The Plague (2025 film)

Last updated

The Plague
The Plague film poster.jpg
US theatrical release poster
Directed byCharlie Polinger
Written byCharlie Polinger
Produced by
Starring
  • Everett Blunck
  • Kayo Martin
  • Kenny Rasmussen
  • Joel Edgerton
CinematographySteven Breckon
Edited by
  • Simon Njoo
  • Henry Hayes
Music by Johan Lenox
Production
companies
Distributed by Independent Film Company
Release dates
  • May 16, 2025 (2025-05-16)(Cannes)
  • December 24, 2025 (2025-12-24)(United States)
Running time
95 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Romania
LanguageEnglish
Box office$36,500 [2]

The Plague is a 2025 psychological drama-thriller film [3] [4] [5] written and directed by Charlie Polinger in his directorial debut. It stars Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, and Joel Edgerton, who is also a producer on the film.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 24, 2025, and is set to expand nationwide on January 2, 2026.

Premise

A socially anxious 12-year-old boy is pulled into a cruel tradition at an all-boys water polo camp. [6]

Plot

Cast

Production

Cast and crew of the film at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 The Plague (2025 film)-69088.jpg
Cast and crew of the film at the Cannes Film Festival 2025

Initially, when Joel Edgerton received the script by Charlie Polinger, he wanted to direct the film; however, Polinger wanted to, with Edgerton instead offering to help get it made. [7] Polinger set out to "capture a social dread and vulnerability of your body and something you don't see as much with boys because it requires a certain vulnerability to be an object of terror in that way", and cites The Shining , Full Metal Jacket , and Beau Travail as primary sources of inspiration. [8]

The film was shot on 35 mm film in Bucharest, Romania. [9] [10]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025, in the Un Certain Regard section. [11] In August 2025, Independent Film Company acquired North American distribution rights to the film, giving it a theatrical release in the United States on December 24, 2025, before expanding nationwide on January 2, 2026. [12]

In addition to Cannes, the film played at the Deauville American Film Festival, [13] Fantastic Fest, [14] Sitges Film Festival, [15] Chicago International Film Festival, [16] AFI Fest, [17] SCAD Savannah Film Festival, [18] Miami Film Festival, [19] St. Louis International Film Festival, [20] and many others.

Reception

Critical response

The film was met with critical acclaim [21] and a warm reception at Cannes. [21] It received an eleven minute standing ovation. It was described as "perhaps the hottest American film at the festival". [22]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 47 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "Steeped in disquieting mood without ever treading water, The Plague takes common adolescent anxieties and elevates them into an unforgettable chiller." [23] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [24]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Cannes Film Festival May 24, 2025 Un Certain Regard Award Charlie PolingerNominated [25]
Camera d'Or Nominated
Best Sound Creation AwardThe PlagueWon [26]
Deauville American Film Festival September 13, 2025Grand PrizeWon [27]
Critics PrizeWon
Fantastic Fest September 23, 2025Best Picture (Main Competition)Won [28]
Calgary International Film Festival September 23, 2025Grand Jury PrizeWon [29]
Orcas Island Film FestivalOctober 1, 2025Jean-Marc Vallée Vanguard AwardCharlie PolingerWon [30]
Denver Film Festival October 16, 2025Breakthrough Director PrizeWon [31]
Sitges Film Festival October 18, 2025 Best Feature FilmThe PlagueNominated [32]
Best ActorEverett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, Joel Edgerton, Lucas Adler, Caden Burris, Lennox Espy, Elliott Heffernan, Kolton LeeWon
Woodstock Film Festival October 18, 2025Best Feature, NarrativeThe PlagueWon [33]
Best CinematographySteven BreckonNominated
Best Editing, NarrativeSimon NjooWon
Film Independent Spirit Awards February 15, 2026 Best Feature Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, and Lizzie ShapiroPending [34]
Best Lead Performance Everett BlunckPending
Best Breakthrough Performance Kayo MartinPending

