The Birthday Party (2025): Cast, Plot, Release Date, Trailer & Everything We Know About Willem Dafoe’s Dark Drama 🎂🍷🔥

“You’re cordially invited to a night of secrets, power, and heartbreak.”

When Willem Dafoe throws a party, you know it’s not going to be ordinary. In The Birthday Party (2025), directed by Miguel Ángel Jiménez and based on the acclaimed 2007 novel by Panos Karnezis, Dafoe steps into the shoes of Marcos Timoleon, a Greek tycoon whose glittering façade hides a storm of manipulation, betrayal, and family drama.

The film premiered at the 78th Locarno Film Festival on August 7, 2025, in the Piazza Grande section, drawing buzz for its lush Mediterranean setting and its emotionally explosive performances.

🏝️ The Story: Power, Wealth, and Family Secrets

It’s the late 1970s, somewhere in the Mediterranean. Billionaire Marcos Timoleon is hosting a grand 25th birthday celebration for his only daughter, Sofia (Vic Carmen Sonne), on his private island.

But beneath the champagne, candlelight, and decadence lies a family on the brink of collapse. Marcos, who has built his empire through ruthless control, is secretly plotting a life-altering decision for Sofia. Yet, Sofia arrives with shocking news of her own, setting the stage for a father-daughter clash that will upend everything.

As the night deepens, and the party turns into a carnival of excess, ambition, and desire, old wounds resurface. The climax delivers not just heartbreak, but a haunting reflection on wealth, legacy, and the cost of power.

🎭 The Cast: Faces Behind the Masks

• Willem Dafoe as Marcos Timoleon — the billionaire patriarch with iron control and hidden fears.

• Vic Carmen Sonne as Sofia Timoleon — his daughter, torn between love, freedom, and obligation.

• Joe Cole as Ian Forster — a guest whose presence unsettles the fragile balance.

• Emma Suárez as Olivia — an enigmatic figure from Marcos’ circle.

• Carlos Cuevas as the Marquis

• Christos Stergioglou as Patrikios

• Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos, Pelle Heikkilä, Francesc Garrido, Maria Pau Pigem, Elsa Lekkakou

Dafoe’s commanding performance anchors the film, while Sonne brings a quiet intensity that makes the father-daughter dynamic crackle with tension.

🎬 Behind the Scenes

• Directed by: Miguel Ángel Jiménez

• Written by: Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas, Nicos Panagiotopoulos

• Based on the novel by: Panos Karnezis

• Produced by: Heretic (Greece), Fasten Films (Spain), Lemming Film (Netherlands), Raucous Pictures (UK)

• Filming Locations: Corfu & Athens, Greece

The collaboration between Heretic, Fasten Films, and Lemming Film gives the production a truly European flair, blending Greek heritage with international storytelling.

🌍 Festival Buzz & Global Release

• World Premiere: Locarno Film Festival (August 7, 2025)

• Sarajevo Film Festival: Open Air Premiere Programme (August 2025)

• Theatrical Distribution: Already acquired across Europe and MENA, including Paradiso (Benelux), Praesens-Film (Switzerland), Pris (Portugal), Rosebud.21 (Greece), and more.

Following its theatrical run, The Birthday Party will stream on HBO Europe and HBO Max, making it accessible to a global audience.

🎂 Final Thoughts

At its heart, The Birthday Party is not just about opulence or power games — it’s about family, legacy, and the unspoken truths that rise when masks finally fall. Willem Dafoe commands the screen in a role that feels both Shakespearean and deeply human, while the lavish Mediterranean setting adds to the intoxicating atmosphere.

This is the party of the year, but when the music fades, only heartbreak remains.