With a fantastic cast and an interesting concept, I was excited to see Evil Genius, from director Courteney Cox, when it screened at TIFF 2026. This true story follows a woman with bipolar disorder who manages to manipulate the people around her and a man who, despite his intellect and the mistreatment he endures, finds himself trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. While uneven at times, Evil Genius managed to become one of my highlights of this year’s festival.
Starting in medias res, Evil Genius introduces Bill Rothstein (David Harbour), distraught over a crime and making the decision to call the police on his former lover, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong (Patricia Arquette), about a body in a freezer. It only gets more twisted and insane from there. What follows is the story of how these characters got to this point and how the crimes involve bank robbery, conspiracy and people who think they are the smartest in the room, only to have that arrogance lead to their downfall.
Evil Genius is the kind of story that feels too ridiculous to be based on true events, but somehow these people really existed and somehow this set of crimes really took place. It is brought to the screen in a way that is both engaging and baffling. There is some strong talent on display in this movie, and it managed to keep me guessing about where it would go next or what new, outlandish thing would happen.
David Harbour and Patricia Arquette steal the show in Evil Genius, and despite all the talent on display, these two actors, at the top of their game, manage to embody these real-life characters and showcase the monstrous acts that led to their ultimate demise. Harbour plays the role of Rothstein well, never giving him the exoneration of being just a stooge and instead giving him agency in his actions. It showcases both his complicity in the horrors that take place while suggesting there could have been a different outcome had his life taken a different turn.
Patricia Arquette steals the show in every scene she is in, painting a portrait of a cold-blooded woman who thinks she is smarter than she really is and who is willing to manipulate everyone around her. Despite some strong opportunities in life, she believes the world owes her everything and is willing to kill, lie and steal to make sure she is paid in full. Her cold-blooded acts and paranoia are brought to life with disturbing realism by Arquette, so much so that I could not believe this person really existed. She is despicable and twisted, and despite it all, I could not look away.
The film is paced well for the most part, with its 94-minute runtime flying by as I sat in the theatre and Cox managing to mix the right amount of buffoonish comedy with horrific violence and true human depravity to keep everything moving at a good clip. Some sequences and concepts do not land as well as they could, and not all the storylines feel as wrapped up as they could be, but I am nitpicking here. Evil Genius feels very tight and well structured, especially considering these are real events, and the film manages to stick mostly to the overall story that took place all the way back in 2003.
From the structure to the way Evil Genius mixes crime, drama, and comedy, this feels like something the Coen Brothers could have brought to the screen—displaying how real life and the absurdity people will go through for money and love is often stranger than fiction. I don’t know if this is a perfect film by any means, with some of the needle drops and segments not flowing as well as they could, but Cox has crafted something fun, twisted and genuinely interesting.
Evil Genius is the kind of film I would love to watch late night with a group of friends, and I could not recommend it enough. With solid performances, a truly engaging story, and some fantastic moments, this is a film that managed to surprise me this TIFF 2026. I did not expect to like it as much as I did, but this is a film I think all true crime lovers should seek out; you will not be disappointed.
