Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Thom Ernst
Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who... - Never Mind, Iffy Title, Great Movie — Original Cin
Things twist off course when Suzie, mid-divorce announcement, mistakes Kollmick for a couple’s therapist. And, since there’s no way to properly introduce a serial killer, no one is anxious to correct her. From there Psycho Therapy goes off the rails—but wonderfully so. Kollmick’s masquerade as a therapist brings out the Monica & Chandler in Keane and Suzie. Not that Killmick has any idea of what he’s doing, even Keane and Suzie aren’t convinced.
TIFF ’24: What to See at This Year’s Fest, Sept. 13 — Original Cin
By Jim Slotek, Liz Braun, Thom Ernst, Karen Gordon, Kim Hughes, John Kirk, Chris Knight, and Liam Lacey Well, this is it. Our final roundup of capsule reviews of films playing the Toronto International Film Festival, which wraps its 49th edition Sunday with a full slate of weekend screenings. As well, we also offer a deeply considered response to the controversial documentary Russians at War, written by our own Thom Ernst, who has particular insight into the film’s backstory. It’s below.
Alien: Romulus - In Space, No One Cares That It's An Homage — Original Cin
The significant difference between Alvarez's film and other Alien movies is that in this outing, the gnarly, working-class space jockeys are a group of renegade teens instead of the hardened crew of convicts, astronauts, and cosmic trash collectors. The young cast doesn't disappoint, but Romulus lacks something of the artistry prevalent in the first Alien—artistry that benefited from actors like Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright.
Kneecap: If 'A Hard Days Night' had Drugs, Nudity, Anarchy and Gaelic Profanity — Original Cin
But when the film delves into their rambunctious antics involving drugs, sex, and acts of anarchy — likely based on some truth — don’t trust every word the film says. This is an easy enough task if you don’t speak Gaelic, considering much of the dialogue can’t be understood anyway. The untruth in Kneecap is substantial enough to label the film as fiction.
Freydís and Gudrid
July 2024 Movie Preview Keith Kimbell The month ahead will bring a team-up between Deadpool and Wolverine, belated sequels to Twister and Beverly Hills Cop, a Sundance winner, and more. To help you plan your moviegoing options, our editors have selected the most notable films releasing in July 2024.
Imaginary: Unimaginative Imaginary Friends Make for Dull Company — Original Cin
By Thom Ernst Rating: C The unacknowledged thing about Imaginary (as far as I know) is how much the just-released horror movie owes to the maligned Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey—part of a trend of public-domain characters ripped from the pages of beloved children's books. In Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey, a feral Pooh and his equally savage sidekick, Piglet, go on a murderous spree after their friend Christopher Robin abandons them in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Molly McGlynn Fitting In
Molly McGlynn Fitting In by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (February 5, 2024 – Toronto, ON) I had no reason to doubt that Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome was a real thing. I Googled it anyway—in case you doubted it. Yes, it is accurate.
Cynara: The Crime, The Drama
Cynara: The Crime, The Drama by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (November 30, 2023 – Toronto, ON) One of the most influential films to come out of this year’s Hot Docs, and a story currently being played out in the Ontario courts, is director Sherien Barsoum’s Cynara.
Fallen Leaves: Kaurismäki’s Latest Dry Comedy is 'Chaplin-esque,' But Not The Way You Might Think — Original Cin
It’s so droll that you might have missed the joke until Chaplin’s name is dropped in the final moment of the final frame. This would be the Chaplin where charm supersedes slapstick, and the dynamics of the working class is a character in and of itself. Such is the precise use of Kaurismäki’s instrument for language that he’s capable of conveying a revelation with a single word. But if Chaplin is droll, then Kaurismäki is droller.
Hands that Bind - A Review
Hands that Bind – A Review by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (Noveber 1, 2023 – Toronto, ON) A scene near the opening of director Kyle Armstrong’s haunting drama Hand that Binds shows a tractor stopped in a field, black smoke rising out of the engine like a demon escaping the machinery.