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Plague". Cannes Film Festival . May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  2. ↑ "The Plague". The Numbers . Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ "'The Plague' Review: Joel Edgerton & Cast of Young Newcomers Turn Summer Boys Camp into a Psychological Nightmare – Cannes Film Festival". May 16, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Independent Company Buys Joel Edgerton Psychological Thriller (EXCLUSIVE)". August 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ "'The Plague' Review: Joel Edgerton in a Thrilling Drama That Captures the Terror of Adolescent Masculinity". The Hollywood Reporter . May 16, 2025.
  6. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (April 22, 2025). "Charlie Polinger's 'The Plague,' Starring Joel Edgerton, Boarded by AGC, Cinetic and UTA Independent Film Group Ahead of Cannes Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (May 15, 2025). "Cannes Premiere 'The Plague' Twists the Pock-Marked Perils of Adolescence Into Body Horror — with Joel Edgerton". IndieWire . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (May 15, 2025). "Cannes Premiere 'The Plague' Twists the Pock-Marked Perils of Adolescence Into Body Horror — with Joel Edgerton". IndieWire. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  9. ↑ Afcinema (October 17, 2025). "Interview with Steven Breckon about "The Plague", by Charlie Polinger". Afcinema. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  10. ↑ Lang, Brent (May 17, 2025). "Meet The Space Program, the Producing Collective Behind Buzzy Cannes Film 'The Plague': 'For Indie Movies, It's Not One Size Fits All'". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  11. ↑ Ntim, Zac (April 10, 2025). "Cannes Competition: Aster, Trier, Dardennes, Reichardt, Ducournau & Wes Anderson Among Lineup — Full List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  12. ↑ Lang, Brent (August 7, 2025). "Independent Film Company Buys Joel Edgerton Psychological Thriller 'The Plague'". Variety . Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Deauville Festival 2025 Winners: Joel Edgerton Thriller 'The Plague,' Plan B-Produced 'Olmo' and Kristen Stewart's 'Chronology of Water' Take Top Awards". September 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Fantastic Fest 2025 Awards: 'The Plague,' 'CAMP,' and 'The Vile' Win Top Prizes". September 23, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Films 2025 | Sitges Film Festival".
  16. ↑ "The Plague".
  17. ↑ "AFI Fest 2025 Unveils Full Lineup: 'Song Sung Blue' World Premiere, Plus 'Christy,' 'The Plague,' and More". September 30, 2025.
  18. ↑ "The Plague | Filmfest".
  19. ↑ https://miamifilmfestival.com/program/event/the-plague/
  20. ↑ "The Plague".
  21. 1 2 "The Plague (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
  22. ↑ "The buzziest films at Cannes so far — and one already causing arguments". The Washington Post. May 18, 2025. Archived from the original on May 19, 2025. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  23. ↑ "The Plague". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  24. ↑ "The Plague". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  25. ↑ "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  26. ↑ Porter, Kimberly (June 2, 2025). "'The Plague' by Charlie Polinger Triumphs at Cannes: Best Sound Creation Award 2025". culturedfocusmag. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  27. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (September 13, 2025). "Deauville Festival 2025 Winners: Joel Edgerton Thriller 'The Plague,' Plan B-Produced 'Olmo' and Kristen Stewart's 'Chronology of Water' Take Top Awards". Variety. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  28. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (September 23, 2025). "Fantastic Fest 2025 Awards: 'The Plague,' 'CAMP,' and 'The Vile' Win Top Prizes". IndieWire. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  29. ↑ Toombs, Aryn (September 24, 2025). "Calgary International Film Festival awards winning films with jury prizes". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Orcas Island Film Festival unveils 2025 lineup: 41 films from 35 countries, 12 Oscar submissions and Global Festival winners". Islands' Sounder. October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  31. ↑ Gardner, Chris (October 16, 2025). "Denver Film Fest to Honor Zoey Deutch, Ben Foster and Screen Robert Redford and Diane Keaton Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  32. ↑ "'La hermanastra fea' d'Emilie Blichfeldt, Premi a la Millor Pel·lícula a Sitges 2025 | Sitges Film Festival". sitgesfilmfestival.com (in Catalan). Retrieved October 18, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Woodstock Film Festival celebrates activism, movies at Maverick Awards Ceremony". Daily Freeman. October 19, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  34. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 3, 2025). "Spirit Award Nominees include 'Sorry, Baby', 'Peter Hujar's Day', 'Train Dreams', 'Twinless', and 'The Plague'". IndieWire . Retrieved December 3, 2025.
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