10 Best Movies Coming Soon From Toronto’s Film Festival

4. The Substance (in theaters Sept. 20)

In a year of major comebacks for actresses over 50, the biggest may be Demi Moore, 61, who slays as an over-the-hill Hollywood star. Frustrated by her waning power, she becomes vulnerable to an offer for “the substance,” a fictional chemical that splits her into her young, supple, gorgeous self (played by Margaret Qualley) for seven days out of every two weeks. What could go wrong? In this cross between a David Cronenberg body horror film and Sunset Boulevard, Moore leaps into the best actress Oscar conversation for a performance that is literally naked and operatically dark.

5. Hard Truths (in theaters Dec. 6)

In a film by master director Mike Leigh, 81, the great, Oscar-nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies), 57, plays one of the angriest characters ever to appear in a movie not set in wartime. A Londoner in a state of chronic pain, grieving her late mother, feeling no connection to her plumber husband and grown son, she pours out her hurt to all — including her patient, warm younger sister (Michelle Austin), a single mother and hairdresser with two grown, successful, even joyous daughters. How did family fate seal who the sisters are — opposites? What fork in the road led to grief or happiness? It’s a brilliantly acted story with laughs and darkness, one that raises profound questions about the human condition.

6. The Room Next Door (in theaters Oct. 18)

In his first English-language feature, Pedro Almodóvar, sophisticated, successful New York magazine colleagues Martha (Tilda Swinton, 63) and Ingrid (Julianne Moore, 63) reunite after many years when Martha confronts Stage 3 ovarian cancer and Ingrid her own death phobia. The beautifully directed drama explores what it means to face death with dignity while savoring the pleasures of life — friendship, sex, books, movies, wine, fruit and nature.

7. Nightbitch (in theaters Dec. 6)

A married artist (Amy Adams, 50) tending her towheaded toddler discovers that it’s not just sleep deprivation that’s slowing her roll — she’s actually turning canine. Her sense of smell becomes acute. She begins to grow odd hairs, furry patches and extra nipples on her belly. She goes from feeling powerless as a stay-at-home mom to embracing her inner dog, connecting with the neighborhood pooch pack and finding her power in the world. Brilliant as movie and metaphor.

8. Conclave (in theaters Nov. 1)

Ralph Fiennes, 61, leads a stellar cast including Stanley Tucci, 63, John Lithgow, 78, and Isabella Rossellini, 72, in a tense political drama set in the Vatican after the pontiff’s death as rumors and intrigue swirl around the choice of a new pope. Suspenseful and terrifically acted, Conclave is gripping, and shows Fiennes at the absolute height of his talent.

Jude Law stars in "The Order."

Courtesy Vertical

9. The Order (in theaters Dec. 6)

Jude Law, 51, plays a rugged, seen-it-all G-man confronting a self-righteous white supremacist rebel leader (Nicholas Hoult) in a war for America’s soul. Based on the real-life violence of the Aryan Nation spinoff The Order and its 1980s bank robberies, bombings and assassination of an outspoken Jewish radio host, the drama is relentless. As antagonists, Law and Hoult are powerful yet restrained in committed performances that propel the film toward its inevitable combustible climax.

10. Heretic (in theaters Nov. 15)

In this taut three-hander, issues of religious doctrine, faith and belief intersect with scary The Exorcist movie staples. Sister Paxton (Chloe East) and Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher), two perky young Mormon missionaries in Boulder, Colorado, knock on one last door for the day as a storm breaks. With a twinkly smile, Mr. Reed (a wily Hugh Grant, 64, leaning into playing the heavy) invites the women in for blueberry pie, Cokes and theological discussions. When they become increasingly uncomfortable, they discover themselves in a locked-house mystery with deadly consequences. Chatty but chilling.