Purgatory brings an 80s family reunion mission to Toronto

Beatrice has a mission: get her recently separated parents back together. That is the engine of Purgatory, a coming-of-age dramedy set in the 1980s that has had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to TIFF.

The film is directed by Lindsay Lanzillotta from a screenplay by Christine Speer, according to Deadline. Newcomer Ruby McGurrin plays Beatrice. She stars alongside J.K. Simmons, Abby Elliott, John Reynolds and Jack Innanen.

Toronto placed the film in Discovery, its programme for emerging directors and new voices. It is a Canada-United States production. Festival listings gave screenings for Sat 12 at 3:20 PM and Thu 17 at 12:00 PM.

Elliott does double duty here. She plays Marianne, the mother, and serves as an executive producer. Lanzillotta appears as director and producer. McGurrin, Reynolds and Innanen joined them for Deadline's TIFF studio interview, published on 17 September.

Elliott said she connected with the material through its portrait of parenting. Discipline in the 1980s was stricter and more direct, she said, very different from the gentle parenting conversation familiar to modern audiences. Her character reflects that shift.

Marianne is stern with her daughters. Elliott described her as firm on the surface but vulnerable underneath. It is a short description that says a lot about the family tension at the centre of the story.

The script has a personal origin. Lanzillotta said Purgatory was Speer's first screenplay. Lanzillotta first came aboard as a producer, then Speer asked her to direct it. The project is also Lanzillotta's first feature as a director, according to TIFF.

For audiences, this means a festival launch built on firsts. A first-time feature director. A first-time screenwriter. A young lead carrying a story about divorce, loyalty and growing up fast.

The business side is now in motion. Gersh is handling sales, the company tasked with selling distribution rights to buyers in different territories, according to Deadline. That process often decides where a Discovery title goes next and when it reaches cinemas or streaming.