A Bailiff Faces a Moral Crisis in Radu Jude’s Absurdly Funny ‘Kontinetal ’25’ Trailer [Exclusive]

Iconoclastic Romanian director Radu Jude is heading back to the big screen. Known for wowing critics and causing controversy alike with his bold features like Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World and the Golden Berlin Bear-winning Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, he’s now set to release his satirical and absurdly comedic new film, Kontinental ’25, in select U.K. theaters on Halloween. Ahead of the premiere, Collider can exclusively share the official trailer, which offers an idiosyncratic look at the moral dilemma the filmmaker has crafted with star Eszter Tompa caught in the middle. Its release will come on the heels of its appearance at the BFI London Film Festival, which is currently running through October 19.

Kontinental ’25 is billed as an homage to the Italian neorealist classic Europe ’51, directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman. Where that film follows a distraught mother who turns to humanitarianism after her son tragically takes his own life, Jude’s latest follows a bailiff named Orsolya (Tompa), who faces a tragedy of her own connected to her work. She’s forced to evict a homeless man in Cluj who, as the trailer shows, has ignored his notice to vacate the basement of a building for far too long. It’s a rare eviction during the colder months in Romania, and, as a result of it, the man, too, chooses to commit suicide. Orsolya can’t help but feel wracked by guilt and tries to do the best she can to solve her moral crisis.

Despite the grim subject matter and serious social commentary about the Romanian housing crisis, the post-socialist economy, and the malaise of a conflicted middle class, the footage addresses everything with a sense of humor. It leans into the absurd, with scenes of Orsolya praying for guidance next to an animatronic dinosaur and a man kicking a yapping robot dog. As Orsolya spirals over her work, she seeks guidance from just about everyone, including friends, who assure her that donating a little to causes that help fellow Romanians, Gazans, Ukrainians, or UNICEF helps ease the conscience, a priest, who advises her not to exaggerate her guilt, and others who simply tell her that she can’t help everybody. Through a little drinking, laughing, crying, and self-discovery, she’ll look to come out of the situation better than she was heading in.

‘Kontinental ’25’ Has Been an Overwhelming Hit on the Festival Circuit

Jude shot Kontinental ’25 back-to-back with his adaptation of Bram Stoker‘s legendary novel, Dracula, which also features Tompa among its cast. Notably, he also completed the project in only ten days with an iPhone and no lighting or grip equipment to rely on, opting for a more natural aesthetic. The writer-director described the low-budget nature, fittingly, as a sort of moral decision itself, saying, “Many films about poverty or social violence are made with multimillion-dollar budgets. There’s a mismatch sometimes, and I wanted to push against that.” Even with a limited amount of tools to work with, the film became an immediate festival darling, starting by winning the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Screenplay and being nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear for Best Film following its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. All the praise has earned it a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes thus far, with critics hailing it as both comedic and devastating.

Kontinental ’25 premieres in theaters in the U.K. on October 31 after screening at BFI London on October 17/18. Check out the exclusive trailer in the player above.