We’re counting down to midnight.
The Toronto International Film Festival is back in full swing this year, with an all-in-person event. As always the festival is showcasing some of the most exciting new titles the world of film has to offer. Of course, our favorite part of the event is always Midnight Madness, a program dedicated to genre and the boundary-pushing nature of fringe cinema. Previous horror classics to receive their World Premiere in the program include Candyman (1992) and Halloween (2018).
This year’s Midnight Madness unveiling is as exciting as ever, with a mix of genre titles from all over the world. The horror quota for this year’s festival is also strong, with faces familiar and new. Kevin Williamson makes his screenwriting return with social slasher Sick, while X origin story Pearl makes her North American debut. We also can’t wait to witness V/H/S/99, the sure-to-be twisted and outrageous next chapter in the long-running horror franchise.
The 2022 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will run from Thursday, Sept 8, until Sunday, Sept 18.
Here are the TIFF Midnight Madness 2022 horror selections:
Pearl – North American Premiere – Director: Ti West
“In this prequel set decades before the grisly events of Ti West’s hit slasher X, Mia Goth returns as the future psycho-biddy Pearl, here a starry-eyed farm girl with a short fuse and a deadly ambition.”
Sick – World Premiere – Director: John Hyams
“A lean, mean, and wickedly timely slasher from American action auteur John Hyams (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning) and Scream scribe Kevin Williamson.”
The Blackening – World Premiere – Director: Tim Story
“Based on 3Peat Comedy’s acclaimed sketch of the same name, director Tim Story’s savvy and vicious skewering of genre film tropes poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?”
The People’s Joker – World Premiere – Director: Vera Drew
“An aspiring clown grappling with her gender identity combats a fascistic caped crusader, in writer-director Vera Drew’s uproariously subversive queer coming-of-age origin story.”
V/H/S/99 – World Premiere – Multiple Directors
“Set at the dawn of a new millennium, the perennial horror anthology series returns with its most innovative mixtape of “found-footage” thrills yet.”
Venus – World Premiere – Director: Jaume Balagueró
“Midnight Madness alumni Jaume Balagueró (REC 2) and Álex de la Iglesia (Perdita Durango) team up to conjure cosmic horror within the concrete corridors of a cursed apartment complex on the outskirts of Madrid.”
V/H/S/99
Lastly, what do you think? Which TIFF Midnight Madness selection are you most excited for? Let me know on Twitter via @joshkorngut. As a Toronto-bound guy myself, I’m always around to chat about all things Midnight Madness!
