The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) attracts about 500,000 movie lovers each and every year, and it’s not difficult to see why. A wide variety of intriguing and appealing films debut at the event, including experimental horror and sci-fi works.

The following sci-fi and horror films are some of the most critically acclaimed and fan-approved movies that appeared at TIFF 2019.

Sea Fever

It’s not often that an easily recommendable, edge-of-your-seat underwater horror film comes along, but Sea Fever fits the bill.

Directed and written by Neasa Hardiman, Sea Fever takes an old plot—a ship and its diverse passengers are stranded at sea—and injects it with new life, vigor, and creativity. Between this point, great acting, and skillful cinematography, viewers are left with an 89-minute masterpiece.

Gundala

Gundala seamlessly blends the best of sci-fi with the best of the superhero world; the film is based on Gundala, an Indonesian comic-book superhero who was created in 1969.

Gundala was carefully developed and filmed with originality in mind, and it stands out in today’s crowded landscape of superhero films—including the multi-million-dollar efforts of the major studios.

Knives Out

Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and several other high-profile actors, Knives Out is a black comedy, mystery, and horror hybrid.

After an aging crime novelist invites his extended family over for dinner in the hopes of reconciling, a multitude of unexpected—and violent—occurrences spoil his plans and make clear that there’s a murderer (or murderers) in the midst.

Knives Out will release in theaters on 27 November.

The Vast of Night

Last but certainly not least, The Vast of Night is being compared to The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and many other all-time-great sci-fi series. The hour-and-a-half film follows two teenagers in New Mexico, circa 1950, as they attempt to ascertain the source of a mysterious television broadcast.

Sierra McCormick, who has appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, CSI, Supernatural, and other well-known works, stars.

Outstanding sci-fi and horror films are rare, and that’s a big part of what makes TIFF—and particularly TIFF 2019—so very special.

Here’s to creativity and innovation in film making!