Annette Bening gives a career-topping performance as marathon swimmer, Diane Nyad in the true story of her swim from Cuba to Florida.

In the late 70s and 80s, Nyad made a name for herself for swimming the English Channel, around Manhattan Island and more, but she was foiled by her attempt to make it from Cuba to Key West. Now, literally decades later, Nyad sets the challenge for herself, trains, and prepares and is going to attempt it again, at the age of 61.

She recruits her best friend, Bonnie (Jodie Foster) as her trainer, and the pair try to deal with the physical, emotional, mental and logistical problems the challenge presents, as well as the successes and traumas that define Diane.

Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, known for their fantastic documentary work with such films as Free Solo and The Rescue bring that documentary style to their narrative, combining dramatic flashbacks with actual footage of Diane and Bening’s performance.

Both Bening and Foster are nothing short of fantastic, Bening owns the screen and her performance is completely engrossing bringing Nyad to life with all her drive and will while Foster is luminous as Bonnie, working to balance her own life with the demands that her best friend makes on it, and realizing that the pair of them together is how it’s meant to be.

Rhys Ifans plays the navigator of the ship that monitors and guides Nyad’s swim, but even with her training, her preparation, her abilities will she be able to make the 103 miles from shore to shore?

Even if you know the story, the film brings it to life making the facts and reality of the story into emotionally vivid events that have an incredible impact as you watch Diane try year after year to accomplish what everyone has told her is impossible.

Bening has never been better, she is Nyad, and Foster is just so likable and accessible that this may be one of her best performances in years.

Yes, this one will be screening on Netflix in due time but it is also screening a couple more times at TIFF. It runs on Thursday 14 September at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and Saturday 16 September at the Lightbox. If you are given a chance to see this one on the big screen take it. It’s an incredible experience and there will definitely be some Oscar talk around the performances in this film.

Get tickets, find showtimes and other events here.