5 TIFF Films Directed by Actors – ranked

Everything about North Star, which feels like the film version of vanity publishing, is clumsy. For a film without a lot of necessary setup, North Star is exposition city from the jump, employing a combination of on-screen text, a talk show interview, and animated flashbacks to guide its fumbling story. The directorial debut from actress Kristin Scott Thomas is a misfire in basically every way, from to the cliche script to the wooden performance from lead actress Scarlett Johansson (you’ll spend most of the film distracted by her accent). The kindest thing I can say about North Star is that the set design and setting were idyllic. Still, it’s the kind of movie that makes you appreciate the craft behind the more effortless-looking films it was trying to mimic a little more.

4: The Dead Don’t Hurt, dir. Viggo Mortensen

This is Viggo Mortensen’s second go round as a director following his 2020 debut, Falling. TIFF billed The Dead Don’t Hurt as a feminist western, but that oversells the premise – it’s closer to a love story set against a western backdrop. Vicky Krieps shines as the co-lead of the film, and the western setting and cinematography are easy on the eyes. While competently constructed and easy enough to watch, The Dead Don’t Hurt fails to make a lasting impact. The story retreads a lot of familiar ground, and in a sea of festival films is likely to get lost. Lead performances aside, there’s not much here that sticks.

3: Hell of a Summer, dir. Finn Wolfhard & Billy Bryk

I have a soft spot for teen slashers, so I was particularly curious to see one that was directed by actors (Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk) who were just exiting their teen years. More of a campy comedy than scary movie, Hell of a Summer is pretty rough around the edges. The script is weak and many of the performances even weaker (including the directors). But the craft genuinely surprised me – the technical aspects of the film are sound, the kills were good, and enough jokes landed to make the outing work. Not a standout of the festival, but not the train wreck you might expect from two filmmakers so young.

2: Poolman, dir. Chris Pine

Speaking of trainwrecks: I caught Poolman the morning after its festival premier, noting that barrage of 1-star ratings on Letterboxd from the night before. I was ready for this debut directorial effort from Chris Pine to occupy the bottom slot on my list. I was not ready for what actually happened: bleary-eyed and clutching my coffee at 8:30 a.m., I found myself laughing harder than I had through any other movie at TIFF. Poolman is a parody riff on Chinatown, filmed on the same comedic wavelength as Wet Hot American Summer. If you’re a fan of that, you’ll likely find this film is for you. If not, it probably offers very little to enjoy. The standout of the film, Pine aside, is Annette Bening, who caught me off guard with her hilarious comedic timing. Poolman may not be for everyone, but it knows exactly what it’s doing. I’m excited to see what Pine does next.

1: Woman of the Hour, dir. Anne Kendrick

Anna Kendrick understands that less is more. Clocking in at 89 minutes, Woman of the Hour uses every minute of its runtime wisely to tell the inspired-by-true-events story of a serial killer who appeared on a popular dating game show before finally being caught. Instead of shadowing a hard boiled detective pursuing the killer, Woman of the Hour is more concerned with the women who encounter him. Eschewing more graphic depictions of violence in favor of the tell-tale moments leading up to the crimes in which the women sense that something is off, Woman of the Hour lives for the moments between the lines. This was my second-favorite movie of the festival and an incredible debut for Kendrick.