cannes roundup

a compilation of what hit (and what didn't) at the french film festival from a person who literally wasn't there

Only four movies in film history have won both the Palme D’Or and the Oscar for Best Picture, but two of those winners happen to be within the last decade: Parasite in 2019, and Anora in 2024. So I was hotly anticipating this year’s Cannes film festival, despite many of the directors presenting new work were unfamiliar to me. It’s being widely discussed that this year’s lineup is noticeably lacking in Hollywood/American films, which was genuinely exciting to me. Living in the States guarantees that I’m exposed to a plethora of good and bad English-language films- I’m always excited to have more foreign films on my radar.

But the general consensus of moviegoers fortunate enough to attend this year’s Cannes was that… it kind of sucked.

Despite plenty of Cannes-favorite auteurs delivering new work this year, the general vibe was too long, too indulgent, too boring. James Gray, Almodóvar, Mungiu, Pawlikowski, and Refn are some of the returning directors bringing new ideas. The jury was headed by Park Chan-Wook, with the likes of Demi Moore, Stellan Skarsgård, and Chloe Zhao rounding out the two-week festival. Here’s what stood out to me- with the caveat that this just might not be a great movie year.

The Neon of it All

Film Studio Neon (quietly rivaling A24 in terms of bringing new talent with strong aesthetics) has secured the last SEVEN consecutive Palme D’Ors: most recent was Fjord, then It Was Just an Accident, Anora, Anatomy of a Fall, Titane, Triangle of Sadness, and Parasite. This is objectively insane (and historic). They clearly have their finger on the pulse without being as, well, annoying as A24 in terms of marketing how cool and awesome they are. Nicolas Winding Refn claims that Neon chose its name after his film The Neon Demon (2016), explaining that Neon CEO and Refn have been mutually influential in each other’s careers. Neon had a total of six films in and out of competition this year, solidifying them as a mainstay in the festival circuit and a great trend indicator.

Fashion Corner

(the seams portion of cinemaseams)

I’m normally pretty cold on Chanel, but this beaded red and black number KStew styled with her signature Converse really worked for me! I was (unsurprisingly) obsessed with Kristen Stewart as a tween, religiously watching Youtube hair tutorials in an effort to tousle my hair in her trademark nonchalant way. It never occurred to me that the maybe the sheer amount of effort I was putting into said tousling might be why my hair never quite looked as charmingly undone as hers. I was equally intrigued by her sartorial choices, particularly her way of dressing down a designer gown with a pair of beat-up Converses. I remember thinking she was so punk rock for this (lol) and this look reminded of her 2009 MTV Movie Awards outfit, a look that rocked my world as an awkward, angsty teen:

Carlos was like it’s giving Hot Topic lmao

It makes me nostalgic to see her bring back her signature look in an admittedly more elegant and put-together way. I love her hair here too- it’s amazing what washing your hair can do for your overall vibe <3

Taylor Russell in Schiaparelli and Dior. Although I like seeing her in things, I would be very content if the only thing Taylor Russell had time for was gracing red carpets. She hasn’t missed in my book, due in large part to being one of Johnathon Anderson’s muses. She brings a classy elegance to some of Anderson’s more outlandish ideas while never being overwhelmed by the attire. While I do the Dior look, the Schiaparelli is the standout here. The pleated structure feels like Issey to me, adding texture while honoring her form. The overlong sleeves add drama but the look is kept from looking too costume-y with her natural curls and muted red lip.

Like (movie) father, like daughter. Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård wore the same Ami Paris suit on different days. To make the moment even sweeter, Skarsgård wore the suit to the Fjord premiere, Reinsve’s new movie in competition. Impossible to say who wore it better here, I love this look.

Cannes 2026 Winners

Palme D’Or: Fjord 3.8 Letterboxd rating

The festival’s top prize went to director Cristian Mungiu, joining Four Months, Three Weeks, and Two Days as the director’s second Palme D’Or in his oeuvre. Fjord stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan (marking their second collaboration after the very good A Different Man in 2024) as a married couple who move their family to a remote Norwegian village to start a new life closer to their loved ones. Their lives unravel when the couple’s daughter is discovered at school with bruises and they’re charged with abuse.

The premise reminds me of another Scandinavian cautionary tale that plays like filmic birth control, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt (2012). Could be a fun double feature if anyone wants to ruin their day!

Grand Prix: Minotaur. 3.7 Letterboxd rating

Taking the festival’s runner-up prize, this is a Russian-set drama in which seemingly every aspect of a corporate man’s life falls apart and he’s left to pick up the pieces against the backdrop of an escalating political landscape. Described by multiple critics as a Russian Unfaithful, I’m pretty confident I’ll find at least something to like in here. Maybe Diane Lane will blow all the way to Europe from that fateful Manhattan street.

Best Director: A tie, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (The Black Ball) 4.1 Letterboxd rating and Pawel Pawlikowski (Fatherland) 3.6 Letterboxd rating

The Black Ball follows a trio of boys through three important periods in Spanish history. The Letterboxd banner shows a group of boys laughing to camera in identical white tanks tops- this is all the information I need to know that I am going to weep Call Me By Your Name -style at whatever injustices these boys are up against.

Fatherland follows real-life author Thomas Mann and his daughter on a cross-country road trip through Germany. I liked Pawlikowski’s previous efforts Cold War (2018) and Ida (2013), but the aspect that’s most piqued my interest is that 82 minute runtime.

