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It's that time! Yes, once the kids start going back to school and the smell of pumpkin spice latte is in the air, fall film festival season has begun. For Mashable, that means diving into the Toronto International Film Festival, which boasts an eye-popping array of big stars, exciting filmmakers, and world premieres.
Last year, TIFF brought us such stunners as The Life of Chuck, Conclave, and The Wild Robot. This year, the slate delivers new movies from such celebrated filmmakers as Rian Johnson, ChloΓ© Zhao, Nia DaCosta, Derek Cianfrance, and Guillermo del Toro. But that's far from all.
Big stars who will debut their latest flexes include Dwayne Johnson, Andrew Scott, Tessa Thompson, Keanu Reeves, June Squibb, Toni Collette, Oscar Isaac, Kerry Washington, Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and Paul Mescal.
But you don't need to be at the festival to get in on the fun. Mashable's coverage will get you close to action with reviews and news out of TIFF. Beyond that, we're highlighting which movies from the fest should be on your radar right now β and how you can plan to see them.
Whether you're craving bodice-ripping romance, bloodcurdling horror, mind-bending thrills, heartwarming comedy, or jaw-dropping surprises, we've got you covered with a mix of already buzzed-about titles, promising award season hopefuls, and hidden gems.
Hedda
Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson are primed to dazzle at TIFF with the world premiere of Hedda. Seven years ago, the writer/director made her critically heralded feature debut with the rising star in the stirring thriller Little Woods. They reteamed for the MCU tentpole The Marvels in 2023, and now they're back with a smoldering period romance adapted from Henrik Ibsen's 1890 play, Hedda Gabler.
Thompson stars as the eponymous heroine, a beguiling socialite who seems to have everything she could want β until a former flame reappears. In an intriguing move, DaCosta gender-swapped the role of this lover, casting Nina Hoss as Eileen Lovborg and bringing a queer context to Ibsen's classic drama. From the looks of the film's first trailer, Hedda's going to turn heads.
Starring: Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Nicholas Pinnock, and Tom Bateman
How to watch: Following Hedda's TIFF premiere, the movie will open in select theaters on Oct. 22, then debut globally on Prime Video on Oct. 29.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Knives Out. The Glass Onion. Now mystery-weaver Rian Johnson brings Wake Up Dead Man, the third installment of Benoit Blanc whodunnits.
Ahead of the film's world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the details on Wake Up Dead Man are scarce. What we do know is the setting is a small town's local church, where the legendary sleuth encounters a deadly crime as well as a pair of priests played by Josh O'Connor and Josh Brolin. Like its predecessors, this sequel boasts a jaw-dropping array of stars. But what murder and mischief they'll get up to is a mystery for now!*
Starring: Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery debuts on Netflix on Dec. 12.
You Had to Be There
The 1972 Toronto cast of "Godspell." Credit: TIFF
Too few know the incredible fact that one play production out of Toronto in 1972 led to the meteoric rise of stars like Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, and Andrea Martin. That show was Godspell, and fittingly, the documentary about this production and how it forever shaped comedy in North America will premiere at the same theater the musical did back in '72.
Documentarian Nick Davis gathers together the surviving cast members as well as the future performers they influenced (like Mike Myers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Janeane Garofolo) to take audiences back to this time and place. And for a sense of the film's breadth and humor, look no further than the full title: You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way).
Starring: Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood, and Paul Shaffer
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, You Had to Be There's release is to be determined.
Wayward
Toni Collette leads a cult? We're in. But if you need more convincing, here are the juicy details on Netflix's new miniseries Wayward.
Created and starring Mae Martin, Wayward centers on the reclusive community of Tall Pines, where a bespectacled guru named Evelyn Wade (Collette) runs a reform center for troubled teens. While she is beloved by the community, a newcomer to town (Martin) is suspicious of the way teens are reformed under Evelyn's hand. What secrets lurk in Tall Pines? All we can say for now is: They are wild.
Starring: Toni Collette, Mae Martin, Sarah Gadon, Brandon Jay McLaren, Patrick J. Adams, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Patrick Gallagher, Sydney Topliffe, and Joshua Close
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Wayward debuts on Netflix on Sept. 25.
Dust Bunny
Sophie Sloan, Mads Mikkelsen, and Sigourney Weaver in "Dust Bunny." Credit: Roadside Attractions
Bryan Fuller is the visionary behind such twisted yet winsome shows as Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, and β uh β Hannibal. Dust Bunny is related to all of these in premise and casting, meaning Fuller's fans will go wild for it.