TIFF #48 - It’s a Wrap
TIFF #48 – It’s a Wrap by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 17, 2023 – Toronto, ON) The last day of the festival is also the day you can see films for free, at least the TIFF2023 People’s Choice Award (yet to be announced). On the Canadian film front (and who’s to say the People’s Choice Award won’t go to a Canadian film) there is one more screening of Quiz Lady. Sandra Oh and Awkwafina star as sisters, Jenny (Oh) and Anne (Awkwafina).
TIFF #48 - Day 10
TIFF #48 – Day 10 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 16, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Billy Bryk and Finn Wolfhard co-write, codirect, and co-star in Hell of a Summer, a satirical tip-of-the-old hatchet to 70s camp-counselor slasher flicks. Despite taking the lead in nearly all aspects of the film, neither Wolfhard nor Bryk assigns themselves starring roles. They generously pawn that role onto Fred Hechinger who plays Jason, a too-eager, too-friendly, too-old, 6-year camp veteran.
TIFF #48 - Day 9
TIFF #48 – Day 9 By Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 15, 2023 – Toronto, ON) To be a working critic at a film festival is a privilege. To express it as anything else would be ungrateful.
TIFF #48 - Day 8
TIFF #48 – Day 8 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 14, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Director Monia Chokri tackles the romantic comedy with The Nature of Love, titled Simple comme Sylvain in French. In its way, The Nature of Love is a rather complex observation of infidelity (or at least the perception of infidelity) and class conflict.
TIFF 48 - Day 6
TIFF 48 – Day 6 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 12, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Note to self: Do not overlook the shorts program! Ahh, the arrogance! And completely unwarranted. Why is it that I consider the shorts program at TIFF well after I’ve earmarked the schedules with must-see features? Programmer, Jason Anderson has been doing this gig for enough years to know what works and the shorts (and we’ll focus on the Canadian submissions) work.
TIFF 48 - Day 5
TIFF 48 – Day 5 by Thom Ernst – Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 11, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Today begins the first full week at the Toronto International Film Festival and there’s plenty of Canadian content to come. Topping a lot of festival film lists today (Canadian audiences and others) is director Dominic Savage’s Close to You starring Elliot Page—screens today at 12:12 pm at The Scotiabank Theatre.
TIFF 48 - Day 4 - Northernstars.ca
TIFF 48 – Day 4 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 10, 2023 – Toronto, ON) While watching director Charles-Olivier Michaud’s RU I was reminded of Barry Greenwald’s Who Gets In? (1989) a docudrama about landed immigrants (literally) taken in by an East Coast Canadian village. There is a similar tone in Michaud’s film as in Greenwald’s, in that the grassroots acceptance of the immigrants by their hosts is a given. With RU, Michaud expands on the immigrant story.
TIFF 48 Is Here
TIFF 48 Is Here by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 8, 2023 – Toronto, ON) The first day of TIFF was met with a few gremlins in the gears. An initial screening began late, which was closely followed by the shut-down of one theatre with a projector that refused to cooperate. But not to worry—the hiccups were all in press and industry screenings. Public screenings, as far as I know, went without error.
Northernstars™ @ TIFF 2023
Northernstars™ @ TIFF 2023 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (August 29, 2023 – Toronto, ON) The cloud looming over the Hollywood writer’s strike is beginning to reveal an unexpected silver lining. We knew good things would come out of the strike, but did we expect anything this soon? And did we think the ripple would travel this far North? Faced with the possibility of a festival without stars, TIFF23 shifts focus off celebrities and onto film.
Meg 2: The Trench - When 'Jumping the Shark' is Actually a Good/Bad Thing — Original Cin
And it’s not like Wheatley’s actors aren’t up for the joke. Jason Statham returns as Jonas the lone-wolf eco-warrior jumping deeper into the deep end than in The Meg (2018) - 25,000 feet deeper, I believe. Statham delivers what Statham does by squeezing free from tight situations and pummeling oversized villains.
70 works of Canadian nonfiction to check out in spring 2023
Check out the great Canadian memoirs, biographies, sports books and more coming out in the first half of 2023 we can't wait to read. The Mohawk Warrior Society by Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall This anthology explores the hidden history of Kanien'kehá:ka survival and self-defense. The book provides documentation, context and analysis, including writing and artwork by visual artist and polemicist Louis Karoniaktajeh Hall.
