Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/TIFF
The Toronto International Film Festival is finally coming to a close, and it leaves behind a feast of performances that people will be talking about once they reach audiences.
For some, this means the beginning of a months-long run up to the Academy Awards—after all, TIFF is nothing if not the starting gun in the Oscar race. As with any festival, there were some disappointments among the awards hopefuls that will have to fight to stay afloat in the months ahead. This included the critically bashed (Harry Styles in My Policeman), bland nonstarters (Florence Pugh in The Wonder), and blatantly awards-hungry misery porn (oy to The Son, ditto to The Whale).
But for other performers, a breakthrough festival performance can completely change their standing or how they are seen in a fickle and competitive industry. Awards rat race aside—though expect to see some of these names at the finish line—here are the best, most memorable performances we saw at this year’s TIFF.