The Chronology of Water receives an ominous first trailer. The Oscar-nominated actress Kristen Stewart (Spencer) makes her directorial debut with the new film, a passion project that she struggled to secure financing for several years. The movie is based on the 2011 memoir by Lidia Yuknavitch, whom Imogen Poots stars as.
Now, The Forge has released the first official trailer for The Chronology of Water, following Lidia’s path from her childhood in the Pacific Northwest – where she excelled as a young swimmer – through turbulent relationships, brushes with motherhood, addiction, and formative encounters with artistic icons. Structured as a flowing stream of memory, the narrative reshapes pain into expression, channeling the bold and uncompromising voice that made Yuknavitch’s memoir a cult favorite.
More than the story of a writer’s emergence, it becomes a visceral odyssey through the debris and determination of a life defiantly lived – delivering an unvarnished and intimate exploration of endurance, sexuality, and self-creation. Check out the trailer below:
In addition to Imogen Poots in the lead role, the cast also includes Emmy nominee Thora Birch, Susannah Flood, Tom Sturridge (Netflix’s The Sandman), Kim Gordon, Michael Epp, Earl Cave, Esmé Creed-Miles, Emmy nominee Jim Belushi (Saturday Night Live), Julienne Restall, and Anna Wittowsky in supporting roles.
The Chronology of Water premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it received positive reviews from critics for Kristen Stewart’s bold and confident debut, highlighting its raw emotional power, poetic style, and striking craftsmanship. Imogen Poots’ fearless and riveting performance also stands out, while the film’s honesty, ambition, and visceral storytelling make it a compelling and artful breakthrough.
The Chronology of Water has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In ScreenRant‘s review of The Chronology of Water, Patrice Witherspoon rated the film 9/10 stars and writes, “Kristen Stewart teaches us to find our voice in her spectacular and confident directorial feature debut… The Chronology of Water, through all its intricacies and fragments, is a stunning debut overflowing with confidence, authenticity, and soul.”
The trailer highlights much of the acclaim for the film, with critics writing, “Some movies are shot. This one was directed,” “Imogen Poots gives a career-best performance,” and “This is the beauty of what movies can do.”
The Chronology of Water releases in select theaters on December 5 and opens wide on January 9, 2026.