Helen Mirren plays Patricia Highsmith in Toronto premiere 'A Talent for Murder'

Helen Mirren plays crime writer Patricia Highsmith in 'A Talent for Murder', a thriller that held its gala premiere in Toronto ahead of its US release on 23 October.

Bleecker Street will release the film in the US on 23 October, according to Variety. The clock runs 105 minutes. A gala premiere is a festival's showcase first screening, often with cast in attendance.

The film comes from director Anton Corbijn, according to Variety. Joanna Murray-Smith adapted the script from her own stage play 'Switzerland'. That path from stage to screen keeps the story tight and dialogue-led.

Alden Ehrenreich plays Edward Ridgway, an employee of Highsmith's New York publishing house who is sent to visit her. Olivia Cooke plays Clementine. Mirren plays Highsmith herself, living in seclusion and sparring with her visitor.

Behind the screen, Bleecker Street and LD Entertainment acquired the film, as reported by Variety. The project was listed among international titles to track for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2026, according to Variety. It is described as a thriller, a story built around tension and suspense, according to Variety.

Highsmith, the real writer at the centre of the story, lived from 1921 to 1995. She wrote the novels behind 'Strangers on a Train' and 'The Talented Mr Ripley'.

For fans, this means a short wait. The Toronto launch puts the film in front of festival audiences first. The US theatre release follows in October.