What if you could literally walk through doors to your past and rewrite your love story?
When two commitment-phobic souls meet at a wedding, the last thing they expect is a magical GPS system that’ll drag them through interdimensional doorways faster than you can say “relationship therapy.” A Big Bold Beautiful Journey throws Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell into a whimsical time-travel romance that’s part road trip, part existential crisis, and wholly confusing in the best possible way.
The Premise
Director Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang) crafts this September 19, 2025 release around Sarah (Robbie) and David (Farrell), two gorgeous singles who’d rather eat glass than commit to anything beyond their next meal. After meeting at a friend’s wedding, they somehow end up sharing a mysterious rental car equipped with the world’s most intrusive GPS system, voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith. This isn’t your average “turn left in 500 feet” situation, this GPS has opinions and apparently majored in couples therapy.
The magic happens when they encounter red doors scattered across landscapes, each one leading to pivotal moments from their pasts. Think Eternal Sunshine meets The Time Traveler’s Wife, but with more indie film aesthetics and fewer tears.
Behind the Scenes
Filming kicked off in April 2024 across California, with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey requiring some serious method acting. Kogonada had both leads embark on actual road trips during pre-production because apparently, the best way to fake chemistry is to genuinely experience awkward car conversations.
“It was one of the most magical experiences of my life,” Robbie shared during interviews. “The fact that it was like a small crew and we were doing everything so practically. We kind of were on a road trip and the movie is a road trip.”
Farrell echoed this sentiment, describing their collaboration as effortless: “It was just so easy working with Margot from day one. We just sat around and we spoke and we talked about our lives, and we talked about bits of ourselves that we saw in the film.”
The Dream Team
The supporting cast reads like an indie film lover’s fever dream: Kevin Kline as a mysterious mechanic, Phoebe Waller-Bridge sporting what’s described as a “Sprockets-esque German accent,” and a voice cast that includes some serious talent. Joe Hisaishi, the legendary Studio Ghibli composer, provides his first Hollywood score because apparently, this film needed even more magical elements.
Seth Reiss penned the screenplay, which landed on 2020’s Black List before Sony Pictures snatched it up for a cool $50 million at the European Film Market. The film wrapped production in May 2024, with Columbia Pictures, 30WEST, and Imperative Entertainment handling production duties.
The Verdict
Early reviews suggest A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is either a contemplative masterpiece or a pretentious slog, depending on your patience for meditative pacing. The film currently sits at a 5.8/10 on IMDb, with critics praising the cinematography while questioning the narrative coherence.
Whether you’re team “quirky indie romance” or team “give me explosions,” this September release promises to be divisive. At minimum, you’ll get to watch two ridiculously attractive people have existential breakthroughs in scenic locations—and honestly, isn’t that what cinema’s all about?
Also Read: Insidious 6 Updates