DICKS: THE MUSICAL

Program: MIDNIGHT MADNIESS

Directed By: Larry Charles

WORLD PREMIERE AT TIFF

Synopsis: There’s no business like show business — except perhaps the business of selling the bristles and brushes for robot vacuums, a cutthroat industry that pits “confident heterosexual” salesmen like Craig and Trevor against each other on a daily basis. But before Craig can shove a hose in Trevor’s mouth and turn on the water, these two big-dicked blowhards come to the startling realization that they are fucking identical twins raised apart since birth.

Fortunately, these are the perfect conditions to mount an old-fashioned parent trap, and so the pair swap lives to restore the nuclear family that they have long been denied. But can love still bloom between their eccentric mother (Megan Mullally), who is so old she carries her vagina around in a purse, and their closeted father (Nathan Lane), who is obsessively preoccupied with cannibalistic, humanoid, underground-dwelling sewer boys? Hey, I ain’t bringing around a cloud to rain on their parade, not with songs this catchy and choreography that features Megan Thee Stallion domming worker drones as she lays down bars about how she “out-alphas the alphas” in her midst. (TIFF)

Why This Is A Must-See: This is the first musical from A24…nuff said right? A24 is slaying this year with bona fide hits already on their hands. What was once an indie genre studio has grown to one of the most compelling filmmaking hubs across almost all genres - now including musicals. With this film, I expect a lot of comedy, a healthy dose of absurdity, and a good time. The fact that this ended up in the Midnight Madness program at TIFF only solidifies that we’re in for a fun and outrageous experience.

Expected Coverage: Look for a Reel Buzzed movie review episode by Thomas Stoneham-Judge close to the film’s release in theaters.

SHAME ON DRY LAND

Program: PLATFORM

Directed By: Axel Petersén

WORLD PREMIERE

Synopsis: A former swindler seeking redemption after years away at sea, Dimman (Joel Spira) is clearly the wrong man for the job when he’s enlisted for some seriously shady business. But this anxiety-ridden character’s struggle to stay on top of a fast-evolving situation makes him the perfect protagonist for Axel Petersén’s fourth feature, a knotty thriller and a skillfully crafted and richly satisfying merger of ’70s crime flick and classic film noir. (TIFF)

Why This Is A Must-See: When I attend TIFF, I love complimenting my intended schedule of blockbuster and high profile films with projects that are more under the radar. Sometimes, these risks pay dividends in bolstering festival experience, and Shame On Dry Land has the qualities to do just that - an exotic setting, mischievous characters, a noir aesthetic in the thriller genre. It all amounts to something massively intriguing, and I think this is one that can be a sleeper hit.

Expected Coverage: Look for a capsule review from Thomas Stoneham-Judge during the festival.

BOY KILLS WORLD

Program: MIDNIGHT MADNESS

Directed By: Moritz Mohr

WORLD PREMIERE AT TIFF

Synopsis: Akin to stuffing a supercollider full of arcade beat ’em ups, ultra-violent comics, and martial-arts B movies, and then mashing all the buttons, Moritz Mohr’s feature-film debut is a wicked, maximalist action-opera that pits a titular Boy (an impressively shredded Bill Skarsgård) against Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deafened, and voiceless. Moulded from this tragic childhood into an instrument for revenge by an enigmatic shaman (The Raid’s Yayan Ruhian), Boy is set loose in his far-flung dystopia on the eve of its annual culling of dissidents. Feverish bedlam ensues. As he tries to parse his place in this delirious realm, Boy soon falls in with a desperate resistance group, all the while bickering with the apparent ghost of his rebellious little sister. (TIFF)

Why This Is A Must-See: For my last title to share, yes, I’m dipping back in the pool of Midnight Madness selections. The lineup this year looks stellar, and you can watch my conversation with Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky here. For Boy Kills World, initially, Bill Skarsgård is the name that draws me to this project. But there is a lot going on in this project that also piques my interest. It’s a feature directorial debut, which instantly indicates to me unlimited potential. Also, throw the words “arcade beat ’em ups, ultra-violent comics, and martial-arts B movies” in the same sentence and that is also ultra alluring. As with many Midnight Madness selections, Boy Kills World looks to be another one of those theatrical experiences action/thriller junkies shouldn’t miss.

Expected Coverage: Look for a review for Luca Mehta during the festival.