R | 1h 43m | Drama, Mystery | 2026
Working at a pace that would exhaust men half his age, 71-year-old Willem Dafoe is busier now than any other time during his 45-year career. Since 2023, Dafoe has starred in a staggering 18 feature films and, while none of them could be considered excellent, most of them are pretty good.
Based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Panos Karnezis, “The Birthday Party” isn’t something you need to rush out and see, unless you’re a Dafoe completist. If not for Dafoe’s commanding presence as lead character Marcos Timoleon, the movie probably wouldn’t work, although it looks splendid.
Taking place over 24 hours in 1975, the story is set on an unnamed Greek island owned by Marcos. It is here where he’s hosting the 25th birthday party for his only daughter, Sofia (Danish actress Vic Carmen Sonne).
Out-of-Control Party Girl
As we find out in dribs and drabs during the first half, Marcos planned on retiring years ago and leaving control of his vast shipping empire to Daniel. Had Sofia chosen a different social path, it’s likely she could have easily taken Daniel’s place.She’s mostly an out-of-control party girl who Marcos still loves but doesn’t believe in or trust. If Sofia longs to run the family business, she doesn’t show it. It’s either that, or she’s feigning disinterest.
Prior to welcoming the boatload of guests, Marcos meets with British journalist Ian Forster (Joe Cole), who is writing Marcos’s biography. Why Marcos chose Forster isn’t initially made clear.
Pressing the Flesh
Once he starts mingling with the guests, Marcos switches over to a borderline gregarious disposition. He flits about, presses the flesh of his acquaintances (but not Sofia’s) and generally makes everyone feel right at home. He’s the perfect host.The sole restriction Marcos puts on the guests is allowing cameras. Whoever arrives with one has it checked upon arrival. The reasons for this are never made clear. But it is apparent that at least one person ignored the mandate or has escaped detection. His or her identity isn’t revealed until late in the third act.
Like most people who attain great power, Marcos keenly recognizes it can be used for leverage, especially on those looking for something only he can provide.
Everybody Wants Something
In the case of most of the party guests, they want only his food, drink, and lodging. For Forster, it’s getting more cooperation and approval for the biography. For his soon-to-be-ex-wife Olivia (Emma Suárez), it’s securing more favorable divorce-settlement terms.As far as Sofia is concerned, she wants a whole lot, some of it material, some not. Her issue, unlike the others, is that she isn’t willing to give up anything to her father in return. She’s under the misconception that only she can provide an heir to the family fortune.
Real Life Parallels
The sole interesting takeaway is that the character of Marcos has much in common with real life Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.Both have two children: a son who died in a plane crash and a spoiled, bratty surviving daughter. Both men married into money multiple times. Both men hail from the Greek minority region of Asia Minor in Turkey. Both wear hideous, oversized, tinted glasses. Each man owns his own island.
Despite the gorgeous scenery and Dafoe’s predictably dependable performance, “The Birthday Party” will be quickly forgotten and ultimately regarded as one of the actor’s not-real-great films.
