The best and worst movies at TIFF 2018 so far

We're at the midway point of the Toronto International Film Festival and already the vast majority of the big players have come to town to hold their premieres.

There are still plenty of films to choose from, and with each title screening multiple times during the fest you may yet have an opportunity to catch some of these gems or make a different choice for others.

Here are what audiences are finding the best and worst of TIFF 2018 so far.

Best

Roma

Hyperbole comes easy when describing Alfonso Cuarón’s latest - intimate, epic, sublime, it's a truly spectacular work that deserves to be seen on the big screen.

I got to tell @alfonsocuaron how much I loved Roma and honestly I'm still shaking from the experience 😭 #TIFF18

— anila. (@abooya_) September 11, 2018

First Man

I was gifted with seeing this extraordinary film on the Cinesphere IMAX screen, and it's an experience I won't soon forget. Damien Chazelle's film about Neil Armstrong is big cinema at its best.

First Man - buttoned-down performances by Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Dir Chazelle goes for documentary-like verisimilitude. A POV of view of the space race with moments of grandeur and plenty of shake rattle and roll. #TIFF18⁠ ⁠ pic.twitter.com/IRtzIOemP3

— Eli Glasner 🎥 (@glasneronfilm) September 11, 2018

If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins had lots to live up to after his Oscar-winning Moonlight, and Beale is a film even more worthy of applause.

I don’t know if I will ever have the words to describe my feelings about If Beale Street Could Talk, but obviously it is amazing. If @BarryJenkins &co want to just put out an emotional, loving, film with some of the best shots, score, and performances that’d be great. #TIFF18

— Cullen Atchley (@Clatchley) September 11, 2018

Firecrackers

An exceptional debut by young filmmaker Jasmin Mozaffari, this film about two women wanting to escape their small town confines proves that Canadian indie cinema can truly compete on the world stage.

Firecrackers is a God damn jem and if I have to join the Canadian Academy of whatever to get it a CSA for best picture the that's what I'm going to do. #TIFF18

— Tj Alston at #TIFF18 (@tjthemute) September 9, 2018

Mouthpiece

A Toronto Indie play turned into a fantastic work by veteran filmmaker Patricia Rozema, this look at the many facets of a grieving young women left audiences moved, myself included.

Not only was #MOUTHPIECE a moving, funny, relatable, refreshing, beautiful film, but @patriciarozema & her team even managed to achieve the impossible - they romanticized winter in Toronto. #TIFF18

— Late Winslet (@latewinslet) September 8, 2018

Heartbound

High hopes for Janus Metz and Sine Plambech's take on Thai women marrying in Denmark were more than exceeded ― this is one of the best non-fiction films of the year, full-stop.

Best doc at #TIFF18! Don't miss HEARTBOUND. 💞 https://t.co/efnotcAMkB

— Pat Mullen (@cinemablogrpher) September 10, 2018

Worst

Destroyer

I wanted to like Nicole Kidman in a heist movie, honest, but I really did not. Neither, it seems, did many others.

Destroyer - This is bad, really really bad. A derivative, bland, pathetic bad cop film that borrows too much from The Departed & Heat, not an ounce of originality. Everything is so fake - every character, every scene, every set, the horribly cliche score. It's so awful. #TIFF18

— Alex Billington (@firstshowing) September 7, 2018

Life Itself

Praise has not been especially forthcoming for Dan Fogelman's drama.

Here’s my super intellectual review #LIFEITSELF pic.twitter.com/FgD9EeT25W

— bella (@isvbella) September 9, 2018

Her Smell

Many are finding Alex Ross Perry's film to be stinky.

I *know* this is hyperbole, but there were moments during HER SMELL in which I felt that it was not just the worst film I’ve seen at TIFF *this* year, but the worst film I’ve seen at TIFF *any* year. Give me a few minutes and I’m sure I’ll say that’s a bit rash. #TIFF18

— Christopher Schobert (@FilmSwoon) September 10, 2018

The Public

Emilio Estevez's film isn't getting much love from the public.

Oh, #EmilioEstevez I wanted to love it. Next time be sure to polish the writing before rolling cameras. Ouch. #thepublic #awkwarddialog #plotholes #stereotypecharacters #wth #TiFF18

— Elsa (@Hey_Elsa) September 11, 2018