Home Is Where the Heat Is
Home Is Where the Heat Is by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (May 5, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Zach Russell appears on my computer screen. His background is a brick wall. It’s an appropriate setting to stage a minimalist mood; appropriate in that Zach’s film Someone Lives Here, follows the attempts of one Toronto man building self-heat generating boxes to protect the unhoused from the elements.
Einstein’s Brain, an Interview
Einstein’s Brain, an Interview by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (May 4, 2022 – Toronto, ON) I spot Michelle Shephard at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto. Bader is one of seven Toronto screens hosting the 2023 Hot Docs. I consider walking over and reintroducing myself; “Hi Michelle, we met several years back in Kingston.” It is true, we did meet in 2015 at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival. I introduced her first film, Guantamano’s Child; The Omar Khadr Story.
Evil Dead Rise: Still Delivering the Demonic Goods, Now in a City Setting — Original Cin
By Thom Ernst Rating: A-minus If you were fortunate to have attended the promotional screening of Evil Dead Rise, you went home with a cheese grater. It’s an unusual takeaway that won’t make sense unless you’ve seen the film. Once you have, you'll see that a cheese grater makes for a kind of squeamish sense. One that follows the logic of “Chekov’s gun,” which dictates if you introduce a cheese grater in the first act, you must use it in the next.
Three Films Worth Seeing
Three Films Worth Seeing by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (March 23, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Three essential Canadian titles are releasing theatrically this month; The Colour of Ink from director Brain D. Johnson, I Like Movies from director Chandler Levack, and To Kill a Tiger from director Nisha Pahuja. And what you need to know about any/all of them: These are three movies worth seeing. The Colour of Ink by Brian D. Johnson The Colour of Ink is a documentary by director Brian D. Johnson.
The Wild Boy of Waubamik
A Memoir Published January 2023 Description “An inspiring story of resilience, told with a vivid sense of character and humour.” —RICHARD CROUSE, CTV host and film critic Film critic, writer, and broadcaster Thom Ernst chronicles his life growing up with an abusive father in rural Ontario. The residents of Waubamik know about the Wild Boy, a somewhat feral child, standing nearly naked in a rusty playground of weeds and discarded metal, clutching a headless doll.
25 Years of Canadian Film
25 Years of Canadian Film by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (February 21, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Northernstars.ca is twenty-five years old. You can’t tell by looking at us. Still as fresh as the day we were born, Northernstars™ continues a path to celebrate all that is Canadian Cinema. To honour this landmark achievement, we’re looking at the highlights in each of those 25 years. Let us know what we got we right and what we might have missed.
Infinity Pool - A Deep Dive
Infinity Pool – A Deep Dive by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (January 26, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Brandon Cronenberg’s films are distinct. Distinct, even more so than the reputation the name implies. It’s worth noting because comparisons, even when favourable, are only valued if the comparison isn’t looming over the compared. But it would take a conscious effort to ignore the similarities between Brandon’s work and that of his iconic father, David Cronenberg.
101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts
Published October 2023 101 true stories to surprise and delight Canadian music fans. Did you know that Serena Ryder played the quietest concert ever from the ocean floor during low tide at Fundy National Park? Or that “I’ll Never Smile Again,” the hit that launched Frank Sinatra’s career, was written by Toronto pianist Ruth Lowe? What about 12-year-old Liberty Silver singing in a reggae band that opened for Bob Marley at Madison Square Garden?
The Best in Canadian Cinema 2022
The Best in Canadian Cinema 2022 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (January 1, 2023 – Toronto, ON) Any ‘best-of’ list is an incomplete list. And this Best of Canadian Cinema of 2022 is no exception. The year just ended saw two releases from notable Canadian directors David Cronenberg and Sarah Polley. Other areas where Canadian film exceeds (as always) are in documentaries. Four documentaries appear on this list…and there is plenty of room for more.
