TIFF 2026: The latest movie reviews from Toronto
The reporter is covering the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival with daily bite-sized reviews of nearly 30 films and series. Early highlights include Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour Elon Musk documentary, Mahershala Ali and Bassam Tariq’s hitman thriller Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Laika’s stop-motion Wildwood, and a film about a New York pickpocket.
Why It Matters
TIFF often previews films that go on to awards season or wider attention, so these early reactions offer a snapshot of projects and filmmakers likely to shape the year ahead. The lineup mixes high-profile documentary work, established auteurs, studio animation, and streamer premieres, illustrating the festival’s breadth.
Key Facts
- Festival: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026
- Reporter coverage: Daily bite-sized reviews, aiming to see just under 30 films and series
- 2025 TIFF examples: Included Hamnet and Obsession
- Notable films at TIFF 2026: Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother; The Only Living Pickpocket in New York; Wildwood; four-hour Elon Musk documentary
- Elon Musk documentary director: Alex Gibney (director) — runtime just shy of four hours
The writer is again on the ground at TIFF, watching a heavy slate of films and streaming series and publishing short, daily reviews. The 2026 program mixes prestige documentaries, auteur features, studio animation and streamer content, continuing TIFF’s role as an early barometer for the year ahead.
One of the most discussed pieces is Alex Gibney’s comprehensive documentary on Elon Musk. The film runs nearly four hours and traces Musk’s ascent from early dot‑com success through his public controversies. The reviewer finds the movie thorough and well assembled, though its length and lack of surprising revelations may limit its ability to persuade viewers who are not already persuaded of Musk’s outsized influence.
In fiction, Mahershala Ali and director Bassam Tariq have reunited on Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, a hitman thriller that the reviewer called a powerful follow-up to the aborted Blade reboot those collaborators had been linked to. Laika’s Wildwood also drew attention: the stop‑motion studio behind ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo is delivering a visually polished feature due in theaters next month.
The festival coverage also noted smaller, character‑driven fare, such as a film centered on a New York pickpocket, and highlighted several streamer premieres — examples cited include Netflix’s Below, Peacock’s Crystal Lake and Amazon’s Carrie. With films from directors like Takashi Miike, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and Werner Herzog on the bill, the reviewer plans to continue issuing brisk takes on each screening over the coming days.
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