Naomi Watts embraces villain era in TIFF premiere The Housewife
Naomi Watts has claimed her villain era as Hermine in The Housewife, which held its first listed screening on Saturday, Sept 12 at the Scotiabank Theatre Toronto Deadline. The historical drama centres on a quiet New York marriage that cracks open under investigation. It is a dark turn for the Oscar nominee, and one she admits scared her.
The film is set in New York City in 1964. Tye Sheridan plays Joseph Lelyveld, a New York Times journalist who receives a tip from a Holocaust survivor and starts asking whether Russel, Hermine's husband, is a Nazi living in hiding Deadline. Luke Evans plays Russel. Watts plays Hermine, a woman living a hidden life in postwar America while concealing her own Nazi past until the reporter closes in.
The film is directed by Ben Shirinian from a script by Alyssa Hill Deadline. Toronto's programme notes describe it as a historical drama about the complexities of seeking justice in the long shadow of Nazism TIFF. For audiences new to the festival circuit, Toronto, known as TIFF, is one of the main launchpads where awards-season films first meet the public.
Watts, Shirinian, Evans, Sheridan and Michael Imperioli gathered in Toronto to talk about the production. They appeared together at Deadline's TIFF Studio panel for the film Deadline. The same group also stopped by The Hollywood Reporter's TIFF Studio at the 1 Hotel during TIFF 2026 to discuss the shoot The Hollywood Reporter.
Watts said there was "a lot of fear going into" the role. She called it her villain era, and said Hermine remains unrepentant until the end Deadline. Asked about her research into the roots of evil, she answered bluntly: "Man is the most dangerous animal."
What makes this stand out for festival watchers is the sales setup around it. NEON, NEON International and Creative Artists Agency, known as CAA, are handling sales for the film Deadline. In plain terms, sales agents shop a festival title to distributors in different countries, which decides where and when it reaches cinemas.
No release date has been announced. For now, Toronto has the first word.
