dir. Andrew Ahn)

“The film is pleasant and humorous and hits all the right notes being politically and racially correct without being offensive to any race, culture or orientation,” says Gilbert Seah at Afro Toronto. “The film contains few laugh-out-loud humour though one cannot complain that it is not amusing enough.  Likeable characters and their likeable relatives who control them all add to the pleasantness.”

“It looks like exactly what I need right now: an easy-going, warm-hearted romantic comedy with a light touch. Alas, while this is clearly a sincere attempt to give the classic original a deserving remake, the film never finds its comedic footing and ends up being a bit of a slog,” admits Karen Gordon at Original Cin. “There are a lot of moments that are quirky, but the film never quite finds the right comedic rhythm. Things that should feel funny rarely rise to make us chuckle, and too often the film, which does have a genuine warmth, falls flat.”

“The Wedding Banquet is crowd pleasing entertainment done right,” writes Andrew Parker at The Gate. “The care and respect Ahn shows for his characters and concept is apparent from the start, and the film’s plot and pacing move in swift, but pleasantly unexpected ways, offering twists (some predictable and telegraphed, others not so much) that keeps things fresh and interesting without betraying who these people are at their core. It doesn’t supplant the original film as a new classic, but it doesn’t have to.”

“This walk down the aisle marks another refreshing comedy from Ahn with relatable lived-in characters and an authentic sense of self,” says Pat Mullen at That Shelf. Mullen also chats with director Andrew Ahn about reimagining the 1993 rom-com and how it makes him feel about weddings and babies: “It is, unfortunately, something that I want very badly,” says Ahn. “Every time I watch the movie and the babies cry, I just feel my ovaries throbbing. It’s very visceral. But I hope that people understand there are different ways that families can come together and that they’re all valuable.”

File Under Miscellaneous – National Canadian Edition!

At The Globe and Mail, Barry Hertz remembers late director Ted Kotcheff: “It wasn’t until the early ’70s when Kotcheff returned home to Canada, collaborating with Richler for an adaptation of his coming-of-age novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz starring Richard Dreyfuss. The film was not only an immediate hit with critics — winning the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and scoring an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay — but also became the most successful English-language Canadian film at the domestic box office,” writes Hertz. “For all his stateside success, Kotcheff never forgot his home, and in 2011 was awarded the Director Guild of Canada’s Lifetime Achievement Award, an honour followed three years later by a special Tribute Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.” Hopefully audiences celebrated Kotcheff on Canadian Film Day.

Also at The Globe and Mail, Barry Hertz chats with Ellis Jacob at Cineplex about the state of theatrical moviegoing, navigating Amazon MGM, rowdy crowds, and inflation: “I have to be honest with you: Every recession that we worked through, our box office and concession has actually gone up,” says Jacob. “What guests tend to do is they don’t travel, they stay closer to home and moviegoing is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment. Go to a baseball or Raptors game, and you could go to the movies for a year on what you spend on one ticket.” And if you wanted to get outside a bit, tee up some golf movies.

At Original Cin, Liam Lacey offers picks for National Canadian Film Day: “National Canadian Film Day is linked to other film festivals in Canada and around the world in international embassies and film festivals, so you can even catch a Canadian film if you’re travelling through Madrid, Minneapolis or Reykjavik. Some local organizations, such as the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Yukon Film Society in Whitehorse, are even extending it to National Film Week with screenings over several days.”

At Original Cin, Thom Ernst looks at Skeet, which is doing a cross-Canada road tour, including a Toronto stop for National Canadian Film Day. “Skeet walks a fine line between idealism and corruption, between what we want to believe and what we can believe. Co-written with Eyad Sakkar and Mira Hamour, the script acknowledges the systemic failures of a broken community without pandering to pity or outrage,” says Ernst. “It plays with assumptions, introducing us to Billy’s estranged son (Jackson Petten), his meth-addicted mother (Wendi Smallwood), a crime lord who writes, recites and performs poetry (Garth Sexton), a childhood friend clawing her way back to sobriety (Kate Corbett), and immigrants trying to find space in a world that isn’t always ready to accept them.”

Also at Original Cin, Jim Slotek looks at the Neil Young documentary Coastal, which is also doing a cross-country screening tour: “Young keeps up a jokey front throughout this saga of his first public performances in four years. He talks more to his audience than he has in many an interview. But there’s an uncertainty underneath. The man will be 80 this year, and isn’t exactly ageless. That is, until those slightly swollen fingers and grey-haired knuckles find their home on a keyboard or guitar neck. We even hear him doing voice exercises before his first show.”

A Festival of Festival Coverage: Hot Docs Heats Up, Blue Mountain Returns

At The Globe and Mail, Barry Hertz previews Hot Docs’ pivotal year and picks five highlights for the festival, including Yalla Parkour: “Parkour, the street sport in which amateur daredevils bounce off walls and other everyday objects to get from one place to the other, is having something of a contemporary moment after first exploding in the early aughts. Last month saw the world premiere of Michael Bay’s jaw-dropping parkour doc We Are Storror at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Tex. Now, director Areeb Zuaiter’s Yalla Parkour is set to make its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs. But this new film has a political edge to it, following a young parkour athlete named Ahmed Matar who develops his breathtaking craft on the streets of Gaza.”

At POV Magazine, Pat Mullen previews Hot Docs highlights including the festival circuit favourites touching down in Toronto, like 2000 Meters to Adriivka, Cutting through Rocks, and Come See Me in the Good Light: “Get ready for all the feels in this intimate portrait of spoken word artist Andrea Gibson, who embraces the poetry of life with their partner Megan Falley in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. This moving film won the Festival Favourite Award at Sundance and the Audience Award at Full Frame – could Hot Docs offer the next set of laurels for this crowd-pleaser and critical darling?” Mullen also reports on the line-up announcement for the Blue Mountain Film Festival, which includes Come See Me and films like Four Mothers, Shelf Life, and Front Row.

TV Talk/Series Stuff

At What She Said, And Brodie endures The Narrow Road to the Deep North: “It’s a tough slog, make tougher by the ‘subdued’ light and colour.” For a recovery, Anne recommends Would I Lie to You? “Those Brits are funny/clever in ways we North Americans simply cannot achieve; the irony, surreal, speed of the wit is uniquely theirs,” says Brodie.

At Original Cin, Liam Lacey cuts into Government Cheese: “There’s also a lot of clever creative clutter here. These include period-specific parodies of movies, public service announcements and commercials, and a lively soundtrack, including a catchy Pharrel Williams theme song that channels the late Curtis Mayfield’s plaintive funk,” says Lacey. “What the series fails to do is achieve any cathartic resolution of its big themes, and without reaching a dramatic climax or personal epiphany, it deflates like a circus tent collapsing. The viewer is left wanting more, or maybe less: more gravity, less diversion.”