Here are the 25 movies I saw at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, ranked by favorites. I also enjoyed the “victory lap” presentation of Obsession, conversations with Seth Rogen and Andrew Scott, mystery screenings, the new market and some incredible A24 parties. Here are the main new films I was able to see and review.
#1: Josephine (A): “Absorbing, devastating and never remotely dull, Josephine finds Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as flawed parents searching for a way forward when innocence can no longer lead the way.”
#2: Being Heumann (A): “Siân Heder’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA does not merely reclaim an essential chapter of history about the fight for disability rights; it throws open the doors and invites everyone to the party.”
#3: La Bola Negra (A): “Blending poetry, art and cinema, this is a gorgeous love letter to all three…an historic Spanish queer masterpiece.”
#4: The Debut (A-): “Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy is wise about the unexpected effects of an artistic calling, and it is wonderful watching Julianne Moore’s heroine’s growing confidence as she goes method for a musical.”
#5: Tangles (A-): “The animation allows memories to bend, disappear and spring playfully to life, transforming Alzheimer’s caregiving into something inventive, funny and deeply moving.”
#6: The Devils (A-): “Remastered from the banned 1971 original, this religious fever dream starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave remains audacious and impossible to forget.”
#7: Babies (B+): “Anna Kendrick has rarely been better as a woman contemplating not having kids.”
#8: Thirteen in Gaza (B+): “The filmmakers choose humanity over destruction and survival over despair in this poignant father and daughter tale.”
#9: Elsinore (B+): “It’s a celebration of the indomitable power of the human spirit and of theatre as a balm, buoyed by an incredible Andrew Scott in the commanding center.”
#10: Wild Horse Nine (B+): “It is talky and smart and bursting with furtive flourishes. John Malkovich is superb.”
#11: Fjord (B): “Empathy matters most when every side believes it has already won the moral debate.”
#12: Le Corset (The Iron Boy) (B): “Its lively, hand drawn watercolor style makes the adventure artistic and accessible without sanding away its idiosyncrasies.”
#13: I Play Rocky (B): “Anthony Ippolito delivers a magnetic performance that transcends his uncanny mimicry in the making of the boxing classic.”
#14: Club Kid (B): “Two lost souls find one another and create a little magic when they do in Jordan Firstman’s crowd pleaser about a nightclub promoter who inherits a 10-year-old.”
#15: Love of Your Life (B): “Margaret Qualley is captivating in a stirring story of hope and healing.”
#16: Bunker (B): “Like Eyes Wide Shut, the presence of a real life couple, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, adds another layer of intrigue to this formidable power play.”
#17: Magazine (B-): “Glossy, giddy and affectionate, the film nevertheless could have benefited from a ruthless copy editor.”
#18: The Face of Horror (B-): “Anna Biller’s Technicolor style palette is a wonder to behold, particularly the painterly red blood splashed across its brightly illuminated imagery.”
#19: Ink (B-): “Danny Boyle and charismatic star Jack O’Connell make the rise of tabloid journalism in the UK look a little too fun.”
#20: Always Lalisa (B-): “For all its polish and access, this music documentary about a legendary KPop star offers less discovery than one might hope.”
#21: Stuffed (B-): “The enjoyable songs in this macabre movie musical leave little lasting imprint, but its beautifully bizarre heart is preserved in exactly the right place.”
#22: Bucking Fastard (C+): “Although Werner Herzog’s film is an original oddity, it is never clear what motivates two eccentric sisters played by Kate and Rooney Mara.”
#23: All That She Wants (C): “The extremely game Annie Murphy is cursed with an aimless contemporary comedy.”
#24: Misty Green (C-): “Chris Rock’s film remains eminently watchable because of Rosalind Eleazar, yet its many interesting pieces never assemble into a cogent portrait.”
#25: Prima Facie (D): “Despite its vital message about the systemic bias confronting women who report sexual assault, director Susanna White’s adaptation of a hit stage play with lead Cynthia Erivo is misbegotten in nearly every dramatic respect.”
Summer movie season is officially upon us, and the Silver Screen Capture team has examined and identified 33 movies to track across theaters and streaming platforms during the months ahead.
Below is a handy chronological guide with release dates and quick descriptions to help film fans plan what to watch (and what to review!) throughout the summer of 2026.
While the season still leans heavily into big-budget spectacle, superheroes, sci-fi adventures and visual-effects-driven franchises, several acclaimed festival indies have also entered the conversation.
A number of these productions were even filmed here in Georgia, continuing the state’s major role in modern moviemaking.
