Cannes 2026: The Most Talked About Films
Cannes Film Festival kicks off May 12. Here are our picks for our most anticipated buzz-worthy titles.
The Cannes Film Festival is kicking off this week, and although it will be short on studio star power (most studios and many boutique distributors opted to skip this year), it is in no way going to be short of cinema. Many are eagerly anticipating a new crop of films and their raucous, or sometimes rude, reception in Cannes. Park Chan Wook will serve as this year’s jury president, and it’s a fitting reward considering the tragic way he was snubbed last season for his absolutely immaculate film, No Other Choice. We will, of course, be on site covering yet again.
Be sure to check back here for our daily recaps as part of our Cannes Festival Diary, as well as our red carpet coverage, critics’ scorecard, and a post-festival wrap.
Are you buzzing about a film we missed? Let us know in the comments.
ASHES
Director: Diego Luna
Cast: Anna Diaz, Adriana Paz, Teresa Lozano
Official Synopsis: Lucila leaves Mexico with her younger brother to reunite with their mother in Madrid, who had left a few years earlier in search of a better future. When they finally arrive, the bitter, suffocating reality that awaits them proves far harsher than Lucila had imagined. Still, she is determined to make the most of this fragile new life.
Why We Want to See It: We spoke with Luna about his work on Kiss of the Spider Woman and Andor, and he mentioned this feature, which has intrigued us ever since. Luna is actually no stranger to work behind the camera, but this politically-charged subject matter has us leaning in even more. As both a director and an actor, Luna has been marked by his soulful presence and the charismatic way he frames his actors. Applying those talents to this subject matter is futile ground to reap a compelling cinematic story.
PAPER TIGER
Director: James Gray
Cast: Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson
Official Synopsis: New York, Queens, 1986. Two brothers, complete opposites, join forces for a shady deal involving the Russian mafia. But what was supposed to be an opportunity turns into a nightmare, jeopardizing their family, their integrity, and their brotherly bond.
Why We Want to See It: After the disappointing reception of this last trip to the Croisette, Armageddon Time, the logline alone has us thinking that time will be different. A grab-you-instantly plot of bad decisions made worse, Paper Tiger puts Gray back in his crime-drama roots. Harkening back to his gritty family crime films like Little Odessa and We Own the Night, we would be interested in that alone, but we also have Adam Driver and Scarlet Johansson acting in the same film again. In case you forgot, it worked out pretty well the last time it happened (Marriage Story).
ALL OF A SUDDEN
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Cast: Virginie Efira, Tao Okamoto
Official Logline: Two scholars exchange letters about chance and risk. As the philosopher falls ill, their academic correspondence evolves into intimate discussions about mortality, and a deeper connection forms between them.
Why We Want to See It: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi was the Oscar hopeful that could be when he took his quiet three-hour-plus Japanese feature, Drive My Car, to a Best Picture nomination despite few precursor Best Picture nominations. It demonstrated his skill in two-handed narratives. Seeing him employ the same type of storytelling with two absolutely amazing actresses has us bouncing with anticipation.
COLONY
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook
Official Logline: In a skyscraper in central Seoul, a mysterious infection suddenly spreads. The building is sealed off, and everyone inside is confined. At first, the infected crawl like animals. But little by little, they evolve…
Why We Want to See It: The man who brought us a masterpiece when a strange infection takes over a train (Train to Busan) comes with a story that looks just as compelling, set in a skyscraper. Did we need to explain past that? Adding that we are also getting gifted a Train to Busan re-release, this summer feels like we are bathing in zombie riches. The beauty of Train to Busan was not just the graphic zombie violence (though that was sick), family was at its center, and we hope this new assumed zombie horror can recreate that dynamic. We will be seated to see if that lightning-in-a-bottle can strike twice.
FATHERLAND
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Cast: Hanns Zischler, Sandra Hüller, August Diehl
Official Synopsis: In 1949, Thomas Mann, Nobel laureate in literature, returned to Germany for the first time since the end of the war, accompanied by his daughter Erika, an actress, writer, and rally driver. Behind the wheel of a black Buick, they embarked on a harrowing journey through a country they had fled 16 years earlier when the Nazi party seized power. From Frankfurt, under American occupation, to Weimar, controlled by the Soviets, father and daughter traversed a Germany in ruins, divided in two by the Cold War.
