(Credits: Netflix)

Netflix has been on a roll with thrillers this year. Back-to-back movies and shows are lined up on the platform for your watch. But the trailer for its new thriller miniseries Wayward feels different.

It is the kind of show that makes you want to turn on an extra light before bed. Created by Mae Martin and starring Toni Collette as the eerie head of a “therapeutic” academy, this one looks like it is going to dig deep into secrets that don’t stay buried for long.

Here is where it gets extra cool. Wayward isn’t just sliding quietly onto Netflix. It is also heading to the Toronto International Film Festival first. That is a big stamp of approval now, isn’t it? TIFF doesn’t just throw any show into its Primetime section. It picks stories with real edge. So before you even stream it on September 25, know that it is already festival-approved creepy.

The setup is deceptively simple. Tall Pines Academy is introduced as a warm, healing place for troubled teens. In the trailer, Evelyn (Collette) gives the kind of carefully scripted welcome that sounds sweet on the surface. She talks about groundbreaking therapies promising safety, growth, and second chances. But intercut with her polished smile are images that give away the truth. This is no safe haven; it’s a trap.

Following this enters a new police officer, Alex Dempsey, in the town. Played by Mae Martin, she crosses paths with two students desperate to escape the academy. The sneak peek shows Alex slowly realising just how tightly Tall Pines is stitched into the town’s dark fabric. Well, on paper, Alex is just another small-town cop. But when in practice, they are about to pull at threads no one else dares to touch.

And the reason why the trailer hits hard is because it plays on that gut instinct we all know too well. The places that promise safety and the adults who promise care sometimes hide the worst kinds of danger. The academy’s “perfect” image feels off from the first frame, and the more Evelyn insists the kids are thriving, the more you know something sinister is rotting underneath.

The cast adds even more layers to this unease. Collette is in her element here. She has already proven she can play terrifyingly complex women (Hereditary fans are still not okay). Martin, known before for Feel Good and stand-up comedy, flips genres completely, showing a sharp, grounded edge as Alex. And then there are Sarah Gadon, Brandon Jay McLaren, Alyvia Alyn Lind, and Sydney Topliffe rounding out the town’s population.

What also stands out is how personal this project is for Martin. They have shared that inspiration came from a real-life friend who was sent to a “troubled teen” institution, which makes Wayward more than just another horror drama. It is a chance to channel lived memories into a story that serves horror and thriller together.

The eight-episode series is directed by names like Euros Lyn and John Fawcett. These are the people who know how to crank up tension and keep you guessing. And from the way this trailer teases with Toni Collette’s chilling voiceover of “In the Pines”, it’s clear Netflix wants this to be the show you can’t stop thinking about long after the credits roll.

So if you are lining up your fall watchlist, mark September 25th. Between its TIFF spotlight and that trailer, Wayward is already looking like Netflix’s most haunting miniseries of the year.