The best movies we've seen at 2025 Toronto Film Festival, ranked Brian Truitt, USA TODAYSeptember 6, 2025 at 12:40 AM 0 TORONTO – It's that time of year when Hollywood and its Oscarready movies heed the call of the Tim Hortons mapleglazed doughnut and the Great White North.
- - The best movies we've seen at 2025 Toronto Film Festival, ranked
Brian Truitt, USA TODAYSeptember 6, 2025 at 12:40 AM
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TORONTO – It's that time of year when Hollywood and its Oscar-ready movies heed the call of the Tim Hortons maple-glazed doughnut and the Great White North.
Celebrating its 50th iteration, Toronto International Film Festival has been a major launching pad for best picture winners like "Parasite," "Nomadland" and "Spotlight" – and it was also a stop along the way for "Anora" in capturing the Academy Awards' biggest prize earlier this year. So who might the choice candidates be in 2025? Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" looks to be one, after making a major splash at Venice Film Festival. The Norwegian film "Sentimental Value," starring Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, has buzz and accolades, as does Dwayne Johnson's MMA movie "The Smashing Machine."
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Toronto Film Festival 2025 is bringing all the best Oscar-bait movies and A-list stars. Scroll through to see the biggest names on the red carpet, starting with Ryan Reynolds, who took selfies at "John Candy: I Like Me."
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Toronto Film Festival 2025 is bringing all the best Oscar-bait movies and A-list stars. Scroll through to see the biggest names on the red carpet, starting with Ryan Reynolds, who took selfies at "John Candy: I Like Me."
">Toronto Film Festival 2025 is bringing all the best Oscar-bait movies and A-list stars. Scroll through to see the biggest names on the red carpet, starting with Ryan Reynolds, who took selfies at "John Candy: I Like Me."
" src=https://ift.tt/HCuKimP class=caas-img>Jennifer Candy (from left), Ryan Reynolds, Rosemary Candy, Colin Hanks and Christopher Candy attend the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/d4O8RYu class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Jennifer Candy (from left), Ryan Reynolds, Rosemary Candy, Colin Hanks and Christopher Candy attend the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
">Jennifer Candy (from left), Ryan Reynolds, Rosemary Candy, Colin Hanks and Christopher Candy attend the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
" src=https://ift.tt/d4O8RYu class=caas-img>Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds
" data-src=https://ift.tt/eOQ5IbY class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds
">Colin Hanks and Ryan Reynolds
" src=https://ift.tt/eOQ5IbY class=caas-img>Ryan Reynolds
" data-src=https://ift.tt/R03DxJY class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Ryan Reynolds
">Ryan Reynolds
" src=https://ift.tt/R03DxJY class=caas-img>Eugene Levy embraces producer Rosemary Candy, John Candy's widow, at the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/pHvRh7t class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Eugene Levy embraces producer Rosemary Candy, John Candy's widow, at the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
">Eugene Levy embraces producer Rosemary Candy, John Candy's widow, at the premiere of "John Candy: I Like Me."
" src=https://ift.tt/pHvRh7t class=caas-img>Colin Hanks, who directed the new documentary "John Candy: I Like Me."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/EsegzHy class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Colin Hanks, who directed the new documentary "John Candy: I Like Me."
">Colin Hanks, who directed the new documentary "John Candy: I Like Me."
" src=https://ift.tt/EsegzHy class=caas-img>John Candy's family (from left, Jennifer Candy, Rose Candy and Christopher Candy) attend the premiere of "I Like Me."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/5a6UGjR class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
John Candy's family (from left, Jennifer Candy, Rose Candy and Christopher Candy) attend the premiere of "I Like Me."
">John Candy's family (from left, Jennifer Candy, Rose Candy and Christopher Candy) attend the premiere of "I Like Me."
" src=https://ift.tt/5a6UGjR class=caas-img>Jennifer Candy and Christopher Candy, John Candy's children.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/RmnUvkE class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Jennifer Candy and Christopher Candy, John Candy's children.
">Jennifer Candy and Christopher Candy, John Candy's children.
" src=https://ift.tt/RmnUvkE class=caas-img>Eugene Levy
" data-src=https://ift.tt/riECI5G class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Eugene Levy
">Eugene Levy
" src=https://ift.tt/riECI5G class=caas-img>Elle Fanning meets fans at the premiere of "Sentimental Value."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/njUtT45 class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Elle Fanning meets fans at the premiere of "Sentimental Value."
">Elle Fanning meets fans at the premiere of "Sentimental Value."
" src=https://ift.tt/njUtT45 class=caas-img>Elle Fanning (from left) and co-stars Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/DGIAPwg class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Elle Fanning (from left) and co-stars Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.
">Elle Fanning (from left) and co-stars Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas.
