Toronto just hosted one of the more talked-about premieres of the festival season: 'Misty Green', the first film Chris Rock has directed in over a decade, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival over a mid-September weekend and instantly became a talking point. Rock, best known for stand-up, stepped away from comedy behind the camera — his last directing effort was 2014's 'Top Five' — and came back with a drama instead. 'I'm always going to be a comedian,' he told reporters the day after the premiere, while making clear he refuses to be boxed in: the next project could be gritty or silly.
The film stars Rosalind Eleazar, known to TV audiences from 'Slow Horses', as Misty — a once-successful actor whose partying has caught up with her. She's broke, facing eviction and desperate for a gig. Alongside her are Adam Driver, Anna Kendrick and Rock himself. While there are plenty of jokes, the tone stays serious, touching on institutional racism, substance abuse and the ugly side of fame.
The reception has been strong. Variety called it the best movie about Hollywood in years, and Eleazar's performance has drawn particular praise — remarkable given she admitted fearing that casting a relatively unknown lead would scare bigger names off the project. Kendrick, who plays Misty's friend, said she initially wasn't sure the film would come together but has been won over, describing it as if 'Woody Allen were also David Lynch' — deep and a little twisted.
For travellers, the story doubles as a nudge toward TIFF itself. Held every September, the festival turns downtown Toronto into a ten-day hub of red carpets, premieres and industry buzz, with public screenings and rush tickets that make it genuinely accessible — you don't need a press badge to see awards contenders months before general release. Previous editions have premiered films that went on to dominate Oscar season, and this year's programme once again mixed Hollywood stars with international cinema.
Whether 'Misty Green' finds a wide release soon or builds word-of-mouth on the festival circuit, it's one to watch — and if Rock's return behind the camera teaches anything, it's that showing up early, in cinemas or in Toronto each September, pays off.