TIFF preview: 10 must-see movies for music lovers

Every year, movie lovers flock to the Toronto International Film Festival to watch the premieres of some of the most anticipated releases of festival season. This year's TIFF lineup features a range of movies for music fans, including musicals, documentaries, dramas and more. Whether you're a Nickelback afficionado, or a lover of John Carney's musical love stories, there's something entertaining on the big screen for every music lover.

We've selected 10 music-themed films to catch at TIFF, which runs from Sept. 7-17. From bossa nova music, to opera, to rock and more, each film immerses viewers in a new sonic world.

Hate to Love: Nickelback

Starring Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Daniel Adair, Michael Kroeger
Directed by Leigh Brooks

It's a question many music fans have pondered over the years: why does everyone hate Nickelback? The Canadian rockers are one of the most successful bands in history yet it feels like there are equally as many detractors out there as there are fans. In Leigh Brooks' new documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback, she digs into the rise of the Alberta act and their subsequent career highs and lows, the hate they've faced over the years and how that has impacted, or perhaps fuelled, them. Whether you hate or love Nickelback — or are just confused about the phenomenon around them — this film promises to entertain and hopefully answer one of music's most asked questions. 

Stop Making Sense

Starring David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison
Directed by Jonathan Demme 

Widely regarded as one of the best concert films ever made, Jonathan Demme's Talking Heads feature Stop Making Sense is being treated to a 4K restoration via indie heavyweight A24. The documentary, which was filmed over three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre in December 1983, will make its IMAX world premiere at TIFF this year followed by a livestreamed Q&A between director Spike Lee and all four members of the seminal new wave band, who are reuniting for the first time since their 2002 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. This will definitely be one of the fest's hottest tickets, and a great opportunity to catch this acclaimed film on the big screen, for the first or umpteenth time.

Dicks: The Musical

Starring Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang, Nathan Lane, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp
Directed by Larry Charles

TIFF has screened numerous musicals over the years including La La Land, A Star is Born and Dear Evan Hansen. This year's musical entry comes in the form of Dicks: The Musical, a bizarre take on The Parent Trap directed by Larry Charles, the man behind the Borat films and several seasons of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. After discovering that they're long-lost twins, coworkers Craig and Trevor attempt to bring their parents, played by comedy heroes Megan Mullally and Nathan Lane, back together. The cast is rounded out by Bowen Yang and rap star Megan Thee Stallion, who will surely add some fiery bars and choreography to the film's dynamic musical numbers.  

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

Starring Paul Simon
Directed by Alex Gibney 

Six decades into his career Paul Simon is still as creative and ambitious as he was when he and Art Garfunkel first started trading song ideas as teenagers in the '50s. In the three-plus hour film, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, viewers follow Simon into the studio as he records his latest album, Seven Psalms. But the documentary also acts as a retrospective look at Simon's accomplished career, from his success as one half of Simon & Garfunkel to hit solo releases like Graceland and Sounds of Silence. Helmed by Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, whose camera is often focused on larger-than-life figures in sports (Tiger Woods, Boris Becker), tech (Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes) and politics (the 2016 U.S. election, the U.S. response to COVID-19), In Restless Dreams features never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with Lorne Michaels, Wynton Marsalis and Simon's wife, Edie Brickell.

Farewell My Concubine

Starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi
Directed by Chen Kaige

Chen Kaige's 1993 historical epic Farewell My Concubine is screening for free at this year's TIFF. It became the first Chinese-language film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, earned two Oscar nominations and includes a standout performance from Cantopop royalty Leslie Cheung. Farewell My Concubine tells the story of two orphan boys (Cheung and Zhang Fengyi) who become stars of the Peking Opera, set in 20th-century China spanning the Second World War, the communist takeover and the Cultural Revolution. Amid tumultuous changes in history and society, the film focuses on an intimate story of friendship, sexuality and love, though its representation of queerness and suicide led to a brief ban in China when it was first released. Now, 30 years later it's being celebrated on the big screen with a 4K restoration. 

Flora and Son

Starring Eve Hewsen, Orén Kinlan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed by John Carney

Writer-director John Carney knows how to make a film that seamlessly intertwines songs and romance — Once, Begin Again and Sing Street are all proof that the Irish filmmaker thrives when telling heartwarming stories about people connecting through music. In his latest project, Bono's daughter, Eve Hewson, portrays single mother Flora, who wants her teenage son to avoid getting into trouble by finding a new hobby: making music. Although he'd rather create dance beats on his laptop than use the guitar she gave him, his neglect of the instrument pushes her to discover her own talents as an artist. The music of Joni Mitchell is the glue that also binds Flora to Jeff, her guitar teacher, who stirs up her creativity as well as her love life. 

Days of Happiness

Starring Sophie Desmarais, Nour Belkhiria
Directed by Chloé Robichaud

Esteemed conductors can be a great vessel for emotional messiness on the big screen — the success of 2022's Tár proved there was an appetite for fictional chaos in the classical music world. Days of Happiness also follows a woman orchestra director, but in this drama from Montreal writer-director Chloé Robichaud, conductor Emma (Sophie Desmarais) feels suffocated by her father, who acts as her agent. Focused on perfection, Emma connects with cellist Naëlle (Nour Belkhiria) and reexamines how to become the musician and person she wants to be. Robichaud tapped Grammy-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin to serve as a consultant on the film to ensure the performances felt authentic, and members of the Orchestre Métropolitain also appear in several scenes.

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

Starring Lil Nas X
Directed by Carlos López Estrada, Zac Manuel

Grammy-winning superstar Lil Nas X shattered records with the release of "Old Town Road," and has been shaking up the music industry ever since with his unapologetic queer hits. Known for not just his music, but also his humour, bold fashion choices and his creativity, there hasn't been a pop star like Lil Nas X in a long time, which is precisely why directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel examine the hitmaker's place in the pop music canon as a Black gay performer. The documentary goes beyond the stage to chronicle Lil Nas X's first-ever global tour, bringing fans into some intimate moments as he navigates music and identity.

Flipside

Starring Chris Wilcha
Directed by Chris Wilcha

The name Chris Wilcha might be familiar to fans of This American Life, as he adapted the acclaimed radio show for TV. But with this documentary, he turns the focus on himself as he tracks his journey to save the record store he worked at as a teen. As he deals with a mid-life crisis, he manages to find humour in his mission of preservation. TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers said the film "plays in the tradition of This American Life's style of personal essay," so fans already have an inkling of what to expect.

They Shot the Piano Player

Starring Jeff Goldblum
Directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal 

Actor Jeff Goldblum lends his voice to this animated film about a New York music journalist investigating the disappearance of Francisco Tenório Júnior, a Brazilian piano player and composer. The film unravels the mystery around how the musician vanished without a trace against a backdrop of saturated, entrancing illustrations. Fans of bossa nova music, or movie goers who want to learn more about the music scene in Argentina and Brazil before totalitarian rule, will want to see this reunion between Oscar-nominated filmmakers Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal. "This film has been a 15-year investigation of mine into the life of a musical genius, whose life was unjustly taken by the military coup back in the '70s," Trueba told Deadline. "I am delighted to celebrate his legacy with the luminous animation of my accomplice Javier Mariscal."