Helen Mirren becomes legendary crime writer Patricia Highsmith in the first trailer for A Talent for Murder, a new psychological thriller from Control director Anton Corbijn. Alden Ehrenreich stars opposite Mirren as a young literary agent sent to Highsmith’s secluded home in Switzerland, where what begins as an attempt to secure one final Tom Ripley novel soon turns into something far more unsettling.
Based on Joanna Murray-Smith’s 2014 play Switzerland, which she has also adapted for the screen, the film will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before arriving in cinemas this autumn. Olivia Cooke and Juliet Stevenson also star.
What Is A Talent for Murder About?
A Talent for Murder follows Edward Ridgeway, played by Ehrenreich, an ambitious young literary agent who travels from New York to Switzerland with one job: convince Patricia Highsmith to write another instalment in her famous Ripley series. Highsmith, played by Mirren, has other ideas, turning their encounter into a battle of wit and manipulation that becomes darker as she begins testing just how far her visitor might be willing to go.
The trailer gives us a first look at Mirren as Highsmith, who spent decades creating morally complicated characters and murderers, most famously Tom Ripley from The Talented Mr. Ripley. Mirren makes Highsmith feel immediately intimidating, picking apart Edward and clearly enjoying making him uncomfortable before their meeting takes an even stranger turn. Watch the trailer below.
Helen Mirren Transforms Into Patricia Highsmith
Mirren underwent a considerable transformation for the role, studying photographs and archival footage of Highsmith and adopting the author’s distinctive short hair, oversized clothing and posture. Mirren has said she was fascinated by how “uncompromising” Highsmith was.
Who Directed A Talent for Murder?
The film marks Anton Corbijn’s first narrative feature in more than a decade. The filmmaker previously directed the acclaimed Joy Division biopic Control, George Clooney thriller The American and A Most Wanted Man, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman.
A Talent for Murder also brings Corbijn into a story with plenty of room for the psychological tension that runs through his earlier work. Rather than presenting a straightforward Patricia Highsmith biopic, the film uses the real author as part of a fictional mystery that feels fitting for someone whose own writing was so fascinated by deception, murder and people hiding who they really were.
When Is A Talent for Murder Released in the UK?
A Talent for Murder will be released in UK cinemas on Friday, 20 November 2026, with Universal Pictures distributing the film in the UK and Ireland. Before then, it will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September, ahead of its US theatrical release on 23 October.
For CultureCues, Helen Mirren playing Patricia Highsmith already had us interested, but the first trailer has definitely added this one to our watchlist. Mirren looks fantastic in the role, and the back-and-forth between her and Alden Ehrenreich gives the film a brilliantly uncomfortable feel. We are also big fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Highsmith’s work, so taking the writer herself and placing her inside a fictional psychological game feels like a very clever way to approach her story. We cannot wait to see where it goes.
A Talent for Murder arrives in UK cinemas on 20 November 2026.
CultureCues Editorial is the house byline for short-form entertainment news, trailer updates, release announcements and industry coverage. All CultureCues content is overseen by founder and editor Nikki Murray.