The Toronto International Film Festival is uniquely reliant on crowds, which has made its 2021 edition particularly challenging during the pandemic.

The fall movie season -- usually a reliable rhythm and cozy autumn comfort — is this year, like much of the past 18 months, a little disorienting.

The adaptation of the Broadway hit and Tony-winner “Dear Evan Hansen,” Edgar Wright’s ’60s London themed “Last Night in Soho,” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” are just a few...