I took part in IndieWire’s critics poll which asked almost 70 journalists who attended “one or more” of the fall festivals to name their picks for the best films that played at Venice, Telluride, NYFF and Toronto.
No, surprise, Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” topped the poll. In fact, four of my five picks made the top 5: ‘Brutalist,’ “April,” “Conclave” and “The Room Next Door.” Rounding out the list was RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys,” which I still haven’t seen.
If I were to extend my list, I’d probably add “Hard Truths,” “Babygirl,” “Queer,” and “Friendship.” It should be noted that no films that played at Cannes were eligible for the poll, otherwise you’d probably have Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” and Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” contending high up there.