Whether you’re Gen Z, senior citizen Tuesday bargain hunters or all-access passholders and, like me, still love heading to the cineplex for the communal big-screen experience, or among the older crowd happily taking your movies via streaming platforms, thank you very much, there promises to be solid cinematic fare for everyone this summer.
May 15
Is God Is — This buzzy revenge thriller featuring Vivica A. Fox sends twin sisters after their abusive father at their mother’s command. Aleshea Harris directs this adaptation of her own award-winning play, blending elements of ancient tragedy, hip-hop and Spaghetti Westerns. Review Now Here: https://silverscreencapture.com/is-god-is-a-soulful-and-surprising-revenge-quest/
I Love Boosters — Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and LaKeith Stanfield star in Boots Riley’s surreal crime comedy about shoplifters targeting a ruthless fashion mogul. This was a recent hit at the Atlanta Film Festival.
May 29
Backrooms — A therapist enters an otherworldly nightmare dimension to find a missing patient. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve and Mark Duplass in this summer horror/sci-fi film based on a popular YouTube creepypasta series.
The Breadwinner — Clean comedian Nate Bargatze makes his feature debut in a Georgia-lensed comedy about a dad who becomes a chaotic stay-at-home parent after his wife’s big break. Mandy Moore and Will Forte co-star in this modern take on Mr. Mom.
Pressure — This D-Day drama is a team-up between Brendan Fraser’s President Eisenhower and Andrew Scott as meteorologist James Stagg as they make a complex invasion decision.
June 5
Scary Movie — Original stars Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans reboot their parade of parody, sending up cultural, elevated, viral and body horror films. This “robooquel” the sixth entry of the satirical slasher series.
Masters of the Universe — Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) returns to Eternia to battle Skeletor (Jared Leto) and become He-Man in this live-action epic. We’ll see how seriously to take a film with characters named Fisto and Ram-Man.
Office Romance — This raunchy rom-com pairs Jennifer Lopez as a demanding CEO with an unexpected love interest, Brett Goldstein as her corporate lawyer tasked with enforcing a workplace anti-fraternization policy. This Netflix streamer promises more frisky, risky steam than a barrel of Babygirl.
Power Ballad — Paul Rudd is a washed-up wedding singer and Nick Jones a fading pop star whose fortunes collide over a fateful song in this music-filled comedy from the maker of Once whose formula of wry music-filled melodramas continues.
June 12
Disclosure Day — Steven Spielberg’s summer UFO movie asks what happens when the human population learns it is not alone in the universe. Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor and Colman Domingo are among the high-profile ensemble in this thriller rumored to be a continuation or riff on the director’s seminal Close Encounters.
June 19
The Death of Robin Hood — The prince of thieves, played by Hugh Jackman, faces mortality and reckons with his violent past. The legendary archer is joined by Jodie Comer and Bill Skarsgård on a search for salvation reminiscent of the Aussie actor’s previous hit Logan.
Toy Story 5 — Disney Pixar’s toys return for another emotional adventure as an iPad-style device infiltrates the pantheon of playthings. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and familiar voices return.
June 26
Supergirl — On an alcoholic bender after the destruction of her world, Clark’s scrappy cousin Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) launches a cosmic revenge quest opposite Matthias Schoenaerts and Jason Momoa. Director Craig Gillespie is sure to dial up the darker instincts of James Gunn’s newly-evolving DC Universe.
The Invite — Who’s afraid of a dinner party? Marital tension spirals into neighborly chaos in this Sundance sensation starting a quirky quartet: Penélope Cruz, Ed Norton, Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde, who also directs.
Strung — This psychological thriller will be hot off an American Black Film Festival debut as it comes to Peacock with the producing pair of Tyler Perry and Jason Blum. This horror film exploring obsession and ambition in the competitive music world features Chloe Bailey, Coco Jones and Lynn Whitfield.
Jackass: Best and Last — Johnny Knoxville and his deliriously crass crew including Steve-O and Chris Pontius return for one final round of outrageous stunts and a quarter-century retrospective. We are promised an escape room from hell and a robot physician with unconventional prostate exams.
July 1
Minions & Monsters — In this third prequel on the Minions series, the adorable Twinkie lookalikes tackle Tinseltown, chasing Golden Age Hollywood stardom and accidentally unleashing monsters in 1920s Los Angeles.
