“Watching these characters navigate their dynamics with each other is why I am eager to return to this movie over and over again.”

“Through [Dwayne Johnson’s] performance, you believe in more than just his strength - you believe in his vulnerability.“

“Be prepared to laugh and cry and everything in between…”

“The film was not made with mainstream appeal in mind. Early knows his audience and plays hard for them.”

“Panahi employs few, if any, flashy camera moves or tricks, instead relying on long takes with a relatively stationary camera. This allows most of the focus to remain on the characters, who have differing proposals on how to escape their quagmire.”

“‘Noviembre’ is an astonishing work of filmmaking, and one of the best not just of TIFF, but of the year so far.”

“It’s a swan song as much as it is a victory lap, and the duo makes the most of their 100-minute runtime. It’s sweeter than it is bitter, but it’s also the end of an era for two of Toronto’s finest.”

“…[Oliver] Laxe lulls you into a trance thanks to composer Kangding Ray’s electro-heavy score that feels like having your brain flossed.”

“The film leaves you in such a disquieting state, allowing for the chance to really reflect on and ponder so many of the key ideas and themes here through such a personal lens. I know I haven’t been able to shake the film for weeks.”

“The Bearded Girl is a fine little film with a great central performance.”

“The Well might tread on some familiar territory, but its well-defined characters –particularly the performance by McCarthy as the antagonist – and well-thought-out world make it perhaps not unique, but entirely believable.”

“Horsegirls' basic plot and structure may not be unique, but the characters that tell it are.”

“James Gunn has a strong track record in filmmaking, but this might be his best effort to date.”

“25th Hour is one of Spike Lee's most moving films. It's thematically complex and still holds up 23 years later.”

“It might be the least Spike Lee Spike Lee film, but he and cinematographer Matthew Libatique make sure that it is still very much a Spike Lee film at least in tone and feel.”

“…Lee wants us considering the ripple effects that these cold-blooded killings have on a hyper-proud, hyper-macho and fiercely tight-knit community…”