The 2024 Cannes Film Festival has commenced, featuring Quentin Dupieux’s “The Second Act,” starring Léa Seydoux and Louis Garrel, as the opening-night film. This year’s lineup boasts several high-profile Hollywood premieres including “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” with Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga,” Francis Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” featuring Emma Stone, Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” and Andrea Arnold’s “Bird.”
The festival also showcases new works from renowned filmmakers such as David Cronenberg, Jacques Audiard, Ali Abbasi, Jia Zhang-Ke, Christophe Honoré, Paolo Sorrentino, Gilles Lellouche, Mohammad Rasoulof, Michel Hazanavicius, Guy Maddin, Noémie Merlant, and Oliver Stone.
Below are Deadline’s reviews of the films presented at the festival, which runs from May 14-25. Click on the titles to read the full reviews, and keep checking back as we update the list.
Competition Section Highlights
“Anora”
- Director: Sean Baker
- Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan
- Review: Sean Baker delivers his broadest comedy yet with “Anora,” which might stir controversy due to its nudity but intrigues with its heartbreaking ending that addresses potential exploitation allegations.
“The Apprentice”
- Director: Ali Abbasi
- Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Charlie Carrick, Mark Rendall
- Review: This film humanizes Donald Trump, portraying his early years as a struggle for his father’s approval. It’s a nuanced take that avoids being a hit job, raising questions about its reception and timing with the upcoming election.
“Bird”
- Director: Andrea Arnold
- Cast: Nykiya Adams, Barry Keoghan, Jason Buda, Jasmin Jobson, James Nelson Noyce, Frankie Box, Franz Rogowski
- Review: Andrea Arnold blends reality and fantastical elements in “Bird,” leaving the audience to decide what’s real. The film emphasizes the resilience of its young protagonist, Bailey.
Un Certain Regard
“Armand”
- Director: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
- Cast: Renate Reinsve, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, Endre Hellesveit, Øystein Røger, Vera Veljovic
- Review: “Armand” straddles intense character drama and dark comedy, but ultimately doesn’t delve deep into the human psyche.
“My Sunshine”
- Director: Hiroshi Okuyama
- Cast: Sosuke Ikematsu, Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi
- Review: This film avoids melodrama, instead presenting a quietly joyous depiction of youth and their growing pains, likened to a mood piece.
Midnight Screenings
“The Balconette” (Les Femmes au Balcon)
- Director: Noémie Merlant
- Cast: Noémie Merlant, Sanda Codreanu, Souheila Yacoub
- Review: While inspired by Pedro Almodóvar’s style, “The Balconette” lacks the intensity of heat and other elements, resulting in a genre-mixing but incomplete narrative.
“The Surfer”
- Director: Lorcan Finnegan
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Miranda Tapsell, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak, Rahel Romahn, Finn Little, Charlotte Maggi
- Review: Featuring Nicolas Cage as a surfer, this film demonstrates economic filmmaking with a single location and creative use of extras and stock footage.
Cannes Classics
“Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes”
- Director: Nanette Burstein
- Cast: Elizabeth Taylor
- Review: The documentary explores intimate moments from Taylor’s life, providing a satisfying and personal journey through her career.
“Faye”
- Director: Laurent Bouzereau
- Cast: Faye Dunaway
- Review: This documentary renews appreciation for Faye Dunaway, making a strong case for a retrospective of her career.
Special Screenings
“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found”
- Director: Raoul Peck
- Narrator: Lakeith Stanfield
- Review: This tribute to South African photographer Ernest Cole highlights his life, work, and the personal costs of documenting injustice.
“Lula”
- Directors: Oliver Stone, Rob Wilson
- Review: Oliver Stone’s documentary on Lula da Silva is a well-crafted narrative that raises important questions about democracy and security services.
Out of Competition
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
- Director: George Miller
- Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Lachy Hulme, Matuse, Goran Kleut, Charlee Fraser
- Review: George Miller delivers an epic origin story with “Furiosa,” showcasing an impressive evolution of the Mad Max saga.
“Horizon: An American Saga”
- Director: Kevin Costner
- Cast: Kevin Costner, Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone, Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Michael Rooker, Will Patton, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Wase Winyan Chief, Jamie Campbell Bower, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jon Beavers
- Review: Kevin Costner’s ambitious project aims to revitalize the Western genre, starting with an impressive first chapter.
Stay tuned for more updates and reviews as the festival progresses.