Why We Want to See It: Pawel Pawlikowski has famously said that the perfect length of film is 85 minutes, and throughout his career, he has proven that you can span decades and the vast swath of human emotion with such judicious filmmaking. Continuing on, he is also adding the talent of Sandra Huller in yet another Cold War drama — what else do you need to recommend a film?
FJORD
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve
Official Logline: The Gheorghiu family, a devout Romanian-Norwegian couple, settle in a village at the end of a fjord where they quickly become friends with their neighbors, the Halbergs. The children of the two families become very close, despite their different upbringings. When the school staff discovers bruises on the body of Elia, the eldest of the Gheorghiu children, the community wonders if the traditional education the Gheorghiu children receive from their parents could be the cause.
Why We Want to See It: If we say it more than Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, we might be accused of lying. Cristian Mungiu is a brilliant director, but we were simply OBSESSED with the two in A Different Man, and if this is even half as dark or as captivating, it will be more than standing ovation-worthy.
TITANIC OCEAN
Director: Konstantina Kotzamani
Cast: Arisa Sasaki, Melina Mardini, Haruna Matsui
Official Logline: In the glittering, pop-art world of a Japanese boarding school where teenage girls are trained to become professional mermaids, 17-year-old Akame learns to hold her breath, captivate awestruck crowds, and swim with sharks. Beneath her silicone tail, Akame will discover her mermaid voice, experience first love, and undergo a metamorphosis, as the spectacle gives way to transformation.
Why We Want to See It: In short, this sounds hauntingly bonkers, but it’s our brand of bonkers, so sign us up. And not to compare mermaid movies, but this may give romantasy fans what The Lure gave rock horror musical devotees. The pop art imagery in the coming-of-age tale is just another point to recommend it.
TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA
Director: Jane Schoenberg
Cast: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson
Official Synopsis: After several botched sequels and despite a dwindling fanbase, an enthusiastic young director takes the reins of the Camp Miasma slasher franchise, tasked with reviving it. But when she visits the star of the first film, a mysterious and reclusive actress, the two women are drawn into a bloody world intertwining desire, fear, and hallucinations.
Why We Want to See It: Stars of Hacks and Sex Education, respectively, neither Einbinder nor Anderson is unfamiliar with sex-forward content, but we’re excited to see this one, as it looks to be a meta-analysis of what happens when a film’s director gets too close to her own story. Moreover, director Jane Schoenberg’s previous film, I Saw the TV Glow, was perhaps one of the best underrated movies of the past five years. This is not to say the film did not have praise or accolades, just not nearly enough considering how transcendent it was.
PARALLEL STORIES
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Pierre Niney
Official Synopsis: Seeking inspiration for her new novel, Sylvie spies on her neighbors across the street. When she hires young Adam to help her with her daily life, she doesn’t realize that he will turn her life and work upside down, until the fiction she imagined surpasses everyone’s reality.
Why We Want to See It: Yes, Asghar Farhadi is a genuine filmmaker, but this is the first film by Vincent Cassel and Isabelle Huppert to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. C’est historique! Cassel will also pull double duty, filming the next season of The White Lotus, which is set at Cannes, so here’s to spying that crew on the red carpet filming scenes during the premiere.
SHEEP IN THE BOX
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Cast: Haruka Ayase, Daigo Yamamoto, Rimu Kuwaki
Official Synopsis: In the near future, Otone and her husband Kensuke, who have lost their child, are offered a humanoid robot completely identical to their son.
Why We Want to See It: A humanistic director whose filmography often focuses on unconventional families, Koreeda will be sure to ask poignant questions about artificial intelligence and the power of technology on human emotions. Considering the current conversation around AI, it will be interesting to see how a filmmaker like Koreeda chooses to chronicle and predict the next phase of technology and its effects on the human condition.
