Rachel West – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

THE SMELL OF APPLES (TIFF 2026) – Review by Rachel West

September 11, 2026September 9, 2026 Rachel West apartheid, Celeste Matthews Wannenburgh, Chris Ciancimino, Dawian van der Westhuizen, John Tengrove, Karoline Watson, Lennert Hillege, south african films, The Smell of Apples, TIFF 2026, Wian Carstens

There comes a moment in every child’s life when they learn that the world, and the people within it, are not always kind. For sheltered 11-year-old Marnus in The Smell of Apples, it’s realizing that the privileged place he holds in 1970s South African society is built on cruelty and oppression at the hands of his idol – his father. Director John Tengrove’s feature film is both a coming-of-age story and a searing look at what Apartheid looked like from the perspective of those who benefited from it the most.

Festivals Reviews

AH, GIRL (TIFF 2026) – Review by Rachel West

September 11, 2026September 11, 2026 Rachel West Ah Girl, Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, Singapore, TIFF 2026, Xuan Jing Ong

Ah Girl, the feature film debut of Ang Geck Geck Priscilla, is a tender and bittersweet tale of childhood in 1990s Singapore. Drawing on her own upbringing and childhood memories for the script, Priscilla centres her story on Swee Swee (Xuan Jing Ong), a plucky seven-year-old navigating the separation of her carefree but disengaged parents alongside her younger sister, Ah Tian (Sydney Wong). Nicknamed “Ah Girl” at home, Swee Swee’s personality shines through from her first moments on screen. She is weird, she is fun, she is expressive, and she is lonely.

Reviews

THE DELIVERY LINE (Hot Docs 2026) – Review by Rachel West

April 30, 2026May 7, 2026 Rachel West afghanistan, colombia, documentary, Hot Docs, mexico, midwives, Nance Ackerman, nigeria canada, The Delivery Line

Pregnancy and childbirth are often joyous, but they can also be marked by stress, health risks, and uncertainty— especially for those facing poverty, crime, climate change, war, and migration. For many, midwives are the ones guiding them through it. In The Delivery Line, director Nance Ackerman profiles five midwives working on the frontlines, from makeshift tents on the US-Mexico border to remote villages in Afghanistan. The film is an unflinching yet compassionate look at the realities of giving birth around the world. It follows five women who support and advocate for their communities. Blending traditional and modern practices, they bring care and dignity to some of the most challenging environments.

Reviews

CHRISTY – Review by Rachel West

October 2, 2025October 5, 2025 Rachel West ben foster, bioic, boxing, Christy Martin, David Michôd, Don King, Katy O’Brian, lgbtq, Merritt Wever, Sydney Sweeney, vancouver international film festival, viff

Sydney Sweeney comes alive in the story of boxer Christy Martin. Directed by David Michôd, Christy tells the story of professional women’s boxer Christy Martin from her small town beginnings to her rise to boxing stardom, along with the battles she was fighting outside of the ring. Christy is a no-holds-barred tale, intertwining the elements of a sports biopic with a dark relationship drama to tell the story of Martin’s trailblazing career.

Festivals Reviews

SWIPED (TIFF 2025) – Review by Rachel West

September 16, 2025September 15, 2025 Rachel West Ben Schnetzer, biopic, Bumble, dan stevens, disney, hulu, Jackson White, Kim Carmele, Lily James, Rachel Lee Goldenberg, sexual harassment, Swiped, TIFF 2025, Tinder, Whitney Wolfe, workplace toxicity

Whitney Wolfe appeared to have it all. A smart, business-savvy young woman full of ideas who knew how to work a room full of tech bros to earn herself a place as Tinder’s lone female co-founder. It seems like a tech fairytale come true, full of female empowerment and triumph. But for Wolfe, it was more akin to a nightmare full of misogyny, toxic men, harassment, and sexism. Her story is the basis for the new film Swiped, directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg and starring Lily James as the real-life Wolfe.

Festivals Reviews

HONEY BUNCH (TIFF 2025) – Review by Rachel West

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 Rachel West Ben Petrie, Dusty Mancinelli, Grace Glowicki, Honey Bunch, Kate Dickie, Madeleine Sims-Fewer, TIFF 2025

Honey Bunch aims for a 1970s psychological comedic thriller, but its ambition far outweighs its execution. Writing and directing duo Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli’s second feature is a muddled mess of style over substance. Though there’s ambition and style here, Honey Bunch never finds its footing. For all its visual flair, the film collapses under the weight of its own ideas.

Festivals Reviews

OUT STANDING (TIFF 2025) – Review by Rachel West

September 9, 2025September 8, 2025 Rachel West Martine Pagé, Mélanie Charbonneau, Nina Kiri, Out Standing, Royal 22e Régiment, Sandra Perron, TIFF 2025, women in the military

Director Mélanie Charbonneau’s Out Standing opens with a literal bang, a gunshot reverberating on screen and a close-up of the face of Captain Sandra Perron, Canada’s first female infantry officer. This shot sets the tone for an unfilching look at Perron’s resilience as an officer and a woman within the Canadian military. Nina Kiri is phenomenal as Perron. Embodying both the physical and emotional challenges, she paints a vivid portrait of a woman pushed to the brink.

Festivals Reviews

NIKA & MADISON (TIFF 2025) – Review by Rachel West

September 8, 2025September 9, 2025 Rachel West Amanda Brugel, Ellyn Jade, Eva Thomas, Michael McGowan, Nika & Madison, Star Slade, TIFF 2025

Two estranged friends are thrust back together following a violent incident in director Eva Thomas’ Nika & Madison. Here, women are at the centre of the film, each with agency and attitude, which propels the film into one to watch at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The story explores the bonds of female friendship and the sacrifices loved ones make for the sake of protection, regardless of the consequences.

Festivals Interviews

Eva Thomas talks NIKA & MADISON (TIFF 2025) – Rachel West interviews

September 8, 2025September 8, 2025 Rachel West Ellyn Jade, Eva Thomas, Indigenous women, Nika & Madison, Star Slade, TIFF 2025

Director Eva Thomas introduces audiences to a story that balances female friendship and agency. The drama centres on two young Indigenous women, estranged friends Nika and Madison, following a fateful encounter with police that leads them to reevaluate their friendship and direction in life. A captivating film filled with tension and a strong supporting cast, Thomas cements her place among a new wave of Canadian filmmakers.

Festivals Reviews

WHITETAIL (TIFF 2025) – Review by Rachel West

September 8, 2025September 9, 2025 Rachel West Aaron McCusker, Frank van den Eeden, Nanouk Leopold, Natasha O’Keeffe, TIFF 2025, Whitetail

The forest is a source of comfort and torment in director and writer Nanouk Leopold’s latest feature, Whitetail.

A vividly verdant Irish forest opens Whitetail. It is the central setting of the film, a beautiful, raw, natural setting that beckons Jen (Natasha O’Keeffe) from her youth to her present-day job as a forest ranger. Here she protects and oversees this patch of mossy paradise, protecting the land and the creatures within from poachers.

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