It's been a rocky few years for the Toronto International Film Festival, but with the stars returning en masse, some terrific films making their local debut, and more than a few world premieres to bring much needed international attention to the event, there was a palpaple sense of optimism during this year's run.

I've already highlighted some of the best of festival, including People's Choice winner The Life of Chuck, Conclave, and so on, but here are a few more that you should add to your must-see list for post-fest film fun.

The following are more films that highlight the best of TIFF 2024.

Universal Language

Matthew Rankin's multilingual masterpiece ain't no turkey - it won a prestigious award in Cannes, it was selected as this year's Canada's Oscar entry, and now it's won  cash money as the Best Canadian Feature at this year's TIFF.

And yet, this quirky, wonderful, sublimely weird Winnipeg story is deserving of all the love it can get, so here we are again trumpetting its glorious oddness.

The Brutalist

Shot on Vistavision (a film format that hasn't been used in a half century), projected from a 70mm print, and with a running time of 3 1/2 hours, this wasn't a run-of-the-mill presentation at this year's fest.

And yet Brady Corbet's follow-up to Vox Lux captured the hearts of cinephiles with this bold vision, stirling performances, and a stirring story of ambition, creativity, arrogance, and resilience.

Men of War

Docs are often the stars of the show here in Toronto, and this fascinating story about a Missisagauga-born solider who became a Green beret in the U.S., retired after almost a decade of combat service, and then decided to try and initiate a coup in Venezuela is one of those too-wild-to-be-true tales that actually happened. TIFF's notes described it as Rambo-meets-Fyre Festival, and even that doesn't do the wild tale justice.

The Substance

As soon as this Cannes prize winner was selected of the opener for the Midnight Madness slate I knew it was probably going to take home an award from TIFF as well. With wild performances by Margaret Qualley and a career topper take by Demi Moore, Coralie Fargeat's Cronenbergish tale is simply terrific.

Flow

If there was one "discovery" I made at Cannes this year it was this mostly silent story of a kitty running away from a flood. Part Buster Keaton romp, part epic journey, this exquisite animated film may have got a bit lost under the Wild Robot praise, but it's still an antimated film that's nearly purrrfect for anyone willing to take the dive.

Seeds

TIFF provides a giant spotlight on local productions, of course, and there are none more deserving of both Canadian and international attention than Kaniehtiio Horn's clever, grisly film about a social media queen who must fight back against those that wish to strip her heritage away from her.

Gory goodness with a political bite, this hybrid is exactly the kind of wild tale that this country deserves to be producing.

Piece by Piece

Morgan Neville's portrait of an artist in Lego form is not only one of the most entertaining films of the festival, but by finding the perfect mode to bring Pharell's story to life he may just have found a truly unique way to elevate the art of documentary.

Anora

Yes, it's won the Palme at Cannes. Plus, it was a runner up for this year's People's Choice award. Yet I still hope that people go into this stunning film without cyncism about its success, taking it in on its own terms.

The film is magnificent, but it's still best to gingerly enter this world of sex workers, oligarchs, and the henchmen tasked with setting things right. Baker's film is brilliant, don't let the hype overwhelm its subtle excellence. 

Emilia Pérez

In some ways Jacques Audiard's stunning achievement was underloved in Cannes, and the award to the female cast as an ensemble seemed a cowardly way of not simply confirming who the real star of the film is.

Still, I'm so pleased that Toronto audiences fully embraced this absolutely bonkers tale, a musical/crime thriller from one of the great cinema artists that despite its disparate ingredients manages to pull off the greatest movie magic trick of the year.

Dune Parts 1 & 2

OK, it's a total cheat. But given that I gave up an entire day of TIFF to sit in the Cineplex IMAX theatre for almost seven hours to witness Denis Villeneuve's epic duo of Dunes on the biggest of screens, followed by a casual conversation with the auteur, was a unique delight at this year's fest. Arrakis was given its due this year, and hints of a third film in the making promise future fest magic in years to come.