The Plague (2025 film)

The Plague
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 byJohan Lenox
Production
companies
Distributed byIndependent 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

The Plague is a 2025 psychological drama-thriller film[2][3][4] 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.

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.[5]

Cast

  • Everett Blunck as Ben
  • Kayo Martin as Jake
  • Kenny Rasmussen as Eli
  • Joel Edgerton as Daddy Wags
  • Lennox Espy as Julian
  • Lucas Adler as Logan
  • Elliott Heffernan as Tic Tac
  • Caden Burris as Matt
  • Kolton Lee as Corbin

Production

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.[6] 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.[7]

The film was shot on 35 mm film in Bucharest, Romania.[8][9]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025, in the Un Certain Regard section.[10] 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.[11]

In addition to Cannes, the film played at the Deauville American Film Festival,[12] Fantastic Fest,[13] Sitges Film Festival,[14] Chicago International Film Festival,[15] AFI Fest,[16] SCAD Savannah Film Festival,[17] Miami Film Festival,[18] St. Louis International Film Festival,[19] and many others.

Reception

Critical response

The film was met with critical acclaim[20] and a warm reception at Cannes.[20] It received an eleven minute standing ovation. It was described as "perhaps the hottest American film at the festival".[21]

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."[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[23]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival May 24, 2025 Un Certain Regard Award Charlie Polinger Nominated [24]
Camera d'Or Nominated
Best Sound Creation Award The Plague Won [25]
Deauville American Film Festival September 13, 2025 Grand Prize Won [26]
Critics Prize Won
Fantastic Fest September 23, 2025 Best Picture (Main Competition) Won [27]
Calgary International Film Festival September 23, 2025 Grand Jury Prize Won [28]
Orcas Island Film Festival October 1, 2025 Jean-Marc Vallée Vanguard Award Charlie Polinger Won [29]
Denver Film Festival October 16, 2025 Breakthrough Director Prize Won [30]
Sitges Film Festival October 18, 2025 Best Feature Film The Plague Nominated [31]
Best Actor Everett Blunck, Kayo Martin, Kenny Rasmussen, Joel Edgerton, Lucas Adler, Caden Burris, Lennox Espy, Elliott Heffernan, Kolton Lee Won
Woodstock Film Festival October 18, 2025 Best Feature, Narrative The Plague Won [32]
Best Cinematography Steven Breckon Nominated
Best Editing, Narrative Simon Njoo Won
Film Independent Spirit Awards February 15, 2026 Best Feature Derek Dauchy, Joel Edgerton, Roy Lee, Lucy McKendrick, Steven Schneider, and Lizzie Shapiro Pending [33]
Best Lead Performance Everett Blunck Pending
Best Breakthrough Performance Kayo Martin Pending

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Plague". Cannes Film Festival. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  2. ^ "'The Plague' Review: Joel Edgerton & Cast of Young Newcomers Turn Summer Boys Camp into a Psychological Nightmare – Cannes Film Festival". May 16, 2025.
  3. ^ "Independent Company Buys Joel Edgerton Psychological Thriller (EXCLUSIVE)". August 7, 2025.
  4. ^ "'The Plague' Review: Joel Edgerton in a Thrilling Drama That Captures the Terror of Adolescent Masculinity". The Hollywood Reporter. May 16, 2025.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  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 October 17, 2025.
  8. ^ Afcinema (October 17, 2025). "Interview with Steven Breckon about "The Plague", by Charlie Polinger". Afcinema. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Ntim, Zac (April 10, 2025). "Cannes Competition: Aster, Trier, Dardennes, Reichardt, Ducournau & Wes Anderson Among Lineup — Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  11. ^ Lang, Brent (August 7, 2025). "Independent Film Company Buys Joel Edgerton Psychological Thriller 'The Plague'". Variety. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "Fantastic Fest 2025 Awards: 'The Plague,' 'CAMP,' and 'The Vile' Win Top Prizes". September 23, 2025.
  14. ^ "Films 2025 | Sitges Film Festival".
  15. ^ "The Plague".
  16. ^ "AFI Fest 2025 Unveils Full Lineup: 'Song Sung Blue' World Premiere, Plus 'Christy,' 'The Plague,' and More". September 30, 2025.
  17. ^ "The Plague | Filmfest".
  18. ^ https://miamifilmfestival.com/program/event/the-plague/
  19. ^ "The Plague".
  20. ^ a b "The Plague (2025) | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "The Plague". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  23. ^ "The Plague". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  24. ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. April 10, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  25. ^ Porter, Kimberly (June 2, 2025). "'The Plague' by Charlie Polinger Triumphs at Cannes: Best Sound Creation Award 2025". culturedfocusmag. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  26. ^ 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.
  27. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (September 23, 2025). "Fantastic Fest 2025 Awards: 'The Plague,' 'CAMP,' and 'The Vile' Win Top Prizes". IndieWire. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  28. ^ Toombs, Aryn (September 24, 2025). "Calgary International Film Festival awards winning films with jury prizes". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  29. ^ "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.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ "'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.
  32. ^ "Woodstock Film Festival celebrates activism, movies at Maverick Awards Ceremony". Daily Freeman. October 19, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  33. ^ 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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