The Birthday Party trailer finds Willem Dafoe throwing Vic Carmen Sonne a celebration of decadent proportions
It’s Sofia’s birthday, but you should think twice about accepting an invitation to her party. I like a good shindig as much as the next person, but something about Sofia’s father’s idea of fun makes me want to stay home where it’s safe. Today, Quiver Distribution welcomes you all to The Birthday Party trailer, which sets the tone for Miguel Angel Jiménez’s latest feature.
What’s The Birthday Party About?
“The story is set in the late 1970s, somewhere in the Mediterranean, where Marcos Timoleon, an Aristotle Onassis-like tycoon, is throwing a lavish, extravagant birthday party for Sofia, his daughter and sole heiress, on his exclusive private island. The party is a perfect excuse for various people in his life to approach him with their own agendas. But Marcos, who is used to ruthlessly controlling everything and everyone around him at whatever cost, is also secretly plotting a big decision on his daughter’s behalf. Sofia, however, has come to share some important news of her own. As guests start pouring in and night falls, the party grows rowdier and more decadent, while the inevitable clash between Marcos and Sofia reaches a heartbreaking climax.”
A Very Happy Un-Birthday
Written by Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas, and Nicos Panagiotopoulos, something unsettling about the trailer for The Birthday Party eludes me. Willem Dafoe is intimidating enough to unnerve me on the best of days, but here, there’s a gravitas about him that makes me want to stay as far away from his piercing gaze as possible. Plus, Sofia (Vic Carmen Sonne) strikes me as all kinds of trouble. While Marcos has a few surprises up his sleeve for the eventful evening, Sofia appears to have a plot of her own, and I don’t think Marcos will look kindly on her desires. Getting anywhere near the father-daughter duo feels like a death sentence, and I want to stay alive long enough to see the lightning and fireworks.
Miguel Angel Jiménez directs The Birthday Party, based on the novel by Panos Karnezis. In addition to Willem Dafoe and Vic Carmen Sonne, Joe Cole, Emma Suárez, and Carlos Cuevas help lead the cast. A Greek, Spanish, Dutch, and UK co-production, The Birthday Party was shot entirely in Greece, with locations in Corfu and Athens. The film originally premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, and Quiver will release it on June 5, 2026.
Would you accept an invitation to Miguel Angel Jiménez’s The Birthday Party? Does Dafoe’s character give you the creeps, or am I just being dramatic? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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