2026 Cannes Film Festival Recap

Owen Wilczek
Jul 7
7 min read

The Cannes Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, and it is the largest and one of the most well-known film festivals in the world. This festival premieres new films of all different genres from around the globe. The 79th Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, the top prize at the festival, was awarded to Cristian Mungiu's Fjord, which is being distributed by NEON and will release later this year. I was fortunate to attend the festival in person for the first time. It was an absolutely incredible experience, truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I watched ten different films that premiered at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which I will be reviewing here! I hope you check out all these films when they release in the future!

Official Competition:

Film #1: The Man I Love

The Man I Love certainly features the best of Rami Malek in this New York queer film by Ira Sachs. Sachs is a skillful filmmaker, and this particular story strikes the right balance between joy and sadness. This film has so much life and joy, but also so much deep emotion. Never has Malek impressed me to date with such a wide range of emotions on display. It’s a vulnerable performance and one that I can’t see any other actor quite mastering the way Malek does. Some of the supporting cast is slightly underwritten, and there are several parts that didn’t move me personally. However, this career-best performance from Malek, far exceeding his Bohemian Rhapsody performance, and the emotional complexity that Sachs brings certainly are enough to praise, even if it didn’t fully work for me.

Review: 3.5/5 Stars

The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, International Sales: MK2 Films

Film #2: A Man 0f His Time- Won the Best Screenplay Prize

Emmanuel Marre’s A Man of His Time (Notre Salut) features a tour de force performance from Swann Arlaud, who many know from Anatomy of a Fall. Inspired by the director’s great-grandparents the film dives into the history and politics of 1940’s France and the Vichy regime. This film features a documentary-style filmmaking approach, with handheld camera work throughout. I personally have never seen a film shot in this style and it was thoroughly engaging throughout. As a history buff, I found it intriguing to see the ins and outs of pre-World War II France and while the administrative chit chat can get monotonous at times, the performances and cinematography are superb. Swann Arlaud, is certainly becoming a star more and more each day and this is quite an impressive second directorial debut for Emmanuel Marre.

Review: 4/5 Stars

The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, International Sales: Charades

Film #3: Fjord- Won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival

Fjord was definitely one of my most anticipated films of Cannes, and it proved to be my favorite of the festival among the ones I saw. Cristian Mungiu, a Romanian filmmaker, tackles many difficult subjects of morality, religion, and culture in this 2-hour drama. The screenplay is certainly one of the highlights, where every scene feels layered on top of the others and allows the audience to wrestle with these complex situations. Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan shine in these roles and play characters who are emotionally complex and mainly subtle. Mungiu doesn’t give easy answers and allows the audience to chew on all the material to draw their own conclusions long after the credits roll. The cinematography is the technical highlight here; long takes, a Mungiu staple, and a cold color palette really set the mood and tone of the film. It’s a film that is cold at its core, but one that had me thinking the most throughout its runtime and after the credits rolled. A deserved Palme d’Or winner!

Review: 4.5/5 Stars

NEON holds the United States distribution rights, and the film is set to release in U.S. theaters on October 9th, 2026

Film #4: La Bola Negra- Won the Best Director Prize

La Bola Negra is a grand vision from directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. Certainly one of the most ambitious and impressive films I saw at this year’s festival. This queer film, set across three different timelines—1932, 1937, and 2017—weaves together a beautiful and powerful story between the generations. This film has some of the most impressive craftsmanship of the year. The direction, cinematography, and production and costume design are breathtaking. While the film is lengthy, with a runtime of over 2 and 1/2 hours, it never feels like the filmmakers overdo it. The film didn’t impact me as emotionally as it did some people; some people were sobbing coming out of the theater. But the film is ambitious and, at times, a lot to take in, but the way it is crafted and the emotional impact that it brings make it inevitable that it will be one of the finest films of the year.

Review: 4/5 Stars

Netflix holds the United States distribution rights, and the film is set to release in limited U.S. theaters on November 6th, 2026 and debut on Netflix on December 4th, 2026

Film #5: Coward- Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne Won the Best Actor prize

The more time passes since I watched Lukas Dhont’s Coward, the more I like it. This subtle romantic drama World War I film is handled with so much care and is a story about finding moments within the war-torn world they live in. Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne are both phenomenal in the film, they are the heart and soul of this, and their performances definitely warranted their Best Actor win at the end of the festival. The film is also excellently crafted, from the gorgeous cinematography work to immersive sound design. It’s a rather simple film at its core, a little too simple sometimes, but this film’s ability to shine in its subtle and beautiful moments, with two powerhouse performances, affects you well after the credits roll.

