Day 7 at TIFF: A Neil Peart Documentary and a Pair of Crime Thrillers Hit the Screens

Toronto International Film Festival rolled into its seventh day with a mix of sentiment and suspense that felt almost intentional. The marquee spotlight was on a new documentary that dives deep into the life of Neil Peart, the legendary drummer of Rush, while two low‑key crime pictures were quietly making waves in the same lineup.

The documentary, titled Neil Peart: The Story Behind the Drum, is directed by Canadian filmmaker Sarah Hawkins, who spent three years following the percussionist’s post‑band life. It blends intimate interview footage, archival concert clips and never‑before‑seen home videos. “It’s not just about the music,” Hawkins said in a brief press interview on the red carpet. “It’s about how a man copes with loss, creativity and the relentless rhythm of his own heart.” Early audience reactions describe the film as “poignant without being maudlin” and “a rhythmic tribute that keeps the beat alive for fans new and old.”

Right next to the tribute, the festival’s crime‑film block presented two very different stories. First up was The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, a period‑piece noir starring Amanda Seyfried, who walked the red carpet in a vintage emerald gown and joked, “I’m just here to find out if Wilson’s secrets are scarier than my makeup routine.” The film, set in 1920s Toronto, follows a private detective navigating a web of corruption, love‑triangles, and a series of baffling murders.

The second crime entry, Streets of the Fallen, is a gritty, contemporary thriller from Montreal director Jacques Leroux. It tracks a former gang member who turns informant, only to discover that the city’s underworld has a way of pulling you back in. Critics have praised its stark cinematography and a score that almost feels like a drum‑beat homage to Peart’s own percussive intensity.

While the documentary offers a reflective pause, the two crime movies crank up the tension, giving TIFF-goers a full spectrum of emotions—from nostalgic reverence to pulse‑pounding intrigue. As the festival continues, organizers say they’re deliberately pairing “different cinematic moods” to keep audiences on their toes. For now, day 7 proves that a festival can honor rock royalty and still serve up hard‑boiled mystery in the same breath.