Left-Handed Girl: Invisible Wounds , Generational Trauma -TIFF 2025

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“When the intention is not upright, one seeks side doors and paths to the left.”
(Chinese Proverb)

To understand Left-Handed Girl (2025), it is necessary to delve into certain aspects of Chinese culture. In Chinese tradition, strongly influenced by Confucianism, left-handedness was seen as a deviation from order and social harmony. The “right” represented what was correct, noble, and appropriate, while the “left” carried a negative connotation. Therefore, writing, eating, or greeting with the left hand was considered improper and was often corrected from childhood. Director Shih-Ching Tsou draws on this old tradition and her own experiences to structure her story.

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The Furious: Pure Adrenaline and Martial Arts Mastery – TIFF 2025

Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Furious

Kenji Tanigaki, stuntman and fight choreographer turned director, delivers his eighth film with The Furious, a fast-paced ode to legendary Asian martial arts cinema. While the film navigates familiar genre paths, Tanigaki finds his own voice, crafting a work with impeccable mise-en-scène, precise technical execution, and a meticulous attention to artistic detail.

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Sacrifice: A Dark Satire on the Enviromental Crisis – TIFF 2025

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Mother Nature has spoken and says she needs the sacrifice of three people to restore order and prevent total collapse. Sacrifice (2025) by Romain Gavras relies on satire to present its discourse loaded with social and political critique. After gifting us the frantic Athena (2022), Gavras now delivers a more restrained and contemplative proposal. The French director exchanges fury for reflection without losing his critical gaze toward contemporary society.

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The Secret Agent: A Political Thriller Set in Brazil’s Dark Past – TIFF 2025

Rating: 5 out of 5.

In 1977, Brazil was in the midst of a military dictatorship. General Ernesto Geisel led the government and was the fourth military leader since the 1964 coup d’état. Against this political backdrop, Kleber Mendonça Filho gives us The Secret Agent (2025), an intense political thriller that revolves around Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a man trying to escape his past. Through the eyes of Marcelo, the director takes us on a journey that revives the dark past of a nation and, through fiction, tells a story that was the reality for thousands of Brazilians during the dictatorship.

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No Other Choice: Park Chan-wook and the Portrait of Modern Life – TIFF 2025

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The perfect family dissolves into a fade that takes us to a machine spinning at full speed. With that simple yet powerful transition, Park Chan-wook delivers an absolute omen. In No Other Choice (2025), just a few minutes into the first act are enough for the idyllic life of a family to collapse into complete chaos. Man-soo (Lee Byung-hun) has dedicated his entire life to a company, but in the blink of an eye, he loses his job, and with it, misfortune begins to seep into every corner of his life.

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