" src=https://ift.tt/DGIAPwg class=caas-img>Elle Fanning
" data-src=https://ift.tt/dm4oMxI class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Elle Fanning
">Elle Fanning
" src=https://ift.tt/dm4oMxI class=caas-img>Renate Reinsve
" data-src=https://ift.tt/tfAbUeB class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Renate Reinsve
">Renate Reinsve
" src=https://ift.tt/tfAbUeB class=caas-img>Stanley Simons (left) and Devon Bostick attend the premiere of "Mile End Kicks."
" data-src=https://ift.tt/Hnx3b6S class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Stanley Simons (left) and Devon Bostick attend the premiere of "Mile End Kicks."
">Stanley Simons (left) and Devon Bostick attend the premiere of "Mile End Kicks."
" src=https://ift.tt/Hnx3b6S class=caas-img>Juliette Gariépy (from left), Stanley Simons, Barbie Ferreira and Devon Bostick
" data-src=https://ift.tt/k0568fb class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Juliette Gariépy (from left), Stanley Simons, Barbie Ferreira and Devon Bostick
">Juliette Gariépy (from left), Stanley Simons, Barbie Ferreira and Devon Bostick
" src=https://ift.tt/k0568fb class=caas-img>Jay Baruchel and Rebecca-Jo Dunham
" data-src=https://ift.tt/HJdVgKX class=caas-img data-headline="See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025" data-caption="
Jay Baruchel and Rebecca-Jo Dunham
">Jay Baruchel and Rebecca-Jo Dunham
" src=https://ift.tt/HJdVgKX class=caas-img>
1 / 16See Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning arrive at Toronto Film Festival 2025
Toronto Film Festival 2025 is bringing all the best Oscar-bait movies and A-list stars. Scroll through to see the biggest names on the red carpet, starting with Ryan Reynolds, who took selfies at "John Candy: I Like Me."
We're on the ground at the fest (which runs through Sept. 14) watching as many films as possible. Here are the best we've seen so far, ranked:
4. 'Motor City'
Alan Ritchson plays an escaped convict on a quest for vengeance in the 1970s-set action thriller "Motor City."
The ideal action thriller for those who think there's way too much chit-chat on "Reacher." In a 1970s-set crime drama with almost no dialogue but plenty of period tunes, Alan Ritchson continues his rise as a two-fisted, rough-and-tumble juggernaut, playing an ex-con recently engaged to his sweetie (Shailene Woodley). He's sent back to the slammer after being framed by a local drug kingpin (Ben Foster), and when he escapes, our jacked hero goes on a quest of ultraviolent, bone-breaking vengeance. It makes up for what it lacks in words and character development with gritty style and Ritchson's beefy brooding.
3. 'Christy'
Sydney Sweeney plays boxer Christy Martin in the sports biopic "Christy."
Boxing movies often involve some sort of scrappy underdog coming from behind for a rousing victory, so presenting Sydney Sweeney's title pugilist as a rather unlikable punch-out queen who leaves everybody in her dust is certainly a choice. Sweeney is both brash and vulnerable in a biopic that follows Christy Martin from West Virginia teen to most famous female boxer in the world. The sports stuff very much leans into formula and clichés, though David Michôd's film finds its way depicting the gripping, toxic marriage of Christy and her detestable trainer/husband Jim (Ben Foster in a Donald Trump wig) and the nuanced relationship between Christy and fellow boxer Lisa (Katy O'Brian).
2. 'John Candy: I Like Me'
Home video captures John Candy in the documentary "John Candy: I Like Me."
From "SCTV" to his '80s movie roles in "Stripes," "Uncle Buck" and "Spaceballs," John Candy became a beloved comedy figure in pop culture who died way too young at 43 in 1994. Directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, "I Like Me" digs into Candy as a man and as an icon, using archival material and interviews with family and A-list friends. The movie explores a gentle legend whose father's premature death gave him his own ticking clock and gives new context to some of Candy's most memorable screen moments, showing how the man and his characters often melded in magical ways.
1. 'Sentimental Value'
Renate Reinsve (left) and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas are sisters trying to figure out how to mend a relationship with their estranged father in "Sentimental Value."
Wry and quite moving when it wants to be, director Joachim Trier's Norwegian dramedy stars Stellan Skarsgård as an aging filmmaker named Gustav aiming to make a heartfelt movie tying into the family's traumatic history that'll be his comeback. However, because he prioritized art over loved ones, he's now estranged from his daughters: determined stage actress Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), a one-time child star who chose being a wife and mom over all else. Elle Fanning is the Hollywood ingenue brought on by Gustav but it's Lilleaas who's the revelation amid a top-notch cast as the one trying hard to mend broken fences.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Toronto Film Festival's best movies, ranked (including 'Christy')
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