Enola Holmes 3 — Sherlock’s sister played by Millie Bobby Brown travels to Malta where romance and danger collide in a dangerous mystery involving coded clues, hidden threats and a dangerous disappearance. This third installment in the hit Netflix movie series co-stars Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter.
July 3
Young Washington — William Franklyn-Miller plays future president George in this historical biopic wisely timed for America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Early military trials shape the future founding father in an inspiring Angel Studios and Wonder Films production go-starting Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammer and Mary-Louise Parker.
July 10
Moana — This Disney live-action reimagining of the decade-old animated hit sends the title character (Catherine Lagaʻaia) beyond the reef with her trusted bud (Dwayne Johnson) for an adventure with expected new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Hamilton stage helmer Thomas Kail.
Evil Dead Burn — A family reunion turns hellish as “Deadites” overrun a secluded home in this survival tale. Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan and Luciane Buchanan star in this sixth installment of the horror franchise.
July 17
The Odyssey — Director Christopher Nolan, fresh from Oppenheimer Oscars domination, adapts Homer’s epic journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War with an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o and Anne Hathaway. This massively anticipated adventure started selling out IMAX 70mm and large-format screens when tickets became available nearly a year ago. Expect mythological creatures, practical effects and iconic scenes.
July 24
72 Hours — Kevin Hart plays a middle-aged man accidentally added to a group chat who joins a wild Miami bachelor party group. Teyana Taylor, Marcello Hernández and Mason Gooding are among the ensemble in this feel-good Netflix comedy.
July 31
I Want Your Sex — Director Gregg Araki explores sex, power and manipulation in the art world as Cooper Hoffman’s naive character lands a job for a provocateur played by Olivia Wilde. His fantasies come true as she hires him to become her sexual muse in this comedy-thriller featuring Charli XCX.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day — Tom Holland’s Peter Parker returns for a fresh standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe chapter as his superhero powers evolve and he faces a new threat. Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Sadie Sink and Mark Ruffalo co-star.
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August 7
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma — This queer slasher satire and meta commentary on the “final girl” blends horror, comedy and coming-of-age chaos into an anticipated late-summer film. Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson and Sarah Sherman star in Jane Schoenbrun’s follow-up to I Saw the TV Glow.
The Last House — A family trapped at home faces dwindling resources and an unseen terror in this sci-fi thriller to stream on Netflix. Greta Lee and Wagner Moura lead the high-pedigree cast.
August 14
The End of Oak Street — A cosmic event rips a suburb from reality, forcing a family led by Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor to band together for survival in this sci-fi thriller.
August 28
Coyote vs. Acme — This long-shelved Looney Tunes hybrid action comedy finally reaches theaters with Will Forte and John Cena in key roles along with Wile E. Coyote’s character pressing legal action against the product company consistently thwarting his quests.
The Dog Stars — Director Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic survival tale follows Jacob Elordi as a pilot seeking hope after a devastating pandemic. After hearing a mysterious radio transmission, his protagonist embarks on a journey to find hope, joined by a military survivalist played by Josh Brolin and a medic and love interest played by Margaret Qualley.
Cliffhanger — This reboot of the modern-day Sylvester Stallone thriller strands a family against kidnappers in the Italian Alps, with Lily James as the central mountaineering heroine. Pierce Brosnan co-stars as characters face a tragic event, forcing them to confront and overcome adversity.
That’s the 33 films in less than three months of prime box office time. Look forward to reviews of these and many more right here on Silver Screen Capture.
The company NEP Sweetwater played a role behind the scenes of the new 2025 Superman film, supporting the LED stage technology behind many of the film’s most dynamic storytelling visuals. The film has more than 2,000 visual effects shots.
From flight sequences to the alien chaos outside the protagonist’s apartment, the Lux Stage at Trilith Studios in Georgia gave this team flexibility to move fast, light practically and keep the ensemble connected to their acting performances opposite superhero fantasy elements.
The feature-length documentary The Games in Black & White by Atlanta Story Partners will premiere at the 49th Annual Atlanta Film Festival Sat., April 26, 2025 at the Rialto Center for the Arts. Centered around the enduring friendship of Ambassador Andrew Young and 1996 Olympic CEO Billy Payne, characterized as one of the most successful partnerships between the races in the American south in the civil rights era, the film presents the first comprehensive story of Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic Games from initial bid to enduring legacy. Ticket availability through the Atlanta Film Festival website will be announced in weeks ahead.
“Beyond the highlight reel of extraordinary athletic feats, this film illustrates how two men, one Black, one White, embodied the promise of the civil rights movement and helped fulfill the destiny of ‘the city too busy to hate,'” explained George Hirthler, Atlanta Story Partners co-founder, the film’s writer and producer.
