“Adulthood”
Director Alex Winter (“Zappa”) helms the darkly comic drama “Adulthood,” written by Michael M. B. Galvin. The cast includes Josh Gad, Kaya Scodelario, Billie Lourd, Anthony Carrigan, and Alex Winter. The story begins when a shocking family discovery spirals into schemes and secrets, framing a dryly existential portrait of stalled maturity and reinvention.
“Ballad of a Small Player”
Oscar-winning German filmmaker Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) directs the stylish thriller “Ballad of a Small Player,” adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s novel by Rowan Joffé. Colin Farrell stars alongside Fala Chen, Tilda Swinton, Deanie Ip, and Alex Jennings. Set in Macau, the film follows a compulsive gambler drawn into a world of high stakes, deception, and moral ambiguity.
“California Schemin’”
Actor James McAvoy makes his directing debut with the comedic drama “California Schemin’,” written by Elaine Gracie and Archie Thomson. The cast includes Séamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, Lucy Halliday, Rebekah Murrell, and McAvoy. Based on a true story, the film follows two Scottish friends from Dundee who con the music industry by posing as a Californian rap duo, landing a record deal and MTV exposure before their scheme begins to unravel.
“Charlie Harper”
Filmmakers Tom Dean and Mac Eldridge direct the intimate drama “Charlie Harper,” which they also co-wrote. The cast stars Nick Robinson and Emilia Jones. “Charlie Harper” is a vivid portrait of young love and shifting purpose, following a couple’s move to a new city as they chase connection, ambition, and belonging.
“Swiped”
Director Rachel Lee Goldenberg (“Unpregnant”) helms the biographical drama “Swiped,” co-written with Bill Parker and Kim Caramele. The cast includes Lily James, Dan Stevens, Myha’la, Jackson White, Ben Schnetzer, Pierson Fodé, Clea DuVall, and Coral Peña. The story traces the rise of entrepreneur Whitney Wolfe Herd, charting her journey from the tech world’s start-up culture to founding Bumble.
“Dead Man’s Wire”
Acclaimed director Gus Van Sant (“Milk”) helms the tense period drama “Dead Man’s Wire,” written by Austin Kolodney. The cast includes Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, and Myha’la. Inspired by the 1977 Indianapolis hostage crisis, the film explores crime, spectacle, and institutional failure in a taut, character-driven story.
“Bad Apples”
Swedish filmmaker Jonatan Etzler (“One More Time”) directs the satirical thriller “Bad Apples,” written by Jess O’Kane and adapted from Rasmus Andersson’s novel. The cast includes Saoirse Ronan, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, and Kerry Howard. Set in a troubled primary school, the story follows a teacher driven to drastic measures when escalating misbehavior and institutional apathy push her past the breaking point, blending dark comedy with social bite.
“Dust Bunny”
Visionary storyteller Bryan Fuller (“Hannibal”) directs the horror-fantasy “Dust Bunny,” which he also wrote. Mads Mikkelsen stars alongside Sigourney Weaver and David Dastmalchian. The film centers on an eight-year-old girl who enlists the help of her enigmatic neighbor to kill the monster she believes lives under her bed, mixing macabre whimsy with gothic menace.
“The Last Viking”
Danish filmmaker Anders Thomas Jensen (“Riders of Justice”) writes and directs the dark comedy “The Last Viking.” Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas star alongside Sofie Gråbøl, Lars Ranthe, Kardo Razzazi, Søren Malling, Bodil Jørgensen, and Nicolas Bro. The story follows two estranged brothers on a misadventurous road trip to recover buried heist money, blending family dysfunction with absurdist humor.
“John Candy: I Like Me”
Actor-filmmaker Colin Hanks directs the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me,” produced by Ryan Reynolds. Featuring archival footage and new interviews with Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd, and others, the film offers an intimate portrait of the beloved Canadian comedian. Tracing his journey from SCTV to Hollywood stardom, it balances his comic genius with the personal struggles behind his everyman charm.
“Rental Family”
Japanese-American filmmaker Hikari (“37 Seconds”) directs the drama “Rental Family,” written by Stephen Blahut and Hikari. The cast includes Brendan Fraser, Akihiro Nishino, and Hiroshi Abe. The story follows a down-and-out American expat in Tokyo who takes a job at a company that hires out stand-in relatives, immersing him in the lives of strangers while forcing him to confront his own loneliness and fractured identity.
In addition to the premieres exclusive to Toronto, TIFF’s 50th also welcomes several of the season’s most anticipated titles that debuted earlier at Venice, Telluride, or elsewhere. Among them are Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” starring Oscar Isaac; Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal; Kathryn Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite,” a political thriller; Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt,” led by Andrew Garfield and Julia Roberts; and Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice.” Other highlights include Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Bugonia” with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons; Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” starring Jeremy Allen White; Daniel Roher’s “Tuner” with Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman; Laura Poitras’s documentary “Cover-Up” on Seymour Hersh; and Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother,” featuring Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, and more.
PRIMETIME
Additionally, TIFF’s Primetime program celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025, showcasing the growing prestige of serialized storytelling on the global stage. This year’s lineup features six world premiere series, including “The Lowdown” by Sterlin Harjo (executive produced by its star Ethan Hawke), “Wayward” (created by Mae Martin, with Sarah Gadon and Toni Collette), and “Black Rabbit” from Zach Baylin and Kate Susman starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman. Other highlights include the documentary series “Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League,” “Gandhi” by Hansal Mehta, and the internationally recognized “The Savage” from Houman Seyyedi, with additional North American premieres in the mix.
Follow along for all our coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
