Canadian cinema is one of the most fascinating national filmographies of any country in the world. Though hundreds of Hollywood movies are shot in Canada every year, the country has a cinematic voice of its own that’s massively underrated and worthy of more attention from international movie fans. Starting in the mid-1910s, the country has produced many outstanding feature films that prove the talent of filmmakers native to the Great White North.
Although some might not know, Canada has produced many of the best filmmakers working today. Some of today’s most talented directors, from David Cronenberg to Denis Villeneuve, began their careers working in their homeland, honing their skills before making the jump to Hollywood. From seminal horror thrillers like Videodrome to jaw-dropping mystery dramas like Incendies, Canada has produced some outstanding movies that shouldn’t be overlooked.
15
‘Goin’ Down the Road’ (1970)
While the U.S. was going through the revolutionary New Hollywood movement down South, Canada was going through a bit of a moment itself. It was during this decade that the Canadian film industry truly started to establish itself as a strong, viable, emerging national cinema, all thanks to masterpieces of the stature of Goin’ Down the Road. It follows two friends who leave Nova Scotia for the nightlife and culture of Toronto, but soon end up feeling homesick when they realize Toronto isn’t what they thought it was. Despite its small budget, the film is typically praised as one of the most groundbreaking and influential Canadian movies ever made, and for good reason. Its realistic approach to an all-too-relatable premise makes its narrative hit close to home, and Donald Shebib‘s powerful direction keeps it all emotionally enthralling from beginning to end.
14
‘Universal Language’ (2024)
Over the course of this decade, Canadian cinema has given ample signs of being on a slow but steady revival process. Perfect proof of that is the indie darling Universal Language, an absurdist comedy set in an alternate reality in which Persian is the dominant language in Canada. It’s a triptych about seemingly unconnected stories that finds a mysterious point of intersection that packs a punch. Universal Language is delightfully surreal and eccentric without ever feeling pretentious, nor ever alienating audiences who aren’t particularly used to weird films. It’s simply one of the best comedy movies of the 2020s, a witty love letter to Winnipeg that’s full of wild ideas it always knows how to best execute.
13
‘BlackBerry’ (2023)
Directed by Matt Johnson, BlackBerry is a dramedy biopic that follows the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone. It’s one of the best movies of the 2020s so far, a criminally underrated gem that’sthe most nominated film in the history of the Canadian Screen Awards, with a whopping 17 nominations (of which it won 14).
It’s smart, it’s energetic, it’s hilarious, and it’s far more riveting than a movie about the BlackBerry has any right to be. In other words, it’s workplace comedy at its best. Johnson’s direction is vibrant, the cast does a fantastic job all across the board, and the intensity with which the story unfolds is nothing short of visceral.
12
‘Dead Ringers’ (1988)
The master of body horror and perhaps the most influential Canadian director of all time, David Cronenberg, has made dozens of deeply unsettling horror films, but not many are as incredible as Dead Ringers. In it, twin gynecologists take advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart to pull elaborate, deceitful schemes until their relationship starts to deteriorate over a woman.
Dead Ringers has an outstanding Jeremy Irons playing dual roles to perfection, amplifying the creepy power of a movie that takes full advantage of its already-pretty-chilling premise. What really makes the film stand out, though, is just how understated and virtually absent Cronenberg’s knack for visceral gore is here. Ironically enough, this approach makes the story all the more disturbing and harder to digest. Dead Ringers is eerie, often disturbing, and completely unforgettable, as every great Cronenberg film is.
11
‘Laurence Anyways’ (2012)
One of Quebec’s most popular modern actor-directors, Xavier Dolan, has been directing feature films since the age of 20. He was only 23 when he released Laurence Anyways, his third movie, a highly commendable achievement. It’s a nearly 3-hour-long romantic drama that charts ten years in the life of a transgender woman and her relationship with her lover.
The movie is far more sincere and passionate than most other typical romantic comedies, and even though it sometimes struggles to justify its epic runtime, these struggles never last long. Raw, intimate, and deeply romantic, Laurence Anyways‘ sense of poignancy and realism may exhaust some viewers. Ultimately, it’s a genuinely rewarding experience that’s worth every minute invested into it.
10
‘Mommy’ (2014)
Xavier Dolan’s fifth feature film, Mommy, might just be his best. In it, a widowed single mother raising her violent son by herself finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household. It’s one of the most powerful movies about motherhood, shown in a unique 1:1 aspect ratio that really makes the audience feel as close as they possibly can to these fascinating characters.
Dolan’s direction of Mommy is raw, deliberately intense, and often cathartic, bolstered by incredible performances by Anne Dorval and Antoine Olivier Pilon and an intricately layered script by Dolan himself. Not many movies, Canadian or otherwise, get as close to their characters as Mommy does. However, this high-gamble-high-reward approach is precisely what makes it such an intense and impactful cinematic experience.
9
‘Jesus of Montreal’ (1989)
The Quebec film industry is considerably stronger and more robust than the Anglophone Canadian film industry as a whole, and it’s also entirely distinct. For proof, one needn’t look much further than Jesus of Montreal. In this dramedy, a group of actors in Montreal perform a Passion Play that incites the opposition of the Catholic Church, while the actors’ lives begin to mirror the Passion itself.The film was praised as groundbreaking from the moment it came out, which led it to become the second Canadian film ever to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Nowadays, it’s remembered as one of the most influential Canadian movies ever, a smart and bold examination of organized religion that still rings true today.
8
‘Stories We Tell’ (2012)
Sarah Polley first gained notoriety for her work as a child star on Canadian television. She would continue her work as an actress in various Hollywood productions, and wouldn’t begin her work behind the camera until 2006. She has directed four feature films to date, and the best is perhaps Stories We Tell, an acclaimed and moving documentary that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the truth at the core of a family of storytellers — Polley’s own family.
From the premise alone, one can guess just how personal and intimate a film Stories We Tell is. Peeling back the layers of the documentary genre and of storytelling itself, Stories We Tell explores the power and limitations of memory and what role it plays in a person’s and even a family’s sense of self. It’s a complex, challenging documentary, but one that never forgets to be playful and fun, largely because of its inherent sense of intimacy.
7
‘The Sweet Hereafter’ (1997)
Starring Ian Holm and Sarah Polley, The Sweet Hereafter is a drama by acclaimed Canadian director Atom Egoyan, one of the poster boys of the 1980s’ Toronto New Wave. In this visceral, melancholic, and demanding picture, a bus crash in a small town brings a lawyer to defend the families, but he soon discovers that everything isn’t what it seems.
The movie earned Egoyan his only two Oscar nods: Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 1998 ceremony, bids it lost to Titanic and L.A. Confidential, respectively. Empathetic and mesmerizing in its approach to tragedy, the director pulls no punches as he dives deep into an exploration of its effects on human relationships and an entire town. Its melancholy slowness may not be for everyone, but those able to appreciate it won’t soon forget about The Sweet Hereafter.
6
‘Mon Oncle Antoine’ (1979)
For thirty years, the Toronto International Film Festival’s Top 10 Canadian Films list was topped by Mon Oncle Antoine, a Quebec film set in a cold rural town at Christmastime. It follows the coming-of-age of a young boy and the life of his family, who own the town’s general store and undertaking business. It’s tender and hauntingly beautiful, and many would rightfully still call Mon Oncle Antoine the best Canadian movie of all time.
The movie is full of thoughtful commentary on Quebec’s old society and all the sociopolitical changes that later transformed the province. The boy at the center of the film is a fascinating protagonist, and his journey is one that audiences are inevitably enthralled by. Despite its cultural specificity, Mon Oncle Antoine is a universally understandable and compelling work of art.
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