Atlanta Film Society Executive Director Christopher Escobar added the documentary is a natural to present at the Atlanta Film Festival, known for attracting the latest and greatest independent films from around the globe to Atlanta as well as sharing the city’s story with the world: “We’re excited not only to premiere this film but also to present it within walking distance of where all this history took place, at an incredible, historic Atlanta venue, Rialto Center for the Arts.”
Co-produced by award-winning filmmaker and Atlanta Story Partners co-founder Bob Judson, The Games in Black & White features a cast of Centennial Olympic all-star organizers as well as interviews with gold medalists such as Johann Olav Koss and Dan O’Brien, the latter filmed in modern-day Centennial Olympic Park. The filmmakers captured interviews in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Oslo and Paris to share additional, previously unheralded legacies of the 1996 Olympics.
Grammy-winning producer Dallas Austin served as music director and produced the film’s theme song, “The City Too Busy to Hate,” which will be released in advance of the premiere. The film also features an original score by local jazz musician Joe Alterman. Atlanta-based actor Greg Alan Williams narrates the film.
Along with Payne and Young, the filmmakers completed interviews with more than 40 people associated with the 1996 Games or the Olympic Movement, including former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Martin Luther King III and former Atlanta First Lady Valerie Jackson, among others. The team also interviewed U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland; LA28 Board Chair Casey Wasserman; five-time Olympic medalist and LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans; and LA28 Chief of Games Management Doug Arnot, who was also managing director of venues and operations at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is an Academy Award-qualifying festival and the Southeast’s preeminent celebration of cinema. Every spring, the 11-day festival presents approximately 150 local and international works representing 50+ countries. The 49th Annual Atlanta Film Festival will take place April 24-May 4, 2025, with announcements ahead about an array of slated films and events.
This documentary will be screened at the Atlanta Film Festival April 26 at 6:30pm at The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University. Tickets available here.
Atlanta’s preeminent, Oscar-qualifying film festival Out On Film brings five of 2025’s most anticipated LGBTQIA+ narrative films and documentaries to Southern audiences with its “Spring Mini-Fest’25,” taking place over three consecutive evenings March 17-19 at Landmark’s Midtown Arts Cinema. Back for a third year, Spring Mini-Fest kicks off Monday, March 17 with the comedy of errors The Wedding Banquet (2025), starring Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone.
March 18 will feature two anticipated documentaries: Sally, a rich portrait of Sally Ride, the first woman in space and her 27-year secret romance, and Speaking Out, featuring three men’s gripping stories of sexual trauma and recovery.
Spring Mini-Fest’25 wraps up March 19 with An Unexpected Community, a star-studded look at the popular pandemic-era female/queer Zoom group Women On The Net plus the sweeping post-WWII romantic drama On Swift Horses, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi and Will Poulter.
Tickets for all films are on sale now at outonfilm.org.
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) will present 50 films celebrating the diversity of Jewish experiences around the globe for its 25th year. From curated feature films with unexpected titles such as Guns & Moses and Sabbath Queen to documentaries about the likes of controversial German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and Oscars original song favorite Diane Warren, there are movies of a variety of genres in this year’s lineup.
The festival’s opening night event includes the Atlanta premiere of the NYC-set ensemble screwball comedy Bad Shabbos at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Special guests include stars Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Bass, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Milayna Vayntrub, Meghan Leathers and Theo Taplitz along with director and writer Daniel Robbins and producer Adam Mitchell.
This year’s lineup includes the worldpremiere of Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause and the North American premiere of Eid, the critically-acclaimed first major dramatic feature by a Bedouin-Israeli filmmaker. Highlighting themes such as LGBTQIA+ stories, women’s empowerment, world conflicts and intersectionality, the festival explores the global Jewish experience and its connections to diverse communities, welcoming audiences from all backgrounds.
The AJFF Closing Night & Awards Show March 5 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center will include Jury Award presentations, noshing over a dessert reception and the Atlanta premiere of Brazil’s life-affirming road trip movie Cheers to Life with director Cris D’Amato and producer Julio Uchoa in attendance.
The 2025 festival also celebrates iconic star Jerry Lewis with screenings showcasing his artistic range: the Southeast premiere of the documentary From Darkness to Light,which explores the troubled production of The Day the Clown Cried, the notorious lost Holocaust movie that haunted him for years; and a digital restoration of 1960’s The Bellboy. Jerry’s son, Christopher J. Lewis, will join Q&As and book signings, offering a personal glimpse into his father’s life and lasting influence.
The festival will return to venues across Atlanta, also including Springs Cinema & Taphouse Georgia Theatre Company Merchants Walk, the historic Plaza and the Tara Theatre. An additional 10-day streaming window from March 7-16, 2025 offers access to 21 features and 14 short films, extending reach to all Georgia residents.
Founded in 2000, the AJFF is one of the largest cultural events of its kind in the world, celebrating the power of film to foster understanding, dialogue and collaboration.
Tickets are now on sale to AJFF members and available to the general public Feb. 5. Visit AJFF.org or call the box office at 678-701-6104 for details on all the movies, talk-backs, events and guests planned for the festival.
GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, consisting of over 500 entertainment critics, journalists and media icons (including yours truly), announced the group’s democratically chosen nominees for its 16th Dorian Film Awards. The Dorians go to both mainstream and LGBTQ-themed content, celebrating what the group calls “the expert Q+ eye on entertainment.”
Leading with an impressive nine nominations is writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s thought-provoking horror tale I Saw the TV Glow, a film overlooked by many other kudos groups considering 2024’s theatrical and digital releases. Star Demi Moore’s thriller of a comeback The Substance is a close second, with 8 Dorian nods.
From there, the genre-defying trans mobster musical Emilia Pérez and tense ménage-à-trois dramaChallengers each hold six nominations, and Dorian-nominated director Brady Corbet’s artful epic The Brutalist makes more than good with five. Other movies GALECA anointed with multi-nominations: Anora, Nickel Boys and Wicked all with four nods each, and Problemista and Queer with three apiece.
In the per-studio counts, A24 has a whopping 25 nominations. Other outfits posting impressive scores: Amazon MGM with 13 nominations, Netflix: (11) and Mubi (10).
Some notable titles in the group’s trademark races include the inventive slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers vying for Unsung Film of the Year, Madame Web and Trap looking at Campiest Flick honors, and The Brutalist, Nosferatu and Dune: Part Two among the cinematic dazzlers aiming for Visually Striking Film.
The group’s Timeless Star career achievement honoree will be named when the winners are announced Thursday Feb. 13. GALECA’s members are tentatively scheduled to toast winners and nominees in a brunch the following Sunday.
Along with its film nominations, GALECA announced it is donating $1000 to The Los Angeles Press Club’s emergency relief fund, the amount earmarked for entertainment journalists directly affected by the historically devastating wildfires that have destroyed vast swaths LA, leaving thousands of residents homeless. Professional journalists whose main livelihood involves entertainment criticism, editing and/or reportage can apply for help at lapressclub.org. Additional donations may be made there as well.
GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS 16TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS LIST OF NOMINEES
FILM OF THE YEAR
Anora (Neon) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Love Lies Bleeding (A24) Queer (A24)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist (A24) Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (Mubi) Luca Guadagnino, Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) Jane Schoenbrun, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR (Original or adapted)
Anora (Neon) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Conclave (Focus Features) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) The Substance (Mubi)
LGBTQ SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR
Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Love Lies Bleeding (A24) Problemista (A24) Queer (A24)
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
All We Imagine as Light (Sideshow / Janus Films) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films) I’m Still Here (Sony Pictures Classics) The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Neon)
LGBTQ NON-ENGLISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Crossing (Mubi) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment) Vermiglio (Sideshow / Janus Films) All Shall Be Well (Strand Releasing)
UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR —To an exceptional movie worthy of greater attention
Didi (Focus Features) Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome) My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios) Problemista (A24) Thelma (Magnolia)
UNSUNG LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
Femme (Utopia) My Old Ass (Amazon MGM Studios) National Anthem (Variance, LD Entertainment) The People’s Joker (Altered Innocence) Problemista (A24)
FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (A24) Daniel Craig, Queer (A24) Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (A24) Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez (Netflix) Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (Universal) Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (A24) Mikey Madison, Anora (Neon) Demi Moore, The Substance (Mubi) Justice Smith, I Saw the TV Glow (A24)
SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Michele Austin, Hard Truths (Bleecker Street) Yura Borisov, Anora (Neon) Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures) Ariana Grande, Wicked (Universal) Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) Brigette Lundy-Paine, I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (A24) Guy Pearce, The Brutalist (A24) Margaret Qualley, The Substance (Mubi) Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Dahomey (Mubi) Daughters (Netflix) The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix) Sugarcane (National Geographic) Will & Harper (Netflix)
Flow (Sideshow / Janus Films) Inside Out 2 (Disney) Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films) Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix) The Wild Robot (Universal, DreamWorks)
GENRE FILM OF THE YEAR For excellence in science fiction, fantasy and horror
Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Nosferatu (Focus Features) The Substance (Mubi) Wicked (Universal)
FILM MUSIC OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24) Challengers (Amazon MGM Studios) Emilia Pérez (Netflix) I Saw the TV Glow (A24) Wicked (Universal)
VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
The Brutalist (A24) Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.) Nosferatu (Focus Features) Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) The Substance (Mubi)
CAMPIEST FLICK
Hundreds of Beavers (Cineverse, Vinegar Syndrome) Madame Web (Sony) Megalopolis (Lionsgate) The Substance (Mubi) Trap (Warner Bros.)
“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR AWARD
Jonathan Bailey Vera Drew Karla Sofía Gascón Brigette Lundy-Paine Mikey Madison Katy O’Brian Drew Starkey
WILDE ARTIST AWARD To a truly groundbreaking force in entertainment
Colman Domingo Luca Guadagnino Coralie Fargeat Jane Schoenbrun Tilda Swinton
GALECA LGBTQIA+ FILM TRAILBLAZER For creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity
Vera Drew Cynthia Erivo Luca Guadagnino Jane Schoenbrun Julio Torres
Formed in 2009, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors the best in film, television and Broadway/Off Broadway, mainstream to LGBTQIA+, via the Dorian Awards. A 501 c 6 nonprofit, GALECA serves to remind bigots, bullies and our own beleaguered communities that the world looks to the informed Q+ eye on entertainment. The organization also advocates for better pay, access and respect for its members, especially those in our most underrepresented and vulnerable segments. GALECA’s efforts also include the Crimson Honors, a college film/TV criticism contest for LGBTQ women or nonbinary students of color. See members’ latest reviews, commentary and interviews, along with looks at entertainment’s past, on Bluesky and elsewhere @DorianAwards. GALECA’s YouTube channel features the group’s past Dorians film and TV Toast awards specials, video chats with filmmakers and performers, plus talks with members about their latest books and more. Find out more at GALECA.org. GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment journalists is a core member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, an alliance of underrepresented entertainment journalists organizations.
Outreach director Jim Farmer and Silver Screen Capture’s Stephen Michael Brown among panelists discussing queer cinema of 2024:
The captivating sneak preview for the July 2025 Superman features new Man of Steel/Clark Kent played by David Corenswet (photographed here by Silver Screen Capture at a movie event in Georgia, where he filmed much of the feature at Trilith Studios) as a more relatable superhero, flanked by superdog Krypto, a convenient device for shaggy, scrappy soliloquies opposite a spirit daemon. After helming his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, James Gunn has proven a master of wisecracking companions, colorful antiheroes and faithful storytelling rooted in comic book origins. There’s imagery of the defeated protagonist regaining his mojo opposite a cavalcade of domestic and galactic villains wrecking havoc. There are snippets of Smallville, the Fortress of Solitude, Metropolis, The Daily Planet and much more and shots of an intriguing ensemble ranging from Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane) to Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor). Also memorable is John Murphy’s electronic homage to the notes of the iconic John Williams anthem. Check out the teaser trailer right here.
The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has named Sean Baker’s Anora as best picture of the year. SEFCA’s 89 members (including this reviewer!) located across nine Southeastern states named the following to its top films of 2024.
Runner-up to SEFCA’s top ten and 11th overall was the film I Saw the TV Glow.
The dark comic romcom Anora was clearly a favorite, with Sean Baker winning best original screenplay and breakout performer Mikey Madison snagging best actress for the fierce title role. The epic immigrant saga The Brutalist carried home the most awards including Brady Corbet for best director and Adrian Brody and Guy Pearce for best actor and supporting actor, respectively.
Colman Domingo was runner-up for best actor for the uplifting prison-set drama Sing Sing, and Demi Moore runner-up for best actress for the body horror film about aging in Hollywood, The Substance. Kieran Culkin was runner-up for best supporting actor for the dark comedy A Real Painabout mismatched cousins on a trauma tourism expedition.
Best supporting actress winner is Ariana Grande as the singing and dancing “good witch” of Wicked with runner-up Zoe Saldana as a singing and dancing lawyer in the unconventional musical Emilia Perez.
