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Ron: Welcome to a bonus Stereo Geeks episode from Toronto International Film Festival 2026. I’m Ron and today, I’m reviewing Elsinore, which had its Canadian premiere at TIFF.

Mon: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Ron: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

Ron: Elsinore tells the true story of Ian Charleson, the actor best known for Chariots of Fire. Played by Andrew Scott, the film follows Ian’s final role, onstage at the National Theatre in London, as Hamlet. But amidst the fanfare of playing one of Shakespeare's greatest roles is Ian’s secret. He has been diagnosed with AIDS. 

For Ian, Hamlet is the role of a lifetime. His lifetime. Which he knows is going to end very soon. He doesn’t care how he does it, but Hamlet has to be his farewell to his career, his community, his family, his life.

When Ian learns of Dr Margaret Johnson, played by the chameleon Olivia Colman, he gets a new lease on life. Dr Johnson’s medical clinic helps prolong lives but she needs her patients to focus on recovery. Can Ian do what it takes to stay alive long enough to play a great Hamlet?

Ron: I wanted to watch Elsinore so much. It was a high priority for me at TIFF. I love Andrew Scott’s work. He’s a wonderful performer and I appreciate the kinds of stories he’s bringing to the screen. Pride showed audiences what Scott could do when he unabashedly represented the queer community. All of Us Strangers completely destroyed me. Believe me when I say, Elsinore will do the same but in very different ways. 

I loved this film. I loved the specific story it tells. Ian is an actor. We’ve seen movies about actors before. He’s playing Hamlet on stage. We saw Hamnet just this year. He has AIDS. We’ve seen films about the horrific HIV epidemic of the 80s.

And yet, this film ties all that together to tell this singular story of an actor suffering a serious illness who powers through to put on the performance for the ages.

But the whole point of this film is to show that Ian doesn’t do it on his own. It’s because of the communities he’s part of that he’s able to pull off this feat. His gay community, despite being decimated by AIDS; the film community that Ian wanted to find glory in but couldn’t. The medical community under Dr Johnson who not only encourage his health but also his ambition. And his theatrical community, who rally around Ian to ensure he’s able to do his best despite his illness. 

Considering how lackadaisical governments around the world were when the HIV epidemic began, Elsinore restored my faith in humanity. Ian knows he’s living out a death sentence but nobody around him will allow him to just give up. They’re ready to do anything and everything to make sure his Hamlet will be remembered. 

The only person who isn’t on board with the Hamlet push is Dr Johnson. But her chiding of Ian is understandable. She’s seen hundreds of HIV patients, and tried to prolong many of their lives, not always succeeding. She cannot see why Ian wants to compromise his health for this one play. She wants him to live longer. Ian wants to live better. His days are numbered, why not go out with a bang?

That interplay between Johnson and Ian, I found so fascinating. And while Olivia Colman plays the stoicism of her character well, it’s when she gets to play the lighter sides of Johnson that she really shone. Johnson is a supporting character but in Colman’s hands, she’s a fully-fleshed out person with opinions and beliefs of her own. And she just needs her patient to listen to her.

The relationships drive this film. We see Ian with the doctor, but we see him with his friends, the ones with AIDS that are surviving, and those that are dying. Then there’s Patsy (Billie Piper), a casting director who’s a bit precious about her clothes. At one point, Patsy tells Ian that he has to let her help because she can’t bear to see any more beautiful young men die. That broke me.

As if to underline this, Ian mentors a young actor with AIDS at the clinic, giving him a chance to live out his theatrical dreams. There was a lot of crying watching this film. 

But what surprised me about Elsinore was the humour. Its gallows humour, of course, but my word, is it well-timed. And it doesn’t come across as hammy or needless. The humour never undercuts the emotional moments. I’d say the humour actually enhances the emotional beats. We’re watching people live out the worst thing that’s ever happened to them and their loved ones. Of course, they’re going to say something flippant from time to time. Nobody can be serious 24/7.

Director Simon Stone and writer Stephen Beresford also focus on the art and craft of theatre. I loved the rehearsal scenes where Ian tries out different actions and styles of dialogue delivery. And then the director of the play jumps in and gives him some directions and suddenly the scene works so much better. Those details were fantastic and built out the world Ian wants to inhabit. You can understand why he so desperately wants to do this.

I also absolutely loved the pacing of this film. That’s been a big struggle at TIFF 2026. So many films have been slow, even painfully slow. Elsinore is not one of those films. The pacing is frenetic, the edits are sharp and quick, intercutting between poignant dialogue from Hamlet and Ian’s struggles with his illness. The looming spectre of death is a hallmark of Hamlet, since it was written for Shakespeare’s dead son. And here we have a man who is aware of his upcoming death playing a character encountering the dead and eventually dying himself.

I couldn’t help but think of Chadwick Boseman as I watched this film. How he was playing an action-heavy superhero role even as he was battling cancer. Ian’s story takes place in the 80s. Chadwick passed away in the 2020s. Nothing has changed in 40 years. And not just for people in the entertainment industry. People have to hide illnesses no matter their professions. It’s ridiculous.

Elsinore works because of Andrew Scott’s performance. He is mesmerizing and so believable. As Ian, he’s making a ludicrous request of the audience, to accept that he will die because of how hard he has to push himself to play Hamlet. And we can accept that request because Scott is affable and sweet and earnest and funny. Ian isn’t perfect and he does alienate people by hiding his gay identity and his illness. But we also know why he has to do that.

I’d also like to applaud this film for being effortlessly diverse. Wherever possible, we see characters of colour just living and working, and being part of the world. It’s such a relief to see a film set before the 2000s include people of colour. What a thing to have to say in 2026. 

Ron: I legitimately cannot think of anything I would change about Elsinore. I loved this film from beginning to end. I wanted to love it but it also successfully executed this story.

Ron: Needless to say, the audience at the Roy Thompson theatre was a snivelling mess throughout the film. We weren’t even trying to hide how hard we were crying. Having read and watched a fair amount about the AIDS crisis, I found myself pre-crying. I know how devastating it was, how shunned the gay community was, the lack of government support. I knew I was going to cry, but hoo boy, did I weep.

But all the jokes in this film also landed very well with the audience. We all laughed out loud, sometimes out of relief at having an opportunity to laugh. But we did laugh. And it’s nice to laugh with fellow moviegoers.

Ron: At the TIFF 2026 People’s Choice Awards, I was delighted to see that Elsinore won the International Award. It isn’t surprising. 

Ron: I loved Elsinore. It made me cry and laugh and believe in humanity. The pacing was excellent; the performances spectacular. The story will break your heart but also make you realize the importance of communities. Talk about human resilience. 

Ron: That’s it for this bonus review episode of Elsinore. Tune in next time for another TIFF 2026 review.

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Mon: And, get more exclusive content when you subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and follow us on Instagram, @stereogeeks_podcast. Plus, we’re also on BlueSky, @stereogeekspodcast.bsky.social. 

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Mon: See you next time.