By Janet Grant Some Canadian stories we think we know by heart. Terry Fox is one of them. The Terry Fox documentary, Run Terry Run, reminded me that behind the famous photograph, the statues, and the annual Terry Fox Run was a young man trying to make a difference. Terry was only 18 when he […]
‘Heart of the Beast’ looks better than it sometimes feels By Janet Grant Ex-military Brad Pitt and a loyal military dog fight to survive the Alaskan wilderness in a film that looks better than it sometimes feels. There is something immediately appealing about Heart of the Beast. Put Brad Pitt, a retired military dog and […]
By Janet Grant There was a time when TIFF meant standing behind a barrier, watching the celebrities arrive and hoping for a few seconds of their attention. Like thousands of other movie fans, I knew the routine. Find a good spot. Hold up your phone. Wait patiently. When a celebrity finally walked by, you had […]
Onslaught: when the experiment escapes, survival becomes personal By Janet Grant Something is refreshing about a movie that does not spend too much time apologizing for what it is. Onslaught, directed by Adam Wingard, is a loud, violent, and unapologetically pulpy action-horror film that throws an Army sniper, genetically engineered super soldiers, and a protective […]
Runner: a fast, fun action ride By Janet Grant Runner is a fast action movie that knows its audience: a dangerous mission, a countdown clock, gunfire, car chases, and two unlikely partners forced to work together. Directed by Scott Waugh, the 97-minute action-comedy stars Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson as a mismatched pair racing across […]
By Janet Grant Before Anthony Bourdain became the celebrated chef, author, traveler, and storyteller the world knew, he was simply Tony. Tony, directed by Matt Johnson, takes us back to 1975, when a restless 19-year-old Bourdain heads to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen. What begins as a summer job […]
When suburbia goes completely off the rails By Janet Grant What would you do if your entire neighbourhood suddenly disappeared from suburbia and landed somewhere completely unfamiliar? That is the wonderfully bizarre question at the centre of The End of Oak Street, the new science-fiction adventure from writer-director David Robert Mitchell. The film stars Anne […]
The Rivals of Amziah King: honey, heart and a whole lot of bluegrass By Janet Grant There is something wonderfully strange about The Rivals of Amziah King. It is part Southern drama, part crime story, part family tale, and part musical. Somehow, director Andrew Patterson throws all of these ingredients into the same pot and, […]
Black stories and Black voices shine at TIFF 2026 By Janet Grant The Toronto International Film Festival continued to build a reputation for showcasing bold voices from around the world. The 2026 edition continues that tradition. This year’s lineup includes gripping features from acclaimed Black filmmakers. It also brings projects that place Black characters and […]
“Sometimes the sweetest treats come with a deadly surprise” By Janet Grant There is something wonderfully creepy about the sound of an ice cream truck rolling through a quiet neighbourhood. Eli Roth takes that familiar childhood image and turns it into something much darker in Ice Cream Man, a bloody horror-comedy that isn’t interested in […]
