TIFF 2026: Our Review of ‘Faith’

Posted in Festival Coverage, Movies, TIFF 2026 by - September 13, 2026
TIFF 2026: Our Review of ‘Faith’

Some films are heartbreaking. Something happens that darkens the story, and audiences attempt to put together the broken pieces alongside the characters. Such is the case with Faith, the story of a hard working mother who faces a challenging time in her life. Thankfully she has Michael by her side, an enigmatic and omnipotent stranger. One who knows a little more than he should about her.

Faith works for several reasons. First and foremost is the performance of Erin Doherty, who outshines the entire cast. She plays her character with just the right amount of emotion, and lets her facial expressions say way more than her words ever could. Yes, James McAvoy puts in a great performance too, but his calm, mysterious performance as Michael puts him in the backseat instead of in your face.

The story of Faith is another reason it works. Yes, it can be difficult to watch as it tugs at your heart strings, but McAvoy’s character somehow manages to keep the audience as grounded as he does Doherty’s Gina. As you try to figure out who Michael is, and how he seems omnipotent, the story continues to unfold in unexpected ways. The best thing about Faith is that director Paul Andrew Williams is not afraid to take the story down a controversial route. Even if it is harder to watch.

Faith may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a well told story audiences should at least give a chance to.

This post was written by
While Roderick has only been writing movie reviews for a relatively short time, he's been a fan of film for as long as he can remember. It's a love affair that started when he saw Star Wars at a drive-in theatre in Kitchener when he was four years old. In the past decade he's fulfilled his dream of interviewing celebrities, attending red carpets events at festivals such as TIFF and writing reviews for outlets such as Realstylenetwork.com. He's always on the hunt for the next big thing to hit the screen.
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