The curtain has closed on the 2024 fall film festival season, and what a season it’s been. From the storied canals of Venice to the bustling streets of Toronto and the mountain air of Telluride, filmmakers, critics, and movie lovers gathered to witness the unveiling of this year’s most anticipated cinematic works. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Reuters, the lineups were nothing short of dazzling, offering a blend of historical epics, intimate documentaries, and pulse-quickening thrillers. These festivals, renowned as launch pads for the awards season, didn’t just meet expectations—they set the stage for a year that promises to be unforgettable at the movies.
One of the most talked-about premieres was Guillermo del Toro’s lavish new adaptation of Frankenstein. Del Toro, no stranger to reimagining classic tales, brought his signature visual flair and emotional resonance to Mary Shelley’s timeless story. The film, which premiered at both Venice and Toronto, stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature—whose performance critics are already calling a revelation. The Associated Press reports that the film’s emotional depth and stunning visuals were met with standing ovations, with many suggesting it could be a major contender come awards time.
But del Toro wasn’t the only director making waves. Jim Jarmusch, the ever-enigmatic auteur, took home the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for his new film Father Mother Sister Brother. The film, described by Reuters as a triptych exploring family dynamics across different locations, features an all-star cast including Adam Driver and Cate Blanchett. Critics praised its subtle precision and emotional honesty. As Jarmusch himself put it in a post-screening Q&A, “I wanted to capture the invisible threads that tie us together, even when we’re miles apart.”
Meanwhile, Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia proved to be another standout. Starring the incomparable Toni Servillo, the film is a mature and exquisite character study that left critics raving. Servillo’s performance was so powerful that he walked away with the Best Actor award at Venice, adding yet another accolade to his storied career. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Sorrentino’s direction “brings a quiet grandeur to everyday moments, making the ordinary feel extraordinary.”
Not to be overlooked, documentaries carved out a significant space at all three festivals. Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’s Cover-Up, which zeroes in on legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, was singled out for its gripping, suspenseful storytelling. The film delves into the challenges and triumphs of investigative journalism, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the most important stories of our time come to light. Another documentary that left a deep impression was Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab. Using real audio recordings, the film dramatizes a tragic event in Gaza, blending documentary truth with dramatic urgency. According to Reuters, audiences were visibly moved, with many praising the film’s innovative approach to storytelling.
On the narrative side, Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet was a critical darling at both Telluride and Toronto. Starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, the film presents a heart-wrenching family story set against the backdrop of Shakespearean England. The Associated Press described it as “gorgeous and emotionally raw,” with performances that linger long after the credits roll.
These festivals are more than just glitzy premieres and red carpets; they’re where the year’s cinematic conversation begins. As industry insiders know, Venice, Toronto, and Telluride are crucial launch pads for the awards season. Films that debut here often go on to dominate the Oscars, Golden Globes, and other major ceremonies. This year’s selections have already generated the kind of critical buzz and industry momentum that can make or break a film’s fortunes.
Yet, while the festival circuit celebrates the new, it also marks moments of transition for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Kevin Costner, long associated with epic Westerns and more recently with his iconic role as John Dutton in Yellowstone, is one such figure in the midst of change. After five seasons, Costner left Yellowstone—his character written off off-screen—to focus on his ambitious Horizon film series. But that’s not all he’s been up to.
Costner is now fronting a new eight-part documentary series, Kevin Costner’s The West, airing from September 15 on Sky HISTORY and NOW. Executive produced by Costner and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the series provides what Costner calls “a fresh look at the epic history of the American West by delving into the desperate struggle for the land itself—and how it still shapes the America we know today.” In exclusive quotes to Radio Times, Costner reflected on his career trajectory: “I’m willing to do anything where I feel like what I’m doing is for myself. It doesn’t have to be a Western, it could be something else. But when something is no longer interesting to me, or there’s some other reason that I need to move on, I’m willing to do that.”
Costner’s candor about moving on from projects that no longer inspire him is striking. “I think the hope for me is that I can stay relevant; not only to myself, but to people who find my work. I can’t create work that I think is going to find them. I can only create work that when they do find it, it reflects what I was feeling and my sensibility. And hopefully they’re moved by it.”
For Costner, exploring the real history of the American West has offered a way to reaffirm the truth behind the Western films he’s starred in, such as Dances with Wolves and Open Range. “When we first started making Westerns, people fell in love with the imagery. They couldn’t believe how big the country was and how beautiful it was. When we put music to it and we saw someone on a horse, we just wanted to continue to see that image,” he told Radio Times. “But the romantic idea is one of heroism, which is a little more acceptable.”
He continued, “Everything that happened in Dances with Wolves or Open Range or Horizon actually happened out there. I didn’t make those stories up. There were interactions and they all have truth to them. They’re made up ideas, but those interactions happened a million times. The documentary serves to back up those kind of stories. There were slaves and there were captives in the West. We did mislead Native Americans for our own good—and we kept doing it, from one shore to the other shore. The Western movies that I did, in my mind, are true. They are honest. They are real. In some way, this documentary backs it all up.”
As the 2024 festival winners and critical favorites begin their journey to theaters and awards voters, and as Costner’s new documentary series invites viewers to reconsider the myths of the American West, it’s clear that both the art of filmmaking and the stories we tell about ourselves are in a period of exciting transformation.