Blood in the Snow Film Fest: 'Grade-Eh Horror' on the Big Screen and Small — Original Cin
By Thom Ernst Yes, the Santa Claus Parade just happened, and peppermint in our hot chocolate is becoming a thing. But don’t get too cozy because something for the wicked is yet to come. BITS, aka The Blood in the Snow Festival, is filling the seasonal gap between Halloween and Christmas—with a month on either side. It’s splitting its exposure between live horror at the Isabel Bader theatre and a streamed program on Super Channel. What is BITS other than a clever acronym?
Rosie: An Ambitious Tale
Rosie: An Ambitious Tale by Thom Ernst – Film Correspoindent (November 14, 2022 – Toronto, ON) A precocious six-year-old named Rosie (Keris Hope Hill) lands in the care of an estranged aunt she has never met. Rosie is sweet. The aunt is too, except the aunt’s sweetness is sheltered behind a guarded exterior that protects her from the randomness of life on the street—a randomness that includes low-income jobs and the threat of eviction.
The Menu: Terrific Horror Comedy Deserves Better Than Food Puns (Burp!) — Original Cin
By Thom Ernst Rating: A I think it crucial that, before reviewing The Menu, the new psychological thriller from director Mark Mylod, I take a deep breath, clear my mind, and resist every urge to pollute my review with clever food and foodie references. It's not that succumbing to readily available references wouldn't play well. But The Menu deserves better than low-hanging puns and catchwords. The Menu is billed as a horror-comedy, which it is, but it isn't.
Falcon Lake - A Review
Falcon Lake – A Review by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (October 24, 2022 – Toronto, ON) Falcon Lake has its doppelgangers. It’s familiar as a coming-of-age story—one greatly served by the performances of its young actors. It plays initially as a formidable entry into the slice-of-life drama where routine interactions between people so comfortable with each other that they’re barely visible.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival: Geeking Out With the City's Most Dedicated Genre Fans — Original Cin
By Thom Ernst I like my genre films with an audience. So, I was gratified to receive a last-minute festival pass for the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Yes, the fest widened its net in recent years with virtual screenings—not the worst, but not ideal for fans of bigger screens..
Halloween Ends: 'Finale' Boasts Some of the Franchise's Best Kills — Original Cin
The first installment was a revelation into the ways a slasher film can inspire empathy for the victims, the second was a disappointment, and this final installment is…well…it’s as good as it is bad. And the contradiction might just mean that Green has made a horror classic into a next-level horror classic. The movie starts with a prelude styled down to resemble an episode of a television horror series. From there, the film kicks in with an energy that is as nostalgic as it is contemporary.
TIFF22 Wraps With Awards
TIFF22 Wraps with Awards by Thom Ernst -Film Correspondent (September 18m 2022 – Toronto, ON) TIFF22 has signed off for another year but not before handing out awards to the best of the festival. Here are the Canadian winners: IMDBPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Director Aziz Soromba receives the IMDBPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film for SIMO.
Best of the Fest - TIFF 2022
Best of the Fest – TIFF 2022 by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 17, 2022 – Toronto, ON) And so TIFF22 ends not with a whimper but a cough. Covid? That’s the rumour, but you didn’t hear it from me. I know a few colleagues had to tap out before the final reel. But I’m OK—thank you for asking—and hanging on until the end. They’ll have to roll me up with the red carpet to get rid of me. Rolling up the red carpet is pretty much the scene along King Street.
TIFF 2022 - Day Nine
TIFF 2022 – Day Nine by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 16, 2022- Toronto, ON) It’s the last weekday of the festival and an excellent time to play festival catch-up. You have 3 more days if you’ve missed any of TIFF-22’s impressive line-up of Canadian features. Most every film that is to be screened has been screened. We’ll reserve tomorrow to discuss the best of the festival, leaving Sunday to post the awards announcement.
Pearl Reviews
I wanted to like it, just like X (2022) but I didn’t because it’s boring. I mean really boring. And forgettable, even more boring and forgettable than the first film. Barely anything happens, it took me two attempts to finish it. It’s all character led which is fine and I like the character of Pearl but there is literally no story or action to support the characters.
