Fall Festival Season Begins with TIFF 2025 Must-see Films

We are starting to get a better picture of what movies will debut during the Fall Festival season. Of course, we aren’t going to see Avatar: Fire and Ash, since Disney would rather hold that for Christmas sight unseen. Like last year, the Venice Film Festival will lead the charge, starting on August 27th, while the Telluride Film Festival begins on Labor Day weekend. Not to be left behind, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) begins on September 4th with the world premiere of the documentary John Candy: I Like Me.

Last year was a strange year for TIFF. The TIFF People’s Choice winner went to the lovely The Life of Chuck, but the award is usually a bellwether for the Academy Awards. That movie came out this summer, rather than compete against any of the heavy hitters from last year like Anora or The Brutalist. Happily, I’m returning to TIFF this year for its 50th anniversary, and I’m excited by the slate this year. Below I’ve listed 10 movies that will be playing during the festival, mostly world premieres but also including some special presentations.

This is the first of two previews of the Fall Movie Festival season. The next one will be exclusive to Paid Subscribers of the It’s the Pictures newsletter and include films from Venice and NYFF as well.

If you’d like to hear about movies from other festivals and a broader Fall Film preview, the It’s the Pictures podcast will be recording a new episode that expands on some of the movies below.

I’ve used the synopsis for some of the titles directly from TIFF for the Pitch sections, and included a little bit of why I’m interested in the movies.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Director: Rian Johnson) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Set in a small town and focusing on its local church, Wake Up Dead Man is packed with stars, including Josh O’Connor as a the younger cleric to Josh Brolin’s autocratic, abrasive priest, Glenn Close as his right-hand person, plus Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Jeremy Renner (whose likeness had a memorable appearance in Glass Onion), and Mila Kunis as a local cop who is as determined as Blanc to solve this seemingly insoluble case. And there’s a murder that presents itself as an impossible crime. All that and Craig delivers perhaps his best Blanc yet. (Source: TIFF)

Why I’m interested: Whenever I think back to the previous Knives Out entries, I always do so with fondness. Johnson has proved that there’s room for more mysteries in the spirit of Agatha Christie’s novels. Not to mention the other movies, Knives Out and Glass Onion, had some standout performances from Ana de Armas and Janelle Monae. I hope that it has fewer cameos than Glass Onion, but I don’t think that would ruin what is likely to be another fun mystery with Benoit Blanc. (Netflix Release. Opens December 12th)

The Choral (Director: Nicholas Hytner) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Starring Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (TIFF ’24’s Conclave), this heart-soaring period drama from director Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George) tells the story of young men raising their voices in song under the shadow of WWI.

Why I’m interested: I think at this point I’d watch just about anything Ralph Fiennes appears in. Following his Oscar-nominated turn in last year’s Conclave, this one is all about watching Fiennes in another drama. (Sony Pictures Classics release. Opens TBD in the US, November 7th in the United Kingdom)

The Lost Bus (Director: Paul Greengrass) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Based on events that transpired during the California Camp Fire, this tale of heroism from Oscar-nominated director Paul Greengrass (United 93) stars Matthew McConaughey and America Ferrera in a desperate struggle to bring a busload of children to safety.

Why I’m interested: I haven’t always loved Paul Greengrass movies, sticking mostly to his Jason Bourne-directed films and 2013’s Captain Phillips. I wouldn’t say I have high expectations for The Lost Bus, but it does seem like a captivating story about the real-life events of the 2018 Camp Fire. (Apple Films release. Opens September 19th)

Nuremberg (Director: James Vanderbilt) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Featuring powerhouse performances from Oscar winners Russell Crowe and Rami Malek, this gripping historical drama from writer-director James Vanderbilt (TIFF ’15’s Truth) chronicles the events that brought the Nazi high command to justice in the wake of World War II.

Why I’m interested: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Russell Crowe in anything I was excited about (Funny enough, it was probably 2016’s The Nice Guys with his screen partner, Angourie Rice, whose next movie is pictured below). I hope that this is a meaty role for Crowe and signals his return to more intriguing projects. (A Sony Pictures Classic Release. Opens November 7th)

Steal Away (Director: Clement Virgo) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Fanny, a naive teenager, starts her journey to adulthood when Cécile, a mysterious refugee, is taken in by her charitable family. As the two girls develop an intense and obsessive bond, Fanny becomes captivated by Cécile’s way of navigating life, leading to an awakening of desire and jealousy. Gradually, both girls realize that the benevolent world they inhabit is not what it appears.

Why I’m interested: I saw Clement Vigro’s last movie, Brother, during the 2023 edition of TIFF, and it was a very pleasant surprise. I’m looking forward to how he evolves as a filmmaker and also seeing how Angourie Rice evolves as an actress. (Still seeking US Distribution)

Dust Bunny (Director: Bryan Fuller) (TIFF Midnight Madness / World Premiere)

Pitch: A 10-year-old girl procures the services of a hit man (Mads Mikkelsen) to kill the monster under her bed in this whimsically macabre feature debut from acclaimed television showrunner Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal).

Why I’m interested: A new collaboration between Bryan Fuller and Mads Mikkelsen? I’m so there. Fans of Hannibal (the TV show) have long wanted Fuller and Mikkelsen to continue that story, but this new horror film will have to do in the meantime. (A Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions release)

Rental Family (Director: HIKARI) (TIFF World Premiere)

Pitch: Oscar winner Brendan Fraser stars as an American actor in Tokyo who suffers a colossal case of impostor syndrome when he becomes a professional surrogate in this wise and whimsical dramedy from director HIKARI (TIFF ’19’s 37 Seconds).

Why I’m interested: I was overjoyed for Brendan Fraser when he won an Oscar. I was much less enthused about the movie, The Whale. Now comes a new leading man vehicle for Fraser as he gets to play the “token white guy” in a movie with a very intriguing premise. Now this could go horribly wrong, but given that director HIKARI previously worked on the Netflix series, Beef, I’m leaning into my excitement for it. (A Searchlight release. Opens November 21st)