The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival is in full swing, with many of this fall's most anticipated movies rolling out over the course of several days here in one of Canada's friendliest (and cleanest) cities. 

Plenty more can be said about each and every one of these films, but if you want a quick bite-sized nugget to help give you a sense of what to expect, check out my 30-second reviews.

(Note this year's French fry rating scale is in honor of the choice meal in Canada: poutine!) 

 

Moonlight Review

What else you should know: Our favorite thing about Moonlight is how understated it truly is. Director Barry Jenkins' immersive style -- in which he throws us into the middle of an inner-city tornado -- is so powerful and inventive, especially considering this is a movie about thug life in which not a single gunshot is fired. The violence isn't seen, but it is most definitely felt.

Trailer

Arrival Review

Trailer

What else you should know: Go into this film clean. There are twists and turns to this one that go far beyond its basic "alien contact" setup, and so our advice is to go in with your brain turned on, expecting a quieter genre film that's full of nerdy treats and an Amy Adams performance that may just get her another Oscar nomination.

A Monster Calls Review

Trailer

What else you should know: Bring the tissues! (No, seriously, bring the tissues.)

Loving Review

Trailer

What else you should know: In a year full of brilliantly understated movies, here's another one that may almost be a little too understated. That said, it's a terrific, heartwarming story about the way we love, and Ruth Negga's performance may just be our favorite lead female performance that we've seen this year. 

In the next roundup, expect reviews of films like Sing, Colossal, Free Fire, La La Land, Lion and more!