The Birthday Party

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2:02

The Birthday Party

1h 43m

Drama

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9 Reviews

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0 Verified Ratings

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.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez

Director

Willem Dafoe

Marcos Timoleon

Vic Carmen Sonne

Sofia

Joe Cole

Journalist

Emma Suárez

Olivia

Carlos Cuevas

Actor

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Guy Lodge

Variety

Aug 12

Brooding, glowering and sometimes even speak-singing his way through proceedings, Dafoe is rarely less than compelling; the same cannot be said, however, for the leaden film around him.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Aug 11

3/5

This is a strong, confident picture that hits its measured stride early on. Its pace and style and language are dictated by a charismatic Dafoe; however, he gives the impression that this performance is not exactly a stretch for him.

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Javier Ocaña

El Pais (Spain)

3d

...despite Dafoe's powerful presence, the story...and limited timeframe (just one day), never acquires sufficient dramatic interest, hampered by an overly slow pace, a weak script, and a prim and proper staging...[Full review in Spanish]

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Luis Martínez

El Mundo (Spain)

Jul 23

3/5

A brilliant anomaly in Spanish cinema and a perfect creator of environments as sunny and clear as they are dark and narrow. [Full review in Spanish]

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Sergio F. Pinilla

Cinemanía (Spain)

Jul 23

4/5

A rare and evocative thriller about the tragic and familiar nature of power. [Full review in Spanish]

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Carlos Gallego

CinemasComics

Jul 23

8/10

Willem Dafoe elevates an elegant psychological thriller that's as unsettling as it is absorbing. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Producer: Giorgos Karnavas, Adria Mones, Erik Glijnis, Leontine Petit, Kurban Kassam
Screenwriter: Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas, Nicos Panayotopoulos
Distributor: Quiver Distribution
Production Co: Heretic
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 14, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 14, 2026
Runtime: 1h 43m