Willem Dafoe Plays a Wealthy Greek Man in ‘The Birthday Party’ Trailer

Willem Dafoe Plays a Wealthy Greek Man in ‘The Birthday Party’ Trailer

by Alex Billington
September 10, 2025
Source: YouTube

“You’re cordially invited to the party of the year.” Heretic has revealed a festival promo trailer for the film titled The Birthday Party, directed by Spanish filmmaker Miguel Ángel Jiménez (of Seagull, The Night Watchman, Window to the Sea). This just premiered at the Locarno Film Festival last month and is looking for distribution still – hence this trailer to drum up more interest. Willem Dafoe stars as Marcos Timoleon, a wealthy Greek businessman, who’s hosting his daughter’s 25th birthday party on his own island. Unforeseen events unfold, jeopardizing his power and challenging his entire life’s foundations. It’s set in the overdue 1970s, somewhere in the Mediterranean, where Marcos Timoleon, an Aristotle Onassis-like tycoon, is throwing a lavish, extravagant birthday for his daughter and sole heiress. The filmmaker explains: “The Birthday Party is a film about power, legacy, love mistaken for possession, and the quiet violence within privilege – set on a paradise island that slowly reveals itself as a prison.” Along with Dafoe, this stars Vic Carmen Sonne, Joe Cole, Emma Suárez, Christos Stergioglou, Antonis Tsiotsiopoulos, and Elsa Lekakou. This looks like a rather strange film, a bit too experimental in its attempts to tell this story about this crazy wealthy dude.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s film The Birthday Party, from YouTube:

Set in the 1970s somewhere in the Mediterranean, where Marcos Timoleon (Willem Dafoe), an Aristotle Onassis-like tycoon, is throwing a lavish, extravagant birthday party for Sofia (Vic Carmen Sonne), his daughter & sole heiress, on his exclusive private island. The party is a perfect excuse for various people 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 large decision. Sofia, however, has come to share some crucial news of her own. As guests start pouring in & night falls, the party grows rowdier and more decadent, while the inevitable clash between Marcos & Sofia reaches a heartbreaking climax. The Birthday Party is directed by acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Miguel Ángel Jiménez, of the films Ori, Seagull, The Night Watchman, A God in Each Lentil, and Window to the Sea previously. The screenplay is written by Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Giorgos Karnavas, Nicos Panagiotopoulos. Based on the novel by Panos Karnezis. Produced by Heretic, Fasten Films, Lemming Film, & Raucous Pictures. This initially premiered at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival last month. No US release date is set yet – stay tuned for updates. Intrigued?

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