Review: 4/5 Stars

Mubi holds the United States distribution rights, and the film is set to release in U.S. theaters on December 25th, 2026

Film #6: Minotaur- Won the Grand Prix, the second place prize at the Cannes Film Festival

Minotaur by director Andrey Zvyagintsev is a bleak and chilling film, but one that is so politically and societally important and relevant. The story of a CEO of a Russian company preparing to fire his employees while, at the same time, discovering that his wife is cheating on him is one that you think could be surface level. However, Zvyagintsev explores morality, power, especially among the 1%, and control, all in the backdrop of contemporary post-Ukraine invasion Russia. The leads Dmitriy Mazurov and Iris Lebedeva both deliver very good performances, but it is the direction and cinematography that stand out the most. Calculated, cold camerawork and sleek direction make this engaging throughout its entire runtime. Lastly, that final shot is perfection and one that will stick with me for a long time.

Review: 4.5/5 Stars

Mubi holds the United States distribution rights, and the film is set to release in U.S. theaters on November 20th, 2026

Film #7: Hope

Hope is the most mind-boggling film that I saw at the Cannes Film Festival. At a 2hr and 40-minute runtime, this film is pure action the whole way through, and while that may be interesting to some people, it wasn’t for me. The first 40 minutes or so, setting up the premise of the film, was actually quite intriguing. But once the monsters arrive, along with some absolutely horrible CGI, everything else fizzles out. It certainly has its moments, and there is some impressive cinematography and production design. However, it is not enough to overcome having no story, very poor CGI and monster design, and an ending that is so bizarre. While this film is certainly going to divide audiences, the fact that it made the Cannes Competition lineup is pretty cool.

Review: 2.5/5 Stars

NEON holds the United States distribution rights, and the film is set to release in U.S. theaters on September 9th, 2026

Film #8: Another Day

Another Day (Garance) is largely carried by a truly excellent performance by Adèle Exarchopoulos. In a film exploring addiction, especially alcoholism, this story feels grounded with its characters and manages to be moving in the end. While the film can be quite repetitive at times and lacks visual flair, the way it depicts this character struggling with alcoholism and the extreme consequences of this addiction is handled with such compassion. Jeanne Herry, the director, tells a story that has been done before, but there is something in the way it is approached that has humanity at its core. Adèle Exarchopoulos really is the heart and soul of the film and does an amazing job portraying this character. While this film can be repetitive and bland at times, its subtle and humanistic approach, coupled with Exarchopoulos's lead performance, makes it a worthwhile film in the end.

Review: 3.5/5 Stars

The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, International Sales: StudioCanal

Film #9: The Unknown

The Unknown features a very unique premise, as it’s a body-swap film at its core. Arthur Harari, co-writer of Anatomy of a Fall, certainly had some interesting ideas and possible themes, such as gender and identity, to explore, but the execution of the film is lacking, at points substantially lacking. Léa Seydoux is quite good in the film, but like most of the characters in the film, there is a lot of silence and staring, which makes the film dull after a while. There are certainly moments within the film that are more engaging than others. However, the film is way too long for its own good, and even with an intriguing concept, it’s tedious and a wasted opportunity in the end.

Review 2.5/5 Stars

NEON holds the United States distribution rights, with the films release date to be determined

Un Certain Regard:

Film #10: Strawberries

Strawberries, a film in this year’s Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard section, centers around the lives of migrant women working on strawberry farms. While this feminist film features many relevant themes and topics, the film also feels like something that has been done before. There are some good performances from the ensemble cast of women in this film, but none are given the depth needed for emotional impact. While there are definitely some good moments, the overall plot and character development are lacking and make for a thin film.

Review: 2.5/5 Stars

The Film is Still Seeking U.S. Distribution, International Sales: Lucky Number

Some Photos from my 2026 Cannes Film Festival Journey: