Genre: Thriller
Ghostkeeper
Director
Jim Makichuk
Writers
Doug MacLeod, Jim Makichuk
Cast
Murray Ord, Riva Spier
Genres
Drama, Horror, Thriller
Original Language
English
The King Tide
After the mayor of an idyllic island village discovers a child with mysterious powers awash on their shores, the once peaceful community devolves into civil war, torn over the belief that the child is the next saviour.
Director
Christian Sparkes
Writers
Kevin Coughlin, Ryan Grassby, Albert Shin, William Woods
Cast
Frances Fisher
Producers
William Woods, Allison White
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original Language
English
Through Black Spruce
Director
Don McKellar
McKellar is a prolific filmmaker and actor whose work has garnered numerous awards. He wrote Highway 61, The Red Violin and Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, and wrote, directed and starred in Last Night (which won the Prix de la jeunesse at the Cannes film festival), and Childstar, and has directed several other films. He recently starred in Meditation Park, Crimes of the Future, and directed Sensitive Skin. Currently, he is writing episodes for Park Chan-wook’s The Sympathizer, which he is also executive producing.
Writer
Barbara Samuels
Cast
Tanaya Beatty (Kwakwakaʼwakw)
Producers
Tina Keeper (Cree), Phyllis Laing, Robert Lantos, Barbara Samuels
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
English
A Dangerous Method
Director
David Cronenberg
Cast
Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen
Producer
Jeremy Thomas
Genres
Drama, Romance, Thriller
Interests
Biography, Literary Adaptation
Original Language
English
Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm)
Director
Xavier Dolan
Cast
Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Lise Roy
Producers
Xavier Dolan, Nathanaël Karmitz, Charles Gillibert
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
LGBTQ2S+, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
Jusqu’au déclin (The Decline)
"A first feature for director Patrice Laliberté and several of his principal collaborators, The Decline is lean, credible and well-crafted” - Dennis Harvey, Variety
Director
Patrice Laliberté
Writer
Patrice Laliberté
Cast
Guillaume Laurin, Marie-Evelyne Lessard, Réal Bossé, Guillaume Laurin, Nicolas Krief
Producer
Julie Groleau
Genre
Thriller
Original Languages
English, French
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
Eddie gets his start by recruiting a gang of small-time crooks and slowly turns them into a crack team of professional thieves. He launches a series of spectacular bank robberies, gaining notoriety and quickly becoming both a beloved national celebrity and public enemy number one. Part action-packed crime caper, part romance, this vibrant film brings an incredible true story to life.
Director
Nathan Morlando
Morlando’s first film, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster, won Best Canadian First Feature at TIFF. He also directed Mean Dreams, which debuted in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. He recently produced Giant Little Ones and directed episodes of the show Cardinal.
Writer
Nathan Morlando
Cast
Scott Speedman, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Durand, Brian Cox, Charlotte Sullivan
Producer
Allison Black
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Interests
Biography, History
Original Language
English
Polytechnique
There are some tragedies so devastating they defy rational understanding. Villeneuve films in black and white, shifting back and forth in time, attempting to maintain a sane and calm point of view in the face of just such a senseless act of violence. The result is a sensitive yet stark account of one of the more profoundly disturbing crimes in recent Canadian history.
The film won nine Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and five Jutra Awards. The Toronto Film Critics Association awarded it the Best Canadian Film Prize, with critic Brian D. Johnson referring to it as “a film of astonishing courage.”
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Writer
Jacques Davidts
Cast
Maxim Gaudette, Sébastien Huberdeau, Karine Vanasse, Evelyne Brochu
Producers
Julien Rémillard, Maxime Rémillard, André Rouleau, Don Carmody
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
French
Dark, engaging and with a brilliant ensemble performance from its many players, Exotica is one of Egoyan’s most engaging and alluring films. A hypnotic thriller about desire, obsession and loneliness, it won eight Genie Awards.
Director
Atom Egoyan
Egoyan received the Governor General’s award in 2015 for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He was the first-ever Canadian director to earn two Oscar nominations (for The Sweet Hereafter). His award-winning films include Exotica, Ararat and The Captive. His most recent film, Guest of Honour, premiered at TIFF 2019.
Writer
Atom Egoyan
Cast
Bruce Greenwood, Elias Koteas, Don McKellar, Arsinée Kahnian, Mia Kirshner
Producers
Atom Egoyan, Camelia Frieberg
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
Classics, Cult & Offbeat Cinema
Original Language
English
Incendies
Incendies is the kind of film you’ll want to watch more than once. With intricate timelines and a family drama spanning two very different continents, the twists and turns of Denis Villeneuve’s celebrated adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad’s award-winning play are explosive, frightening and emotionally intense.
Winner of eight Genie Awards and nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Writer
Denis Villeneuve
Cast
Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard
Producers
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
French