TIFF 2022 - Day Seven: The End of Sex
TIFF 2022 – Day Seven: The End of Sex by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 14, 2022 – Toronto, ON) The End of Sex is the latest comedy from director Sean Garrity. Garrity is a festival favourite whose films range from the profound (Zooey & Adam) to the playful (After the Ball). But regardless of tone, sexual politics will, one way or another, work its way into the film. With The End of Sex, sexual politics stands front and center.
TIFF 2022 - Day Six
TIFF 2022 – Day Six by Thom Ernst – Film Corresepondent (September 13, 2022 – Toronto, ON) It’s not officially a Canadian film, it might not even be an unofficial Canadian film, but you can’t ignore the homegrown roots of Women Talking, one of the most celebrated movies at this year’s festival. Brad Pitt is listed as one of the producers, so the most significant portion of the tab was likely paid with money featuring the faces of American Presidents.
TIFF 2022 - Day Five
TIFF 2022 – Day Five by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 12, 2022 – Toronto, ON) Until Branches Bend, writer-director Sophie Jarvis’ debut feature film gets its second (and final) public screening at 8:30 pm at the Scotiabank Theatre Toronto. Although unseen at the time of posting—the press screening happens 90 minutes before the public screening—Until Branches Bend has been receiving primarily favourable reactions from festival goers.
TIFF 2022 - Day Four
TIFF 2022 – Day Four by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 11, 2022 – Toronto, ON) To Kill a Tiger is set in the small village of Jharkhand, India. A 13-year-old girl collapses in the doorway of her home after surviving a brutal assault by three men—her cousin among the attackers.
TIFF ’22: What To See at This Year’s Fest, Round 8 — Original Cin
By Jim Slotek, Thom Ernst, Karen Gordon, Kim Hughes, John Kirk, Liam Lacey and Bonnie Laufer Well, this is it. As the Toronto International Film Festival draws to a close, we offer one last batch of capsule reviews for your consideration. We will return in short order with our overview of the Festival. Meantime, have fun. And thanks for reading. Brother (Special Presentations) Fri, Sept. 16, 6 pm, Tiff Bell Lightbox 1.
TIFF 2022 - Day Three
TIFF 2022 – Day Three by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 10, 2022 – Toronto, ON) A lot of support and excitement at the premieres of two Canadian films from first-time filmmakers. Director Joseph Amenta presents their film, Soft (previously listed as Pussy) and V.T. Nayani arrives with her film, This Place. Both films, Soft, and This Place explore the experience of being young, BIPOC, and Queer.
TIFF 2022 - Day Two
TIFF 2022 – Day Two by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 9, 2022 – Toronto,ON) Canadian Films and Events: The Buffy Sainte-Marie (well deserved) love fest continues today with another screening of the documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, 5:30 p.m. at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto But there are a lot of Canadian film’s crammed into today: Today the highlight in Canadian Cinema is Chandler Levak’s I Like Movies screening at 6:15 p.m. at Scotiabank.
TIFF 2022 - Day One
TIFF 2022 – Day One by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 8, 2022 – Toronto,ON) TIFF’s unofficial kick-off happened last night at the TFCA Critical Drinking Party. The event technically is to welcome visiting film critics both international and domestic. But the doors weren’t closed to a host of Canadian filmmakers who showed up to celebrate their films.
'Twas the Night Before TIFF
‘Twas the Night Before TIFF by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent (September 7, 2022 – Toronto, ON) Tomorrow is Day One of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival affectionately and succinctly known as TIFF. TIFF is big news every year—even when locked down by a pandemic—but this year the news is even bigger as 2022 is a return to the in-person festival. More people, more screenings, more stars, and more buzz. (And less streamed, although there is that option too).
TIFF ’22: What To See at This Year’s Fest, Round 3 — Original Cin
By Jim Slotek, Thom Ernst, Karen Gordon, Kim Hughes, John Kirk, Liam Lacey and Bonnie Laufer Happy Sunday! The Toronto International Film Festival continues apace until September 18 with hundreds of exciting titles spread across multiple programs. Original-Cin writers are previewing as many films as possible to help you build a can’t-miss schedule of screenings. Check out our TIFF preview piece and watch for incoming ephemera such as interviews.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Thom
Contact Thom, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack