When a high-profile couple, a rock star and a filmmaker, decide to vacation on a remote Italian island, their rest is disrupted by the sudden visit of an old friend and his sexy, yet mysterious daughter. Suddenly, what was supposed to be an ideal getaway turns into a whirlwind of jealousy, passion and danger for everyone in the group. A film by Luca Guadagnino, starring Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Tilda Swinton.

Marianne (Tilda Swinton), the world-renowned rock singer, learns to navigate the temporary loss of her voice after surgery, communicating through sign language and occasional whispers.

Marianne and her filmmaker lover Paul (Matthias Schoenaerts) travel to the small Italian island of Pantelleria, where she recovers from surgery while Paul heals from alcohol addiction and a suicide attempt, despite neither of them speaking Italian.

Their idyllic retreat in a secluded villa is disrupted by the surprise arrival of Harry (Ralph Fiennes), a music producer, Marianne’s ex-lover, and Paul’s mentor, who, vacationing in Rome, decides to catch a plane to the island of Pantelleria.

At the airport, Harry introduces his recently discovered, 22-year-old daughter Penelope (Dakota Johnson), to everyone. During their dinner, Marianne invites Harry and Penelope to stay at her villa after learning that Paul had not made a hotel reservation, which was likely to be fully booked during the San Gaetano festival. Harry accepts her invitation and begins inviting his friends to the villa as if he were its owner, taking them sightseeing and attending festivities. His arrogance annoys Paul, but Marianne begins to succumb to his charm once again.

Luca Guadagnino’s psychological drama A BIGGER SPLASH takes viewers on a thrilling ride through the unsettling relationships between four characters as they spiral towards a terrifying, unexpected, yet satisfying conclusion. The filmmaker cleverly uses extreme close-ups to elevate and aggravate the tension of the scenes. The cast delivers sublime performances, especially Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes. The film features one of the most memorable scenes in cinema, in which Harry dances to “Emotional Rescue” by The Rolling Stones.

A BIGGER SPLASH premiered at the Venice Film Festival on 6 September 2015. The film was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2016, by StudioCanal, and in the United States on 4 May, by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

A BIGGER SPLASH serves as the second installment in Luca Guadagnino’s Desire Trilogy, following io Sono l’Amore.