TIFF REVIEW: BY KURT MORRISON

SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

It feels pretty rare these days to get a cute, engaging and balanced romantic comedy, as this genre has felt watered down for a long time thanks in part to the streaming saturation of the genre over the last 6 years. But All That She Wants balances all of those things and stays engaging the entire time thanks to Canada’s very own Annie Murphy and indie darling Cooper Raiff. This unexpected Millenial meets Gen-Z’er rom-com was exactly what I needed on a Monday morning after watching the heaviness that was Josephine and thank god it was actually funny because it was the ultimate palette cleanser.

The film centers around Emma (Murphy), a thirty-something year old dancer who feels like she is treading water in life. Her asshole boyfriend (Finn Wittrock) is clearly disinterested in moving forward, while her parents (played by the always great Christine Baranski and Bill Irwin) never miss a chance to point out that she’s not getting any younger. Her sister Macy (Zosie Mamet) on the other hand has her life enviably sorted out - and she and her husband Drew (John Gemberling) have a gorgeous Toronto home and a baby on the way. With Emma beginning to question what she is doing with her work, her relationship and her ever dwindling biological clock, it sets the stage for Emma to become single for the first time in a long time.

So Emma proceeds to hit the Toronto nightlife, where she meets a cute, younger grad student named Luke (Cooper Raiff) while out drunkenly clubbing. The two hit it off which eventually leads to them sleeping together that evening and one hell of a hangover and awkward morning. As she rolls out of bed the next morning, to her horror, the dots connect and she realizes that this is the very same Luke she used to babysit 20+ years prior, aka Little Lukey.  

Predictability isn’t a problem when your Rom-Com leads have chemistry and a script that packs serious laughs, and that’s what most in the genre get wrong nowadays. All That She Wants doesn’t have that problem at all because Murphy and Raiff really do work. Their banter is both lovingly cruel but endearing. We want to see them end up together, amidst some poor decision making by Emma as the movie rolls on. Murphy plays Emma with the same kind of over-the-top, wide-eyed goofiness that made her a standout on Schitt’s Creek. So finding out after my screening that the film's writer David West Read was an executive producer and lead writer on that CBC Gem made perfect sense because he knows how great her comedic sensibilities are.

The same can be said for Raiff, whose boy next door charm (pun intended considering the plot for this one) makes you root for him throughout the movie. His chasing of Emma seems goodhearted and genuine, he’s an old soul in a young man’s body looking for more in life. I love seeing Raiff get more roles, and this along with Cha Cha Real Smooth have continued his career on the right path.

Having the film set in Toronto, filmed in Toronto and premiere here in Toronto felt like a full circle moment as well, as directors Scarlett Bermingham and Andrew Rhymer (who are married) take full advantage of recognizable avenues of Toronto and parts of Niagara Falls. Having gone to college in Niagara and lived most of my adult life in the downtown core of Toronto, I loved seeing corners of our city on the big screen and allowing it to become an essential part of the story being told.

All That She Wants could have coasted into cliche territory but it stands its ground, craving out a really funny and unique comedy. I cannot describe to you how loud the theatre was throughout this one thanks to the consistently well placed jokes and brilliant timing of Murphy. All in all, I hope the film finds its footing somewhere with a great distributor who pushes this film to the moon because its the best comedy I have seen in 2026.