Written and directed by Fuller, Dust Bunny centers an 8-year-old orphan (Sophie Sloan), who is convinced a dust bunny monster under her bed has eaten her parents and is coming for her next. Her only hope is the hit man who lives down the hall. Naturally, he's played by Mads Mikkelsen. A gnarly fairy tale that's reminiscent of LΓ©on: The Professional and AmΓ©lie, Dust Bunny is weird and wonderful in all the ways we've come to expect of Fuller.
Starring: Sophie Sloan, Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and David Dastmalchian
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Dust Bunny will be distributed by Roadside Attractions.
Eternity
Happily ever after? Or 'til death do us part? Writer/director David Freyne (Dating Amber) muses which is best in Eternity, a dramedy set in the afterlife.
Miles Teller stars as Larry, a recently deceased man who's bumbling through the great beyond with the help of a guide (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) when he finds his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen). But what should be a joyous reunion gets complicated when Larry meets Luke, Joan's first love and first husband (Callum Turner). So, who will Joan choose to spend eternity with? The man she built a life with? Or the one she lost to death a lifetime ago?
A love triangle tale in heaven? Sounds divine.
Starring: Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and John Early
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Eternity will open in theaters in November.
Hamnet
Two-time Academy Awardβwinning director ChloΓ© Zhao (Nomadland) brings a lesser-known Shakespearean tragedy to light with Hamnet. Based on some true events, Hamnet is an adaptation of the Maggie O'Farrell novel, which follows how the iconic playwright William Shakespeare and his wife met, fell in love, had children, and grieved the loss of their only son.
Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley stars as wife and mother Agnes, who has a deep connection to nature, her three children, and her brilliant husband. Oscar nominee Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers) plays the playwright, who weaves his grief into one of his greatest plays, Hamlet. A sure-fire tearjerker stoked by a critically heralded cast, Hamnet is coming to break our hearts and perhaps leave us wanting more.
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, David Wilmot, Olivia Lynes, and Jacobi Jupe
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Hamnet will have a limited Nov. 27 release before going nationwide Dec. 12.
Roofman
Ready for something drifferent from writer/director Derek Cianfrance? The American filmmaker is best known for gripping dramas like Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, and Sound of Metal. But while his latest is inspired by a stranger-than-fiction true crime case, Roofman seems devoted to feel-good fun.
Channing Tatum stars Jeffrey Manchester, a former United States Army Reserve officer who became better known for a spree of robberies he committed in the 2000s. However, far from depicting Manchester as a horrifying masked man, Roofman suggests this crook has a heart of gold. While hiding out in a Toys "R" Us, this thief's soft spot leads to some unexpected charity and a blossoming romance with a store clerk, played by Kirsten Dunst.
Starring: Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, LaKeith Stanfield, Juno Temple, Melonie Diaz, Uzo Aduba, Lily Collias, Jimmy O. Yang, and Peter Dinklage
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Roofman opens in theaters on Oct. 10.
The Smashing Machine
You might recognize his voice. But heavy prosthetics on his face means you may not clock Dwayne Johnson in the lead role of this biopic from writer/director Benny Safdie.
Johnson brings his acting chops and WWE expertise together to star as UFC fighter Mark Kerr. Inside the arena, he is a terrifying titan. Outside, he's a gentle man, but one with demons to battle. Emily Blunt co-stars as Mark's wife, Dawn Staples. Together, they reveal the battles beyond the ring. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival ahead of its theatrical debut, The Smashing Machine could pave the path to Oscar gold as the Academy loves a drama about a pro fighter. (See The Fighter, The Wrestler, Raging Bull...) Could it be a contender?
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, The Smashing Machine opens in theaters on Oct. 3.
Eleanor the Great
Scarlett Johansson makes her feature directorial debut with this challenging comedy, which is a showcase for Academy Award winner June Squibb.
Written by Tory Kamen, Eleanor the Great stars Squibb as the eponymous nonagenarian, who's moved back to New York City after more than a decade away. Craving connection, she goes to the Jewish Community Center, where she makes new friends by telling a whopping lie: that she's a Holocaust survivor.
While the premise is shocking and much of the film deals in grief, Eleanor the Great is a defiantly joyful, hilarious, and humane comedy about love, loss, and friendship. Following its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, it's likely to charm audiences at TIFF and beyond.