This critics’ body awarded the Vatican-set Conclave best ensemble with Sing Sing as runner-up. Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold were runners-up for best original screenplay. Sean Baker was runner-up for best director for Anora.
Best adapted screenplay was Peter Straughan for Conclave with runners-up RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes for the historic drama Nickel Boys.
Best documentary was Sugarcane chronicling the disappearances of Native American children withSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story as runner-up. The Wild Robot won best animated feature with Flow as runner-up. Best foreign language film was the French production Emilia Perez with runner-up The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a political thriller from Iran.
Best cinematography was Greg Fraser for the sci-fi extravaganza Dune Part 2 with runner-up Jarin Blaschke for gothic vampire film Nosferatu. Best score went to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the tennis threesome dramedy Challengers with runner-up Daniel Blumberg for The Brutalist.
Now in its eighth year, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle has announced its awards for top cinematic achievements in 2024.
The 38 voting members of the AFCC chose director Sean Baker’s Anora, the winner of the Cannes Palme d’Or, as its top film of the year. The sweet and sinister modern fairy tale, which also won Best Original Screenplay, features a breakout performance from Mikey Madison as Ani, a Brighton Beach stripper who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch. Madison is also the AFCC’s Best Lead Actress and Best Breakthrough Performer for her complex portrait of a woman equal parts fragile and bullet-proof. “I think most of the credit is due to the character of Ani and Mikey Madison’s performance. From moment one, you care so deeply about Ani and what happens to her. You want to go with her on this journey, no matter what happens,” said AFCC member Sammie Purcell, associate editor of Rough Draft Atlanta.
This year’s top films were a fascinatingly diverse mix, ranging from a clever spin on the Wizard of Oz in Wicked, to a tennis love triangle with heart-pounding matches in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, one of two films by the Italian director this year along with Queer. In a stunning, expertly crafted opus that never loses your interest despite its three-and-a-half-hour length, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist follows a Hungarian Jewish refugee from Germany’s concentration camps to what initially seems to be an American promised land. Corbet won Best Director for his self-assured, acclaimed epic portrait of the rigors of immigration and creativity. Adrien Brody also won the AFCC’s Best Actor Award for his doleful turn in the film as the tortured, mercurial architect contending with the maddening whims of his benefactor.
“This year, our critics seemed to gravitate to smaller budget labors of love,” said AFCC advisory board member Hannah Lodge. “Films like Anora, The Brutalist, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and I Saw the TV Glow remind us that cost doesn’t correlate with worth.”
Despite the diversity of films, AFCC member Spencer Perry, editor and critic at ComicBook.com, saw some common ground in the AFCC’s selections. “Something that feels distinct across all of our top 10 films is the idea of legacy. Be it Vanya’s parents in Anora, the rivalry between Patrick Zweig and Art Donaldson in Challengers, picking a new pope in Conclave, a galactic empire facing war in Dune: Part Two, or even a single robot learning to choose its own destiny in The Wild Robot, all of these films are wrestling with what someone can be or should be, either in their own eyes or in everyone else’s.”
Number three on the AFCC’s top 10 films, screenwriter RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes’s adaptation of novelist Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Nickel Boys, about two Black boys trying to survive a brutal Florida reform school, won Best Adapted Screenplay as well as Best Cinematography.
Perry was also delighted to see the atmospheric, but perhaps lesser seen coming-of-age fantasy I Saw the TV Glow make the AFCC’s top 10 list.
“Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine both deliver amazing work in a movie that is as haunting as it is personal,” said Perry of director Jane Schoenbrun’s moody feature. “I’m so thrilled that collectively we were able to recognize I Saw the TV Glow, a movie that at its core is about finding community despite your own feelings of internal isolation.”
Member of AFCC’s advisory board Jason Evans noted how close many of the awards were this year, with Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) beating out Colman Domingo in Sing Sing by just one point. “The number of places and categories that were decided by only one or maybe two points is stunning,” said Evans, “a sign of the quality of the films and work this year,” and an indicator of “how competitive this awards season is likely to be.”
The AFCC inaugurated Best Voice Performance and Best Dog awards this year. In a near sweep, the canine star of Deadpool & Wolverine, Peggy, was the AFCC’s top dog. The British pugese, who previously captured an award as Britain’s ugliest dog, has turned her runt of the litter status into Hollywood stardom this year.
Lupita Nyong’o won the AFCC’s first ever Best Voice Performance for her work as an intelligent robot Roz in The Wild Robot, who finds an escape from loneliness in the company of the wild animals that inhabit a desert island, including a gosling with whom she forms a special bond.
