The 11 Best Movies We Saw at Cannes This Year

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Over a period of 12 days, you can’t help but spot commonalities when watching various films. This year’s Cannes Film Festival exhibited both coincidental and symbolic similarities. For instance, there were numerous instances of women expressing anger through masturbation, children bullying their peers, or homes serving as a gateway into family history. However, other patterns seemed to signify the current zeitgeist – consider the characters who amplified music to block out the turmoil in their surroundings. The backdrop of past and impending disasters hung over this year’s event, mirroring a growing sense of global instability. Characters grappled with this chaos in various ways: resistance, denial, or breakdowns. Films like “Sirât” and “Yes” featured characters trying to escape their emotions through dance, while in “Eddington” and “Die, My Love“, giving into despair seemed the only rational response. These common themes culminated in an exceptional edition of the French festival, boosted by provocative pieces from artists unafraid to tackle the challenges of living during tumultuous times.

Alpha

In a surprising turn of events at the film festival, Julia Ducournau’s latest production sparked intense debates among critics, with some giving it a thumbs down and others showering it with compliments. Personally, I found myself among those who admired it. To me, Ducournau seems to be infallible when it comes to filmmaking. Her Palme d’Or winner, Titane, left a lasting impression on me a few years ago, and this movie, titled “Titane,” once again touched my heart deeply.

Set in an unnamed city during the 1990s, the story revolves around Alpha, a 13-year-old girl portrayed by Mélissa Boros, her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), and her troubled uncle Amin (Tahar Rahim) who moves in with them while battling heroin addiction. Alpha is grappling with the trauma of a potential deadly virus she might have contracted through a stick-and-poke tattoo, and her relationship with Amin develops into a dreamlike, almost symbiotic bond as they wait for her test results. The film is breathtakingly beautiful, thought-provoking, and emotionally grueling, and it showcases less of the body horror that characterized Ducournau’s previous works. —Rachel Handler

Die, My Love

Experiencing a Lynne Ramsay film is unlike any other sensation – it’s as if someone has delivered an unexpected yet pleasant blow to your solar plexus. This particular movie isn’t quite as intense as her previous works, but it still offers a dreamlike and disjointed experience, with minimal dialogue, a scarcely linear plotline, and an abundance of unsettling atmospheres. Jennifer Lawrence delivers an outstanding performance as a new mother losing grip on reality in the woods, while Robert Pattinson skillfully portrays her bewildered spouse. Sissy Spacek delivers a mesmerizing turn as Lawrence’s mother-in-law, who appears to both comprehend and fear her simultaneously. RH

The Little Sister

In a poignant and touching film, former French actress-turned-director Hafsia Herzi explores the life of a young Muslim woman grappling with her queer identity in a society that would reject her if they knew. The newcomer Nadia Melliti delivers an exceptional performance as Fatima, a high school student discovering her attraction towards girls. Initially portraying a tough exterior, Fatima is filled with unspoken longing and pain. As the story unfolds, she softens, experiencing love for the first time, heartache, the essence of freedom, and the act of forgiveness. This is Melliti’s debut acting role, and her captivating performance earned her the Best Actress award at Cannes. —RH

The Mastermind

In my perspective as a film critic, Kelly Reichardt’s latest work is not your typical heist flick; it delves into subtler, deeper themes instead. Joshua O’Connor delivers an outstanding performance as a disenchanted ’70s suburban dad, navigating the complexities of marriage with Alana Haim and parenting two overly talkative boys. The backdrop of the Vietnam War and its protests adds a layer of tension to their world.

In a desperate bid to alleviate financial woes, my character decides to pilfer some paintings from a local museum. Initially, the plan seems to work, but soon, the entire operation begins to crumble, slowly at first, then catastrophically. The film is interspersed with moments of quiet humor, but its overall tone is somber and contemplative. It appears that contemporary politics are on Reichardt’s mind as it explores America’s past and present.

At the film’s premiere, a visibly emotional Reichardt made an impassioned plea to the global community regarding the United States: “Please, do not abandon hope for us.” —RH

The Plague

In contrast to the grandeur of “Alpha,” this year’s alternative film about a child ostracized by peers due to suspicion of a contagion is smaller in scope but intense in its portrayal of a group member transforming into the outcast. The setting is a summer camp for children on the brink of adolescence, and Charlie Polinger’s first feature film revolves around sensitive, awkward Ben (Everett Blunck), whose social standing is threatened when he shows kindness to the labeled outcast. Named “The Plague,” this movie excellently casts its characters, from the smug leadership of Jake (Kayo Martin) to the unique Eli (Kenny Rasmussen). However, what sets it apart from a simple portrayal of childhood cruelty is Polinger’s cinematography, which captures the camp as an adolescent nightmare, with surreal underwater shots hinting at the subconscious of the place. Swimmers appear to float effortlessly in midair, limbs flailing to keep their heads above water, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that reflects the turmoil within the characters. – Alison Willmore

