TIFF 2026 Review: Muyi

In order to save her mountaintop village, a teenager embarks on a fantastic journey.

Living in a Chinese mountaintop village where men are not allowed to enter, Muyi has no qualms in defying traditions and secretly hangs out with two brothers trying to sell religious artefacts crafted by her grandmother to tourists. A travelling theatre of performers are encountered performing a ritual with the intention of awakening a mystical warrior known as The Handsome General; the mask previously worn by him causes mayhem as it causes the wearer to be possessed and unleash enormous magical power.

Adopting a water colour illustrative approach for the animation style is an intriguing choice for both the backgrounds and characters, as it provides a wider latitude to push the boundaries of fantasy. Some elements look like cutouts placed over the imagery, while the magic itself has a golden iridescence. There is a sequence that takes place behind a curtain that has a shadow puppet aesthetic that elevates the tension and drama. The colour palette is vibrant and the character designs have a playful quality to them.

The vocal performance of Lucie Zhang as Mu Yi has a sassy charm that makes the protagonist endearing to watch. This is also the case with the always hunger, money-fixated, and quick-witted little brother. The pacing is somewhat off but full marks to filmmaker Julien Chheng for embracing the faerie tale approach of having scary moments which children actually respond to as they see that as showing them respect. As for the sound design, it certainly gives a realness to the atmospherics and a sense of peril to the battle scenes.

The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10-20, 2026, and for more information visit tiff.net.   

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.