Independent Film Company has officially gotten the North American distribution rights for The Plague. Described as a psychological thriller and drama, the movie focuses on a socially awkward pre-teen who attends a water polo camp. There, he faces extreme anxiety and psychological torment as he grapples with the camp’s intense social hierarchy and more.

The Plague features largely children in its leading cast, but also includes Joel Edgerton. The movie premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May. There, it impressed audiences and went on to receive an 11-minute standing ovation, one of the longest of the festival.

Several months after this festival premiere, the Independent Film Company has bought the rights to The Plague. The group will make the movie available for a limited theatrical release on Dec. 24 before expanding widely on Jan. 2.

Charlie Polinger, who served as the film’s director and co-writer, expressed his excitement about working with Independent Film Company, noting the group as having “championed so many of [his] favorite films.” Check out the full quote from Polinger below:

Premiering The Plague at Cannes was a dream. I’m thrilled to share it with a wider theatrical audience through Independent Film Company, who’ve championed so many of my favorite films.

Edgerton also chimed in on this collaboration, saying the following:

Independent Film Company is a perfect partner for this incredible first feature debut of Charlie Polinger and I could not be more proud to have my name in the credits of this incredible project. From script to completion this film has always had a very strong vision. Charlie is a filmmaker with a great future ahead. I’m proud to have been part of his first film along with these incredible producers and companies.

What This Means For The Plague

This distribution deal comes not long after Independent Film Company went through some branding changes. The group was formerly better known by the acronym IFC. As of May, its parent group is called IFC Entertainment Group, and this notable distribution subsidiary is called Independent Film Company.

As IFC, the company has been behind projects such as 45 Years, Boyhood, and The Babadook. As such, they have experience with a wide range of projects genre-wise, and a good track record of releasing well-received movies. This is a good sign for the Edgerton film, as it will probably be in good hands regarding distribution.

The Plague, in turn, already delivers a lot of promise for Independent Film Company. At the time of writing, the movie has an 100% Rotten Tomatoes score with 15 critical reviews. This early clout could help draw audiences to the film.

Our Take On The Plague’s Acquisition

Another fascinating element of The Plague‘s distribution deal is its release date. A Dec. 24 limited release with a Jan. 2 wide release sets the movie up in a prime spot for awards season.

I haven’t heard The Plague talked about in much of the early awards discussions, but that does not mean it would be exempt from such considerations. Movies from the Cannes Film Festival have done well in recent years in terms of Oscar nominations. If things go really well during its release window, The Plague could find itself in the awards conversation.