By John Corrado

New releases for the week of September 29th, 2023.

Theatrical Releases:

Saw X (Wide Release): While Saw X is the tenth film in the nearly twenty year old franchise, it feels more like a legacy sequel that exists to bring back Tobin Bell as John Kramer. Set between the events of Saw and Saw II, it’s a little bloated at two hours and can feel a bit plodding at times. But this is a fan service sort of film that does a decent enough job of going through the motions, including some pretty good new traps and entertaining turns from Bell and Shawnee Smith. How much you enjoy it will likely depend on how much of an affinity you have for this series, but it’s technically one of the better sequels, and has franchise-best reviews. (Full Review)

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Wide Release): A sequel to 2021’s surprisingly good PAW Patrol: The Movie, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie is another modestly winning big screen adventure for the rescue pups. The story this time focuses on littlest pup Skye (Mckenna Grace) trying to find her place as the smallest on the team, as the dogs gain superpowers from a meteor. Yes, this one is for the kids, but it provides quality family entertainment, with plenty of action, kid-friendly humour, and positive messages about how each member of the group brings something of value to the team, no matter how small. (Full Review)

Solo (Limited Release): This French-Canadian drama set in Montreal’s drag scene, which won the Best Canadian Film prize at TIFF, provides a more nuanced look at the formation of a toxic relationship between rising star Simon (Théodore Pellerin) and new recruit Olivier (Félix Maritaud). Quebec writer-director Sophie Dupuis offers a good mix of backstage melodrama and character study, that keeps us engaged thanks to some clever writing and solid performances. (Full Review)

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe (TIFF Bell Lightbox): Fresh off winning the People’s Choice Award for Documentary at TIFF, director Rob McCallum’s nostalgic documentary about beloved children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs is coming back to the Lightbox this weekend. It’s a heartwarming doc that brings back memories of watching Mr. Dressup on CBC as a kid, while also touching on the broader history of Canadian children’s television. Playing in limited release before dropping on Prime Video on October 10th. (TIFF 2023 Review)

More Releases: The Creator (Wide), Fair Play (Limited), Flora and Son (Limited), On Fire (Limited), Carlos (Limited), Swan Song (TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Streaming Releases:

Flora and Son (Apple TV+): In addition to opening in limited release this week, Flora and Son is also premiering on Apple TV+. This latest music drama from Irish writer-director John Carney (Once, Begin Again, Sing Street) follows Flora (Eve Hewson), a young mother in Dublin who brings home a guitar for her sullen teenaged son Max (Orén Kinlan), but ends up learning how to play herself with help from online guitar teacher Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who lives in Los Angeles. Sure, it’s a somewhat predictable story, but it’s nice to see Carney back to doing what he does best. This is simply an incredibly enjoyable film, with good performances and some catchy original tunes. (TIFF 2023 Review)

More Releases: Reptile (Netflix), Gen V: Season 1 (Prime Video), What’s Love Got to Do With It? (Paramount+), The Re-Education of Molly Singer (Digital/VOD)