Brendan Fraser's Rental Family to Chris Evans' Sacrifice: All premieres at Toronto International Film festival 2025

The Toronto International Film Festival 2025 is finally here, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a lineup that reflects both the festival’s roots and its global influence. TIFF has long been a launchpad for Oscar hopefuls and indie discoveries, and this year, the energy is palpable. 

TIFF 2025: Celebrating 50 years of cinema

The Toronto International Film Festival 2025 runs from September 4 to 14, marking its 50th edition with programming that underscores its reputation as one of the world’s premier cinematic events. The festival kicked off with John Candy: I Like Me, Colin Hanks’ affectionate documentary on the beloved Canadian comedy icon. Opening with a tribute to Candy set the tone: TIFF is about honoring legacies while introducing new voices.

This balance is evident across the lineup. Acclaimed directors like Steven Soderbergh, Mona Fastvold, Romain Gavras, Derek Cianfrance, and Gus Van Sant are presenting new works, while rising filmmakers such as Maude Apatow and Hikari are taking bold first steps. From Brendan Fraser’s heartfelt Rental Family to Chris Evans’ daring turn in Sacrifice, and from Sydney Sweeney’s powerhouse role in Christy to Angelina Jolie’s unexpected French-language debut, TIFF 2025 is already promising a blend of artistry, spectacle, and conversation-starters. Buyers are circling titles that span genres — from true-crime dramas to high-concept comedies — and the market atmosphere is as electric as the red carpets.

From Rental Family to Sacrifice: TIFF 2025’s most talked-about premieres

What sets this year apart is the sheer variety of stories being told. Below are the festival’s most anticipated titles — each with its own reason for commanding attention.

Brendan Fraser’s Rental Family

Brendan Fraser follows up his Oscar-winning comeback with Rental Family, directed by Hikari. Set in Tokyo, the film sees Fraser as a lonely actor who becomes enmeshed in Japan’s unique “rental family” service. Initially a transactional relationship, his involvement leads to surprising emotional revelations about connection and belonging. Slated for release by Searchlight in November, the film could position Fraser as a major awards contender yet again.

Chris Evans in Sacrifice

If Fraser’s film is about quiet humanity, Romain Gavras’ Sacrifice goes for spectacle. Chris Evans stars as a disillusioned movie star whose existential malaise collides with chaos when a radical group led by Anya Taylor-Joy hijacks a high-profile charity gala. What follows is an explosive ritual that culminates in a volcanic sacrifice. With Salma Hayek, Charli XCX, and Vincent Cassel rounding out the cast, this is one of TIFF 2025’s boldest swings.

Sydney Sweeney in Christy

Sydney Sweeney stars as Christy Martin, the pioneering boxer who navigated not only the brutal realities of the ring but also her sexuality and abusive relationships. Raw, intense, and deeply personal, the film promises to cement Sweeney’s status as more than a rising star — but a force in awards-caliber drama.

Angelina Jolie in Couture

In Couture, Angelina Jolie surprises audiences with her first French-language performance. Directed by Alice Winocour, the film follows an American director in Paris to film a fashion event, only to have her plans upended by devastating personal news. Combining Jolie’s star power with Winocour’s intimate storytelling, the film blends haute couture aesthetics with a meditation on fragility and resilience.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

After years of anticipation, Guillermo del Toro finally brings Frankenstein to life with a dream cast: Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the creature, and Mia Goth in a pivotal role. Del Toro’s gothic sensibility ensures this adaptation will lean into the horror and tragedy of Mary Shelley’s novel, likely making it one of TIFF’s darkest — and most acclaimed — entries.

Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s third installment of his murder-mystery franchise. Known for its clever twists and ensemble casts, this new Knives Out chapter is already a fan favorite. While plot details remain under wraps, its TIFF debut guarantees that memes and theories will dominate online chatter for weeks.

Channing Tatum in Roofman

From director Derek Cianfrance, Roofman is based on the wild true story of Jeff Allen Manchester, who famously lived above a McDonald’s for months while committing a string of burglaries. Channing Tatum takes on the quirky lead role, with Cianfrance’s gritty style promising to elevate the bizarre tale into something strangely poignant.

Mads Mikkelsen in Dust Bunny
Bryan Fuller makes his directorial debut with Dust Bunny, an imaginative horror tale in which a young girl asks her neighbor — played by Mads Mikkelsen — to kill the monster under her bed. The catch? It might not be imaginary. The blend of whimsy and terror, paired with Mikkelsen’s intensity, makes this a hot-ticket premiere.

Saoirse Ronan in Bad Apples

Saoirse Ronan stars in Bad Apples, a satirical thriller about two students whose increasingly disturbing behavior disrupts their school and community. As their misdeeds spiral, the film probes complicity, silence, and institutional failure — making it both timely and chilling.

Tessa Thompson in Hedda
Nia DaCosta reinvents Henrik Ibsen’s classic play with Hedda, starring Tessa Thompson as the discontented heroine. DaCosta, who previously directed Candyman and The Marvels, uses the period drama as a lens to explore themes of ambition, repression, and autonomy.

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine

One of TIFF’s most surprising turns comes from Dwayne Johnson, who trades in his action-hero persona for gritty realism. In Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, Johnson portrays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, tackling addiction, fame, and physical decline. The casting alone has already generated Oscar buzz.

Additional Buzz Titles

• Hamlet (Riz Ahmed reimagines Shakespeare in modern London).
   
• You Had to Be There (a nostalgic doc on Toronto’s 1972 Godspell).
   
• The Christophers (Steven Soderbergh directs Ian McKellen as a fading artist).
   
• Dead Man’s Wire (Gus Van Sant returns with a hostage thriller starring Bill Skarsgård and Colman Domingo).
   
• The Testament of Ann Lee (Mona Fastvold explores faith and celibacy in a Shaker community with Amanda Seyfried).
   
• Poetic License (Maude Apatow directs a bittersweet romance with Cooper Hoffman).

At 50 years strong, TIFF remains more than a festival — it’s a launching pad, a marketplace, and above all, a celebration of the movies that will define the cultural conversation for the year to come.