Sentimental Value

Joachim Trier and his writing partner Eskil Vogt demonstrate an uncanny insight into women’s inner worlds, which has been recognized by the festival with the Grand Prix award. In his latest film, featuring actress Renate Reinsve, Trier once again crafts a remarkable exploration of the intricacies of feminine existence, encompassing themes of family, bonding, suffering, and artistry. The movie is primarily set in a spacious family home on a tree-lined road, exuding a captivating blend of sunlight, nostalgia, and aesthetic appeal. Notable performances are delivered by Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård as her emotionally detached father, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as her loving and protective sister. The film moved me to tears for nearly the entire duration. – RH reviewer

OR

In their latest collaboration, Joachim Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt exhibit an almost eerie understanding of women’s inner lives, a fact acknowledged by the festival with the Grand Prix award. Actress Renate Reinsve stars in this film, which is Trier’s second feature, where he delves deep into the intricacies of female experiences, exploring themes such as family, connection, pain, and artistry. The story unfolds primarily within a grand familial house on a tree-lined street, creating a visually stunning and nostalgic atmosphere. Remarkable performances are delivered by Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård as her distant father, and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as her protective sister. The film left me in tears for more than half its runtime. – RH reviewer

The Secret Agent

In a departure from the expected plot, when Wagner Moura, the Best Actor winner, exits a yellow Volkswagen Beetle in the opening scene of “The Secret Agent,” looking disheveled and road-worn, with a hint of chest hair peeking through his vintage polo, I was momentarily taken aback. However, Moura’s character Marcelo isn’t the specialist the title implies. Instead, the movie, which also earned Kleber Mendonça Filho the Best Director award, is not a conventional thriller but a more subtle exploration of how Brazil’s military dictatorship era bred an oppressive paranoia and danger that permeated all relationships. The film shares thematic connections with Mendonça Filho’s previous work, “Pictures of Ghosts,” an introspective documentary about Recife and his personal memories of childhood in the city. In “The Secret Agent,” the city is portrayed as it was, with its horrors looming just as large as its pleasures. —AW

A Simple Accident

In Jafar Panahi’s recent Palme d’Or-winning film, A Simple Accident, he himself doesn’t appear on screen, but his personal struggles following imprisonment are palpable throughout the movie, which presents a grim and darkly comic narrative. A fortuitous meeting at a garage sets off Vahid (played by Vahid Mobasseri) to rashly abduct a customer. Believing this man to be his tormentor during imprisonment, whom he never saw face-to-face, Vahid’s uncertainty leads him on a quest for validation from multiple sources. Eventually, he finds himself driving around with his captive, along with a group of other survivors at various stages of coping with their rage and trauma. A Simple Accident is a film brimming with anger, but it also poignantly grapples with the complexities of pursuing closure and reconciling ideals with the harsh realities of seeking revenge. —AW

Sirât

In Oliver Laxe’s drama, ominous signs of trouble are present from the outset, gradually escalating into distressing events for the characters. The film commences at an outdoor rave in Morocco where revelers dance to music blasting from speakers, but the festivities are abruptly ended by soldiers who announce a national emergency and demand the evacuation of EU residents. Scattered news reports hint at the onset of World War III. However, the central character, a straight-laced Spaniard named Luis (played by Sergi López), is preoccupied with more pressing matters – he’s been trying to find his missing daughter for months and has brought his young son along to aid in the search. When they spontaneously follow a group of partygoers into the desert for another rave, Sirât transforms into a nihilistic survival tale that explores various methods people use to cope with an increasingly catastrophic situation, such as resorting to drugs and partying, or stubbornly holding onto the belief that one can personally safeguard their family despite the escalating chaos. —AW

Sound of Falling

Across four generations, a succession of women residing in the same farmhouse lead lives that mirror each other to some extent in Mascha Schilinski’s second directorial effort. They yearn for self-destruction, grapple with intense desires, venture into ominous waters, explore their bodily capabilities, evade abusive partners, and support one another. The narrative unfolds like a dream, both captivating and poetic, resembling a lengthy, profound piece of verse. Alison Wilmore concurred, labeling it as a potential “best film at Cannes” right off the bat, and it shared the Jury Prize.

Splitsville

In simpler terms, Michael Covino and Kyle Marvin’s second film, Splitsville, was released during the challenging period of COVID-19, which is why it feels like a more polished, broader retake of their first movie, The Climb. The fact that it doesn’t detract from its appeal is not a problem. In this film, Kyle Marvin portrays Carey, a character whose marriage to life coach Ashley (Adria Arjona) is on the brink of collapse. When Carey learns about his best friend Paul (Michael Covino) and wife Julie’s (Dakota Johnson) open marriage, he decides to give it a try, even though none of the characters are emotionally ready for non-monogamy. What makes Covino and Marvin’s collaborations enjoyable isn’t just their clever writing, but also their ambitious staging and visualization of comedies, using long takes and space effectively, resulting in moments of brilliant slapstick comedy, such as a fight in a Hamptons house that creatively exploits the destructive potential of modernist design. AW

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2025-05-28 03:55