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Keep the Lights On

The 25 Best Films of 2012

by That Shelf | December 21, 2012

Our Film and Arts Editor counts down his top 25 films of the year.

In Ira Sach's first film since 2007, Keep the Lights On he crafts a harrowing and expertly acted queer multiyear romance between a needy filmmaker and a crack addicted lawyer that fits perfectly into the new cinematic trend of depressing love stories.

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ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN! ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN RUN-OF-ENGAGEMENT TICKETS TO SEE #ResidentEvil. To enter: 🔴 Follow us. 🔴 Like this post. 🔴 Tag the friend you'd bring to see RESIDENT EVIL. You'll be entered to win passes to see the film during its theatrical engagement beginning September 18! From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. @ResidentEvil opens exclusively in movie theatres on September 18, 2026. Giveaway closes on Sunday, September 20. Open to Canadian residents only. Winners will be notified by DM. One entry per account, please. @SonyPicturesCanada @thetarogroup
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We're almost at the halfway point of #TIFF26 already (we can't believe it either) and we're already hit some incredible cinematic highs and some equally incredible lows... Here is a second batch of quotes from our critics on some of the films they've seen: The Debut (@mullenpat) Elsinore (@emmathedame) Love of Your Life (@rachel_is_here) Faith (@rachel_is_here) IDDA (@haileypassmore) Ancestors (@mullenpat) Krux (@rachel_is_here) L'AUTRE (@smallmind1978) Smudge the Blades (@mullenpat) Nobody's Violence (@smallmind1978) The Betrayers (@rachel_is_here) Nosotros (@smallmind1978) Read the full reviews at the link in our bio! What's topped your list at the fest so far?
2 days ago
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Love these faux playbills from the premiere of #TheDebut at #TIFF26. What’s the coolest piece of film marketing you’ve encountered?
2 days ago
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@tiff_net outdid themselves with this afternoon’s In Conversation with…Andrew Scott. Standing ovations, laughs and cheers galore. From Moriarty to Hot Priest to Tom Ripley and more, the chat covered his career highlights (with shout outs to Pride, All of Us Strangers, Wake Up Dead Man, and Blue Moon), to what it feels like to break the internet every 6 months (see the viral clip from his new series It Gets Worse), to taking on one of his most personal projects yet with #Elsinore. Stay tuned for our review of that last, which screens at #TIFF26 tomorrow. It is already generating some Oscar buzz for Scott. Other things we found out: His favourite Meryl Streep role: Postcards from the Edge. Runner up: Adaptation. Shakespeare roles he’d love to tackle: Iago or Benedick. (He’s excited for the Broadway transfer of @twhiddleston and @wellhayley’s Much Ado About Nothing, btw)
3 days ago
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No big deal. Just hanging out with @airbudofficial at #TIFF26.
3 days ago
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@taron.egerton and filmmaker Jonathan Schey answer questions after the world premiere of Everybody Wants to F*ck me at #TIFF26. The film: “Egerton gives a gleefully committed performance as a man determined to be viewed by potential paramours as the ideal catch in director Jonathan Schey’s darkly comic appraisal of modern dating and how some men signal virtues they don’t possess.” Via @tiff_net Stay tuned for our review! Head to the link in our bio for all our TIFF coverage. 🎥 @rachel_is_here
4 days ago
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CONTEST: ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO THE ADVANCE SCREENING OF RESIDENT EVIL That Shelf, @SonyPicturesCanada, and @thetarogroup want to send you and a friend to see #ResidentEvil on September 16, 2026, in Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal (in FR or EN) before it hits theatres! From the mind of visionary filmmaker Zach Cregger (Weapons, Barbarian) comes a thrilling — and terrifying — reinvention of the Resident Evil franchise. In an all-new story, Resident Evil follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos. Here's how to enter: 🦠 Follow us 🦠 Like this post 🦠 Tell us which city's screening you'd like to attend, and 🦠 Tag a friend RESIDENT EVIL opens exclusively in movie theatres on September 18, 2026 Giveaway closes at 8pm ET on September 14. Open to Canadian residents only. Winners will be contacted via DM.
5 days ago
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Day One of #TIFF26 kicked off yesterday in grand fashion, with a fabulous array of films to take in. That Shelf posted our fair share of reviews from @TIFF_NET before the day was done, including: Wild Horse Nine (by @rachel_is_here) All of a Sudden (by @smallmind1978) Coward (by @mullenpat) Fjord (by @robatss) How We Stand (by @imagery13) Hombre al agua (by Lyle Kruger) In the Heart of the South (by @mullenpat) The Unknown (by @smallmind1978) Stay tuned for our batch from Day 2! Which films are you looking forward to today? Read them all and more at the link in our bio.
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It's that time of year - the Toronto International Film Festival is upon us! The next 12 days will bring A-listers, films from all over the world, parties, and more to @TIFF_NET and Toronto. And somewhere in there...you can look forward to a metric ton of content from That Shelf and so many other great outlets from Canada and elsewhere. So whether you're attending as a writer, fan, or industry member, or just following along at home - we wish you all a happy TIFF-ing with this loving rip-off of a seasonal favourite... A special shout-out to our #TIFF26 team covering this year: @emmathedame @mullenpat @rachel_is_here @victorjstiff @smallmind1978 @imagery13 @robatss @haileypassmore @filmfest_ca and all those supporting us over the next fortnight. Catch all our coverage at the link in our bio!
6 days ago
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