Best Screenplay: Notre Salut, Emmanuel Marre. 3.5 Letterboxd rating

The film follows Henri Marre on his journey through occupied Vichy as he attempts to pass along his self-published manifesto. It stars Swan Arlaud, who you might remember as the silver-haired lawyer in Anatomy of a Fall. This excites me, as that’s a movie I love very much and he’s probably the coolest part of that film. Another long runtime, capping out at over two and half hours. I could see this being a slog.

Jury Prize: The Dreamed Adventure.

Essentially the festival’s third place prize, this tells the story of a woman embarking on a dangerous task for a friend in a border European town. No Letterboxd ranking yet, but early detractors seem to be the lengthy runtime. This is pretty damning:

Best Actress: Tie, Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto in All of a Sudden. 3.9 Letterboxd rating

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of 2021’s beloved Drive My Car, is back with another slow burn existential drama. 196 minutes. Kill me.

This time we’re set in the suburbs of Paris, where the characters litigate the highs and lows of the European healthcare system. For 196 minutes.

Best Actor: Tie, Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne in Coward. 3.8 Letterboxd rating

This appears to be a study in male friendship through the lens of World War I.

Sure, I’ll bite.

Festival Highlights

Paper Tiger dir. James Gray

James Gray once again returns to Queens this time focusing on a pair of brothers (played by Adam Driver and Miles Teller) who embark on a business idea that goes horribly astray, leading to involvement with the Russian mafia. I’m mixed-to-positive on James Gray and this seems to be another solid entry into his oeuvre.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma dir. Jane Schoenbrun

I Saw the T.V. Glow was one of my favorite movies of 2024. Schoenbrun’s followup, a meta-tale about a director who becomes obsessed with the lead actress from an old slasher franchise they’re rebooting. Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder star, with lots of fun supporting actors showing up. I love movies about movies, and I know Schoenbrun will deliver a film that’s as heady as it is vibey.

Bitter Christmas dir. Pedro Almodóvar

Another meta look into the ways in which art imitates life, Bitter Christmas tells the story of a director/screenwriter who, after having a panic attack, decides to vacation with a friend while recovering. Almodóvar is no stranger to this sort of narrative device- in fact, he’s returned to this particular well several times over his decades-long career. But I love his mind (and the vibrant worlds he creates), and if this gets even close to the highs of Pain and Glory (2019) I’ll be pretty happy.

The Beloved dir. Rodrigo Sorogoyen

The Beloved is yet another movie-within-a-movie premise (quite popular this year, this sudden urge for self-reflection is interesting to say the least). This time we follow a director who casts his daughter in his movie, the newfound closeness creating a renewed intimacy while also bringing old traumas bubbling to the surface.

This is not a director I’ve seen anything from, but one movie podcast host described it as “Normie Sentimental Value” which sounds just fine to me. Plus it stars Javier Bardem, and I want to support work from actors who are otherwise risking their careers to be vocal about their support for Palestine and other worthy causes. Hannah Einbinder in Teenage Sex and Death in Camp Miasma falls under this category- let’s make sure good people continue to work!

Hope dir. Na Hong-Jin

Ten years after Na Hong-Jin made the horrifying The Wailing (a movie a friend dared me to watch that I could only get through thirty minutes of) he’s back with a… CGI monster movie? Set in a small South Korean village, the film follows some country cops desperately trying to solve the mystery of what exactly is haunting their little town. This is an epic story (with an epic runtime to boot) but reviews are mixed.

Club Kid dir. Jordan Firstman

Between this and Miasma, queer young American filmmakers were the surprise favorites of Cannes. Director Jordan Firstman (of I Love L.A. fame) stars as a messy club promotor who is suddenly tasked with the care of a child he didn’t even know he had. Critics are calling it a “Gay Big Daddy”, which, like, sure. I could see this sneaking up on me emotionally, similar to something like The Florida Project (2017). Unexpectedly one of my most anticipated!

Her Private Hell dir Nicolas Winding Refn

My very much expected most anticipated. Refn has had a long career featuring settings so neon-soaked they rival Michael Mann and characters so diabolical they rival… tbh nobody does evil quit like NFR. I’m mostly positive on his films while admitting that they tend to be exercises in tedium. Impossibly long takes and characters talking at half-speed punctuated by bursts of gruesome violence and more often than not lit by strobe lights. His movies always make me wonder if I forgot I took an edible.

Mileage varies with NFR, and this film seems to be his most divisive (read: bad) yet- with a 2.2 Letterboxd rating, the prognosis is not optimistic. From what I can gather, the story follows Sophie Thatcher searching for her father as a sort of mist engulfs the city she lives in. Okayyy…

I think that this cast is Hot and that it will Look Good. Sometimes that is all that matters!

Ken Russell’s The Devils dir. Ken Russell

Ahead of the rerelease this fall, Cannes moviegoers got the chance to see the uncut version of Ken Russell’s camp sensation The Devils months before the rest of us. I’ve seen The Devils years ago, much of the graphic sexuality and violence forever seared into my brain. The story follows Oliver Reed as the original Hot Priest, who finds himself at the center of a witch trial when all of the sexually repressed nuns in the village start to lose their mind around him. Ken Russell’s version, somehow even more depraved than the one Warner Brothers (lol) released, features a few additional scenes. Namely a “rape of Christ” scene I’ll have to see to believe.

I’m excited to see this in all of its perverted, gory glory in 4k on the biggest screen imaginable. The Devils is a whole lot of movie, and now it’s even more.