Moviefone speaks with Noomi Rapace, Andrzej Konopka and director Agnieszka Smoczyńska about 'Hot Spot'. "I read it and it took my breath away," Rapace said.

Opening in US theaters on August 21st is the new sci-fi thriller 'Hot Spot', which was directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska ('The Silent Twins').

"The system is unstable."

RThriller Crime Science Fiction

Release Date: Aug 21, 2026

Run Time: 1 hr 40 min

The film stars Andrzej Konopka ('Winter of the Crow'), Noomi Rapace ('Prometheus'), and Reika Kirishima ('Drive My Car').

Noomi Rapace stars as Rana in director Agnieszka Smoczyńska's 'Hot Spot', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Noomi Rapace, Andrzej Konopka and director Agnieszka Smoczyńska about their work on 'Hot Spot', developing the project, the actors' approach to their characters, creating the unique world of the movie, and Rapace's experience working with Smoczyńska on set.

(L to R) Director Agnieszka Smoczyńska and actor Andrzej Konopka on the set of 'Hot Spot', a Focus Features release. Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

Moviefone: To begin with, Agnieszka, can you talk about developing this project and the themes that you wanted to explore as a director?

Agnieszka Smoczyńska: I remember the first time I read the script. I remember that on the surface it was a playful homage to sci-fi cinema, but it is also about all of the fears and anxieties we feel today from AI, from climate change, global unrest, and wars, which we also feel here in Europe and in Poland. On the surface, 'Hot Spot' is a murder detective story in the dystopia of the future. But 'Hot Spot', it's not meant to provide the answer, but rather to inspire more questions. That's what really resonated with me and inspired me. Also what I loved in 'Hot Spot' is that you don't have to use the logic which you are used to using, that you can immerse into this world, and enter a dream state, a hypnotic state, and you allow yourself to experience that. At the end, you confront your own anxieties and fears which pervade modern life.

MF: Noomi, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the real world commentary within the script?

Noomi Rapace: I read it and I was like, it completely took my breath away. I was like, "Wait, what am I reading? What is this?" It was this weird, long, strange poem or nightmare I was reading. I was just pulled into the story. Then I was familiar with Agnieszka's work and I saw the situations and the scenes come to life, but it was a very physical experience reading it and I could feel myself getting hooked. I was like, I don't have a choice. Then I met Agnieszka and we had this instant connection and she has this very tender force. She's a believer. She's so curious. She wants to investigate things, and she's a strong leader with strong ideas, but still very playful. So, I feel like I just entered this journey and I was like, let's see where it takes us. There are questions in this script that I need to ask myself. I was like, I need to go on this journey and see what it does to me.

Reika Kirishima stars as Ayka in director Agnieszka Smoczyńska's 'Hot Spot', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

MF: Noomi, can you talk about your specific approach to playing this character?

NR: I feel like she is someone who has deep emotional scars and she'd gone through a lot. I think every tattoo on her body is a memory and a reminder of something. Then she's gone into this field of love, which is the answer. Love, forgiveness, and peace is the only way that we all will survive. It was so interesting because I could feel like myself. I've gone on this similar journey in life. I started with a lot of rage and a lot of explosive rebelliousness, just at war with everyone. I've gone into that place more and more. It's like, we need to have empathy. We need to try to understand. We need to coexist. I think the questions in this movie are so important. My son has watched the trailer many times and he's obsessed with it because he's 22. I think the younger audiences are used to watching things. He didn't ask me what's the story? What is it about? He's just allowing whatever's going on to come into his system and he's not analyzing as much. It was interesting. I think this movie will wake a lot of emotions in people and thoughts.

MF: Andrzej, can you talk about your approach to playing this character and how would you describe him in your own words?

Andrzej Konopka: My character is definitely a man in midlife crisis, torn by the fears about the people he loves, and also about himself. He trades his freedom for safety from artificial intelligence. But then he meets Rana, this woman who lets him know, I see who you truly are and you have to become aware of who you truly are. Which builds a pathway to freedom, to liberation, but also to catastrophe and tragedy.

Andrzej Konopka stars as Djonny in director Agnieszka Smoczyńska's 'Hot Spot', a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

MF: Andrzej, what was the most challenging scene for you to shoot and how did you overcome that challenge?

AK: So, the most challenging was the scene inside the car where I am alone and I experienced this panic after being disconnected from the system on the way to see Zen because I was alone and I had to act all by myself. In order to become believable, I had to think about the most terrifying things that I can possibly think of, and they kind of had to stay in my head and I had to bring them on and go through that. Also very difficult were the scenes with Zen, my son in the film because I also have children. While I was in the scenes with him, I was really relying on the fears that I have for my own children. So that was a challenge. It was really difficult.

MF: Agnieszka, can you talk about blending genres and the world building you did with this movie?

AS: It was hard to create the world of the future, which is not with the sense of humor, with the camp element. Also, just to have the impression that this is a metaphor of our times. For me, it was crucial to create the feeling that there is no water, and no energy. That's why we shot all of the landscapes in Greece and most of the locations in Greece. We used Elinicon, a huge, really powerful airport, which was very powerful in the '90s, but there was also a real refugee camp. We also used this huge airplane, which was the shelter for our Neo Souls group. So, we also use this landscape that just before when we shot there, there were fires and everything around was totally burnt out and totally dead. So for me, it was also to experience and to feel the world where there is no animals, no plants, and how the planet can be died out totally.

Director Agnieszka Smoczyńska during the production of 'Hot Spot', a Focus Features release. Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features © 2026 All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, Noomi, what was your experience like working with Agnieszka and watching her execute her unique vision for this film?

NR: I love working with her. She's completely in the scenes with us sharing it. She is inside of the characters. We were investigating and went on a journey. Some takes, she was speaking to me while I was in cameras rolling and she would just guide me. I could feel like it was almost like she was a voice in my head and I just felt it was so seamless and effortless. She's super brave, super curious, but also knows what she wants and won't give up until she has it. I would go anywhere with her.

'Hot Spot' opens in theaters on August 21st.

What is the plot of 'Hot Spot'?

Set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye (Andrzej Konopka) investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective's identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.