You Had to Be There Archives

You Had to Be There

What to Watch at the 2026 Blue Mountain Film + Media Festival

by Emma Badame | May 25, 2026

The 2026 Blue Mountain Film + Media Festival brings audiences 33 films from 16 countries, including the Canadian premiere of Oscar Isaac's King Hamlet.

TIFF 2025: A Playlist of Memorable Soundtrack Moments

by Emma Badame | September 15, 2025

From David Bowie to Sarah McLachlan and beyond, we round up the memorable needle drops from all the festival films we loved at #TIFF50.

TIFF 2025 Review: You Had To Be There Godspell documentary

You Had To Be There Review: TIFF 2025

by Rachel West | September 6, 2025

Nick Davis’ You Had To Be There is a warm, funny, and poignant look back at Toronto’s 1972 Godspell production, the unlikely launchpad for a generation of comedy legends.

That Shelf’s Top Picks for TIFF 2025!

by That Shelf | August 29, 2025

Top picks for TIFF 2025: From Hamnet to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, our writers choose the films they can't wait to see in Toronto.

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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
3 days ago
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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?
5 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?
5 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)
6 days ago
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No big deal. Just hanging out with @airbudofficial at #TIFF26.
6 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
7 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.
1 week 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.
1 week ago
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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!
1 week ago
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film

Resident Evil Review: A Near Perfect Match Between Franchise and Filmmaker

Zach Cregger's take delivers gloriously gory, gruesome, gnarly fun for the whole family.
TV

3 Things You Need to Know About Chad Powers Season 2

Season 2 of Chad Powers is here! Glen Powell, Steve Zahn, and the cast of the series give us a sneak peek at what to expect.
music

La Bola Negra Review: TIFF 2026

La Bola Negra is a sweeping epic pays tribute to lost lives and loves by connecting the stories of gay men across generations.
podcasts

Contra Zoom Pod Episode 344: Interview With Matthew Rankin of Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney

On the latest Contra Zoom Pod they interview Matthew Rankin about his film Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney, which had its world premiere at TIFF.

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