Starring: June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Jessica Hecht, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Eleanor the Great will open in U.S. theaters on Sept. 26.
Arco
Last year at TIFF, we were awed by Flow, an animated adventure that on its surface was about an unlikely band of animal buddies surviving a rising tide, but ultimately carried a powerful message about climate change. This year, we're intrigued by Arco, a sci-fi fantasy adventure from writer/director Ugo Bienvenu.
A time-travel tale of hope and friendship, Arco follows the eponymous 10-year-old boy as he uses a rainbow to warp from 2932 to 2075. In the past, he befriends a young girl named Iris, and realizes the world is in peril. Together, can they devise a way to get Arco back to when he belongs β and maybe save Iris' world while they're at it? The first trailer won't answer those questions, but it assures us this animated adventure will be a stunner.
Starring: Will Ferrell, America Ferrera, Flea, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, and Andy Samberg
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Arco opens in select theaters on Nov. 14.
The Lost Bus
Ready for a disaster movie that's based on real-life heroics? The Lost Bus is based on the book Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire by Lizzie Johnson. But its story is more specifically about Kevin McKay, a bus driver who faced down the historically deadly Camp Fire to rescue 22 school children and their teacher from its scorching reach.
Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey and Academy Award nominee America Ferrera star as the driver and the teacher, while Academy Award nominee Paul Greengrass (Green Zone, Captain Phillips) directs. That means this thriller is stuffed with acclaimed talent, joining forces to tell a heart-soaring true story about bravery in the face of disaster.
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, and Ashlie Atkinson
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, The Lost Bus will have a limited theatrical release on Sept. 19, and a digital streaming premiere on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3.
Good Fortune
Imagine if Keanu Reeves were your guardian angel? Sounds like a dream, right? Well, in the new comedy written, directed, and starring Aziz Ansari, it's more a wacky misadventure.
Reeves stars as Gabriel, a well-meaning but inept guardian angel who's trying to make a big difference in the life of a struggling gig worker named Arj (Ansari). So, he pulls a Trading Places, swapping Arj's circumstances with a wealthy tech bro, played by Seth Rogen.
Keanu Reeves as a (hot) angel, comedy titans team up with stunning funny ladies Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh, and there's an eat-the-rich edge? Dear God, we're ready.
Starring: Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Good Fortune opens in theaters on Oct. 17.
A Useful Ghost
Old aunties confront a ghost in a vacuum in "A Useful Ghost." Credit: Best Friend Forever / TIFF
This comedy out of Thailand begins with a sublimely silly premise: A ghost has possessed a vacuum cleaner to stay close to those they love. From there, writer/director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke spins a story of love, yearning, and rebellion that is a joy to watch, and a treasure to ponder.
Wisarut Homhuan stars as a self-proclaimed "Academic Ladyboy," who learns from a handsome repairman (Wanlop Rungkumjud) about ghost-possessed vacuums and much, much more. A trio of stories fold into each other in this sensational comedy that smoothly slides into political satire. It's easy to see why it made a splash out of its Cannes Film Festival premiere and why Thailand has chosen A Useful Ghost as the country's submission to the Academy Awards for the international feature film category this year. Moving, hilarious, and deliciously surprising, this movie will keep you on your toes. Keep an eye out for it.
Starring: Davika Hoorne, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wisarut Himmarat, Wanlop Rungkumjad, and Wisarut Homhuan
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, A Useful Ghost's U.S. release plans are TBD.
Frankenstein
Guillermo del Toro has made his name in monster movies featuring all kinds of monsters, from the superhero beasts of Blade II and Hellboy to the folklore creatures in Pan's Labyrinth, the kaiju of Pacific Rim, the ghastly ghosts of Crimson Peak, and the Oscarβwinning wonder of The Shape of Water. Now, he brings us the father (or mother?) of monster movies: Frankenstein.
Adapted from Mary Shelley's landmark 1818 novel, Frankenstein stars Oscar Isaac as an arrogant genius of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein, who dreams of reignited life in a cobbled-together corpse. Who will play this iconic monster? Jacob Elordi. Look, the way del Toro boldly blends the beautiful and the beastly, I have no questions, no notes. My body is ready.*
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Frankenstein will come to Netflix this November.
If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Writer/director Mary Bronstein's daring dramedy first made waves out of Sundance 2025, where critics cheered and A24 bought the distribution rights.
