TIFF's Thriller WATCHLIST
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The 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival returns from September 10–20, 2026, bringing together an exciting selection of films from around the world. For anyone looking to discover some of the festival’s most intriguing thrillers, be sure to add these titles to your watchlist.
LOVE IS A MONSTER
LOVE IS THE MONSTER
Amor es el monstruo
In a dystopian world marked by inequality and everyday violence, a grandmother is determined to make the most of the time she has left with her granddaughter. But as a series of events pushes them into increasing danger, love and fear begin to blur, forcing her to cross lines she never imagined.
DIRECTOR: NETO VILLALOBOS
WORLD PREMIERE | 95m | CENTREPIECE
IN ALASKA
IN ALASKA
When a suicidal Inuk teen accidentally pierces an oil pipeline with a bullet, the FBI launches a full-scale manhunt across the northern wilderness.
DIRECTOR: JAAP VAN HEUSDEN & VINNIE KARETAK
WORLD PREMIERE | 108m | SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
GOD BLESS YOU, MR. KOPU
GOD BLESS YOU, MR. KOPU
A struggling Tongan immigrant is taken under the wing of a charismatic American salesman. What begins as a dream job quickly unravels into a nightmare as the protégé begins questioning his mentor’s methods.
DIRECTOR: ALEX LIU
WORLD PREMIERE | 102m | CENTREPIECE
FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE TENSE
In a dystopian future, a young couple clashes during their time-traveling vacation.
DIRECTOR: JENNA CATO BASS
WORLD PREMIERE | 96m | CENTREPIECE
HOW WE STAND
HOW WE STAND
Based on writer-director Marie Clements’ own play, Tombs of the Vanishing Indian, How We Stand is a riveting drama of sisters whose lives are shaped by government policies meant to eradicate Indigenous people.
DIRECTOR: MARIE CLEMENTS
WORLD PREMIERE | 107m | CENTREPIECE
TREES ARE WATCHING
TREES ARE WATCHING
In a forgotten town, the curse never sleeps
Novelist Darya returns to her hometown with her deaf daughter to work on her new book. There she is haunted by the memory of twin girls from her childhood, and the two trees planted as their memorials.
DIRECTOR: BAHMAN GHOBADI
WORLD PREMIERE | 106m | CENTREPIECE
PHOOLAN
PHOOLAN
Follows an impoverished 17-year-old girl who becomes a famous outlaw and survives a brutal 48-hour siege when thousands of armed men trap her in a village.
DIRECTOR: RICHIE MEHTA
WORLD PREMIERE | 113m | SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