“Voiceover acting is so often overlooked, but it’s such a key part of animated films. Lupita Nyong’o brought something really special to The Wild Robot. In animation, voice acting isn’t just about delivering lines — it’s about bringing the character to life,” said AFCC member and entertainment journalist Tatyana Arrington. “It’s a huge part of what makes animated films work, and I really think it deserves more recognition.”
Jesse Nussman, AFCC advisory board member, said he hopes studios are taking note of the vision driving this year’s award winners.
“What strikes me about many of the films that took home multiple awards — Anora, Nickel Boys, The Brutalist — is their specificity. They’re the work of filmmakers who feel unburdened by marketplace demands or fears of alienating their audiences,” he said. “Hollywood, if you’re listening? We want more.”
Complete AFCC Award List
BEST FILM:
Anora
TOP 10 FILMS (ranked):
1. Anora
2. Challengers
3. Nickel Boys
4. The Brutalist
5. Conclave
6. Dune: Part Two
7. Sing Sing
8. Wicked: Part One
9. The Wild Robot
10. I Saw the TV Glow
BEST LEAD ACTOR:
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
BEST LEAD ACTRESS:
Mikey Madison, Anora
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Ariana Grande, Wicked
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:
Sing Sing
BEST DIRECTOR:
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Sean Baker, Anora
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
BEST DOCUMENTARY:
Sugarcane
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:
Kneecap (Ireland)
BEST ANIMATED FILM:
TheWild Robot
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Nickel Boys
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers
BEST STUNT WORK:
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER:
Mikey Madison, Anora
BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM:
Josh Margolin, Thelma
BEST VOICE PERFORMANCE:
Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
BEST DOG:
Peggy as Dogpool, Deadpool & Wolverine
About the AFCC
Co-founded by longtime Atlanta film critics Felicia Feaster and Michael Clark in 2017, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle is an attempt to fill a void in the local film community, and in the representation of Atlanta’s media on the national stage. The AFCC is supported by its Advisory Board and longtime critics Jason Evans, Will Leitch, Hannah Lodge, Michael McKinney, Jesse Nussman, Kyle Pinion, and Josh Sewell.
Composed of a dynamic mix of 38 Atlanta-based critics working in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism, the AFCC’s mission is to establish a national presence for a film critics group in Atlanta and to foster a vibrant film culture in Atlanta, already home to an exploding film industry production presence.
Members (critics living in and/or currently writing for global, national, regional and/or Atlanta metro area outlets) of AFCC voted on December 8 for the group’s annual awards.
A few months after its global debut, the speculative sci-fi noir film Megalopolis is still reigning supreme as a cult and conversation catalyst sensation, and its writer/director Francis Ford Coppola has many reasons to return to the stomping grounds where he completed this landmark production. While filming at Georgia’s Trilith Studios, the famed filmmaker simultaneously created a living and post-production space called the All-Movie Hotel located in the hamlet of Peachtree City where worldwide visitors can now stay in purpose-built suites for filmmaking and post-production. The curated curiosities at the hospitality complex include props and promotions related to projects such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, but for those dreaming of the Roman Empire on screen in his utopian fantasy, there’s quite a bacchanal. “There’s one serious critic in this world, and that’s the test of time,” the filmmaker told an audience for a screening of the film at Atlanta’s Tara theatre. “I’ve seen [the movie] more times than you, I suspect, and I’m very satisfied with it.” Coppola continues to cheerfully engage viewers about what societies they’d envision for the future if they weren’t living in the here and now. And if you have the opportunity to stay at his heralded hotel, be sure to look for these ten treasures from Megalopolis.
Columns, spires and background props from the film’s “New Rome” greet guests at the All-Movie Hotel lobby.
Location markers and props from “New Rome” abound on hotel grounds.
Adam Driver and Aubrey Plaza are among the actors who dined and drank from the plates and chalices of the All-Movie Hotel’s lavish room service place settings.
Building replicas line some of the hotel’s common areas.
You may recognize Jon Voight’s impressive statue standing guard before Peachtree City’s golf cart trails at the All-Movie Hotel.
The All-Movie Hotel has many “seals” of approval; this one is in the lobby.
A high-flying reminder of the arena sequence is perched near the hotel pool.
China patterns for in-suite catering hail Caesar.
You may even see gladiators celebrating the holidays.
Did we mention you can stay in the Francis Ford Coppola suite he personally designed while he directed the film? It was a great stay!