Starring Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You follows a middle-aged wife and mother who is at her wit's end thanks to the pressures of caring for her sick child, juggling the duties of an absentee husband as well as her job, and dealing with a house that is literally falling apart. In his review for Mashable, Siddhant Adlakha cheered Byrne's performance, writing, "There isn't a single moment during which the torment driving Byrne's character to lash out isn't visible behind her eyes, begging to be recognized. It's a plea made all the more urgent by the fact that If I Had Legs, Iβd Kick You feels in a constant state of hair-raising climax. And so, it grabs you by the collar and pulls you along for its harrowing plunge, forcing you to witness β and to understand β the worst yet most deeply human impulses a mother can have."
Starring: Rose Byrne, Conan O'Brien, Danielle Macdonald, Christian Slater, and A$AP Rocky
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You opens in theaters on Oct. 10.
Exit 8
If you got lost in Kotake Create's 2023 walking simulator The Exit 8, you'll be game for its eerie film adaptation, making its North American premiere at TIFF.
Written and directed by Genki Kawamura, Exit 8 is set in the passageways of a Japanese metro, where everyday commuters get derailed and trapped in an inexplicable loop. Kazunari Ninomiya, best-known as a member of the Japanese boy band Arashi, stars as "the lost man," who is on the brink of a major life decision when he gets trapped. To escape this labyrinth, he must have a keen eye. Viewers can play along, getting sucked into the surreal and sinister realm of Exit 8.
Starring: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, and Nana Komatsu
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, a U.S. release for Exit 8 has not yet been announced.
The Ugly
In 2016, director Yeon Sang-ho blew horror fans away with Train to Busan, a zombie thriller that was surprising, heart-wrenching, and scary as hell. Since then, he tackled the ambitious horror-fantasy series Hellbound, which grappled with damnation and cults. Now, he's moving away from such gory genre fare for The Ugly.
Adapted from his debut graphic novel Face, The Ugly follows a man on a mission to understand what happened to his mother, who went missing 40 years before. When her bones are recovered, he's desperate to understand not only what happened to her, but also who she was. And based on the film's first trailer, the truth could be... ugly.
Starring: Park Jeong-min, Kwon Hae-hyo, Shin Hyun-been, Im Seong-jae, and Han Ji-hyeon
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, The Ugly will open in limited theatrical release on Sept. 26.
Mile End Kicks
Barbie Ferreira stars in "Mile End Kicks." Credit: TIFF
Pulling from her misadventurous youth, writer/director Chandler Levack delivers a comedy about sex, love, and rock music. Euphoria's Barbie Ferreira stars as Grace, a music critic who dreams of writing a book about Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill. But the summer she's meant to write it in Montreal gets sidelined when she falls hard for two members of a local rock band.
If you loved Almost Famous, you might well relish Mile End Kicks, which also offers a tale of self-exploration through the highs and lows of being with the band. Delivering a performance crackling in energy and vulnerability, Ferreira blossoms. And to Levack's credit, her semi-autobiographical movie is less glossy in romanticizing her past. It's refreshingly frank.
Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Jay Baruchel, Devon Bostick, Juliette GariΓ©py, Stanley Simons, Robert Naylor, Emily LΓͺ, Hasani Freeman, and Magi Merlin
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Mile End Kicks' release is TBD.
Honey Bunch
Grace Glowicki is carried by Ben Petrie in "Honey Bunch." Credit: TIFF
Canadian actress Grace Glowicki makes two prominent appearances at this year's TIFF, the first being her directorial debut, Dead Lover, which brings big Midnight Madness energy with its Frankenstein plot and deeply DIY aesthetic. The second is Honey Bunch, where she stars as Diana, a young intellectual whose favorite hobby seems to be debating love and devotion with husband Homer (Ben Petrie). However, following an accident, Diana must depend on him more than ever as she undergoes an experimental treatment at a remote recovery center.
Co-written and co-directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli, Honey Bunch offers old-school horror in the vein of Don't Look Now. The married couple's relationship on the rocks is made more horrifying as a young wife has strange visions of her body, blistered and mutated. Are these side effects? Or is something more sinister at play beneath her husband's smile?
Starring: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Jason Isaacs, Kate Dickie, India Brown, Patricia Tulasne, and Julian Richings
How to watch: Following TIFF 2025, Honey Bunch's release plans are currently TBD.
* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list.
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