The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has once again become a platform for intimate storytelling, and this year, the spotlight shines brightly on the deeply personal comedy-drama Babies, helmed by director and writer Lauren Miller Rogen. Starring alongside Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen portrays a character grappling with the profound decision of whether or not to embrace parenthood. For the real-life married couple, Seth and Lauren, the film represents not just a cinematic endeavor, but a courageous and honest exploration of their own journey toward a child-free life, a perspective they feel is often underrepresented in popular culture.
A Reflection of Lived Experience
Speaking at The Hollywood Reporter‘s Studio at 1 Hotel during TIFF, presented by sponsor Canada Goose, Seth Rogen emphasized the unparalleled personal nature of Babies. "I think this movie is much more personal and much more reflective of my actual experiences," Rogen stated. He elaborated on his wife’s directorial approach, commending her for crafting a narrative that authentically mirrors their shared thought processes as a couple. "I think Lauren has really made a very honest film in regards to her thought process and our thought process as a couple," he remarked. "When I look at it, it’s shocking how personal it is, honestly, and about very personal things in our lives. But, to me, it’s very brave to put yourself out there like that and to write about the things that are kind of the most personal things."
The genesis of Babies can be traced back nearly a decade, when a divorced friend of Lauren Miller Rogen’s, a mother to a young child, moved in with the couple for a year. Initially, Miller Rogen envisioned this unique living arrangement as a compelling premise for a television series. "That’s an interesting setup for a TV show. People who don’t know if they want to have kids, has someone move in with a kid," she recalled. However, the project remained in nascent stages, partly because Miller Rogen was uncertain about the ultimate direction of her own personal story regarding parenthood.
The Evolution of an Idea: From TV Pilot to Feature Film
"I didn’t know the ending at that point," Miller Rogen shared with The Hollywood Reporter. The pivotal moment for the film’s development arrived when she and Seth had numerous extensive conversations and underwent significant introspection, ultimately arriving at their own conclusions about their desire for a child-free life. "I think once we had the kajillion conversations and done all the work and sort of found our own conclusion, then I was like, ‘Oh, now it’s a movie because I know the ending of it.’" This realization spurred a rapid creative process. "I really started working on it as a movie not that long ago. I wrote the script pretty fast in January of 2025; it was done in the spring and we were shooting the next fall," she detailed, highlighting the compressed timeline from concept to production.
Narrative Threads and Emotional Resonance
In Babies, the characters Annie and Aaron, whose names are derived from Lauren and Seth’s middle names, are a happily married couple. Their lives take an unexpected turn when their friend, portrayed by Kate Berlant, seeks refuge with them and her young daughter following a separation from her husband. This cohabitation provides Annie and Aaron with an unfiltered glimpse into the realities of parenthood. Simultaneously, Annie grapples with her mother’s escalating battle with Alzheimer’s disease. This subplot is particularly poignant as Lauren Miller Rogen’s own mother succumbed to complications of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, adding another layer of deeply personal resonance to the film.
Anna Kendrick, who delivers a nuanced performance as Annie, humorously described the experience of portraying such a character, whose struggles mirror the filmmakers’ personal lives, as potentially leading to a "dissociative experience." "I don’t know how [Lauren] did it because some of it felt so close to reality and so intense. I was like, ‘I think I’d be setting myself on fire on set,’" Kendrick confessed with a laugh, underscoring the emotional intensity of the project.
Examining Societal Perceptions of Parenthood
Beyond the personal narrative, Babies also delves into broader societal attitudes surrounding parenthood. Seth Rogen pointed to specific linguistic nuances, such as the phrase "dad duty," which he finds particularly "obnoxious," as indicative of ingrained cultural perspectives on parental roles. He noted that many of the film’s dialogues are drawn directly from conversations he and Lauren have had with their friends who are parents. "A lot of these are conversations we’ve had with our friends in real life," Rogen shared. "We hang out with our friends and their kids a lot."
Rogen articulated a key theme that the film aims to explore: the nuanced reality that one can possess all the perceived prerequisites for ideal parenthood – a loving marriage, responsible character, a genuine affinity for children, and competence in childcare – and still ultimately choose not to have children. "An interesting perspective the film has, is that, you can like kids and be good with kids, and be very responsible people, and be in a very happy marriage, and tick every box that one would think you need to tick in order to be the perfect parent in many ways, and you could still just maybe not really want it. That’s a very under-shared perspective in a lot of ways." This perspective challenges the prevailing societal narrative that often presumes parenthood as a default or universally desired life path.
Acknowledging Diverse Choices
While Babies candidly explores the decision to remain child-free, Lauren Miller Rogen expressed a desire for the film to resonate with a broader audience, including those who actively choose parenthood. "We’ve been around our friends who have had beautiful families. We have amazing relationships with their kids," she stated, emphasizing that the film aims to honor these relationships. "I think that it was about not just making [Babies] feel real and grounded to us, but also sort of honoring [what] we’ve witnessed so many times, and how beautiful that relationship is." This inclusive approach suggests the film seeks to foster understanding and empathy across different life choices.
Festival Debut and Anticipated Release
Babies made its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday. The film is slated for a theatrical release in 2027, allowing ample time for anticipation to build around this deeply personal and potentially paradigm-shifting cinematic work. The film’s premiere at TIFF, a festival renowned for launching acclaimed independent films, suggests a strong potential for critical and audience engagement. Industry analysts will be closely watching the film’s reception, particularly its ability to spark conversations about family, personal choice, and the diverse paths individuals take in defining their lives. The success of such deeply personal narratives often hinges on their authenticity and their capacity to connect with audiences on an emotional and intellectual level, challenging existing norms and fostering greater acceptance of varied life decisions. The film’s exploration of the child-free choice, coupled with its poignant portrayal of familial bonds and personal struggles, positions it as a significant addition to contemporary cinema, promising a thought-provoking experience for viewers.
