The Cannes Film Festival wraps up today after two weeks of marathon screenings, black-tie gala premieres and beach parties. The bejeweled event on the French Riviera has become a crucial stop for filmmakers and movie stars to elevate a film’s credibility and bolster its appeal ahead of awards season.
There was no splashy Hollywood premiere like last year’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” and there were only two American films in the prestigious main competition.
Those included director James Gray’s crime drama “Paper Tiger,” starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, and “The Man I Love,” starring Rami Malek as an artist dying of AIDS.
Instead of the large-studio presence, this year’s festival offered an intriguing mix of provocative films from around the globe, featuring hot button issues, occasional movie stars and artistic flourishes.
Here are some of the buzziest movies to look out for that debuted at Cannes this year, including a surprising remake from Russia and an out-of-this-world South Korean thriller about aliens invading a small town.
The Critical Darling: “Minotaur”
The icy, darkly funny drama from Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev was nearly universally praised by critics at the festival. It’s based on Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film “The Unfaithful Wife,” which was subsequently adapted into the Diane Lane erotic thriller “Unfaithful.” “Minotaur” takes the same basic plot—a man discovers his wife is cheating—and sets it against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There’s all of the sexy intrigue of the source material along with a searing, satirical look at how the elite save themselves at the expense of others.
Mubi will release “Minotaur” in theaters this year.
The Breakout: “Club Kid”
Jordan Firstman became a social-media star during the pandemic before leaping to HBO last fall with a role on “I Love LA.” In his directorial debut, “Club Kid,” he stars as a gay party promoter who learns he has a son around 10 years after a sexual encounter he doesn’t remember—indeed, he doesn’t remember ever having sex with any woman. The movie won raves for its detailed portrait of New York nightlife, as well as its tender narrative that has drawn comparisons to “Big Daddy” and “Kramer vs. Kramer.”
A24 will release “Club Kid” this fall in theaters.
The Oscar Player: “Paper Tiger”
In a Cannes year with very little Hollywood sparkle, a lot was riding on director James Gray’s “Paper Tiger.” Scarlett Johansson’s performance in the emotional crime drama sparked some of the first major Oscar chatter, though the actress was absent from the red carpet. She plays Hester Pearl, the wife of Irwin (Miles Teller), who, looking to make extra cash, teams up with his entrancing ex-cop brother, Gary (Adam Driver), for what he thinks is just a consulting business. Instead, it lands the family in the crosshairs of the Russian mob in 1986 New York. It makes for a terrifying portrait of a family falling apart.
Neon will release “Paper Tiger” this fall in theaters .
The Wildest Ride: “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma”
The title is a mouthful, but, to be fair, a lot is stuffed into director Jane Schoenbrun’s much-acclaimed slasher riff. Hannah Einbinder of “Hacks” stars as Kris, an indie-film director tasked to reboot a flailing horror franchise in the vein of “Friday the 13th.” She sets up a meeting with the aging actress Billy (a purring Gillian Anderson), who has disappeared from public life, at her remote abode. What could go wrong? Or right? Yes, there’s a lot of blood, as well as a meta-commentary on the state of Hollywood reboot culture, but there’s nothing glib here.
Mubi will release “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” Aug. 7 in theaters.
The Hot Topic: “Hope”
Did you love “Hope,” the gonzo South Korean movie, or did you hate it? That was the question on everyone’s lips on the Croisette. “Hope” is the saga of a small Korean town beset by aliens. It’s an onslaught of relentless, sometimes spectacular, action with puerile jokes and CGI that even its defenders tend to agree is pretty bad. The real-life married couple Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender play two of the monsters, their recognizable faces imposed onto goofy-looking bodies. “Hope” is exhausting and ridiculous, but the kind of thing you have to see to believe.
Neon will release “Hope” in theaters this fall.
The Transformation: “Fjord”
Two years ago, Marvel superhero Sebastian Stan came to Cannes having transformed into Donald Trump for “ The Apprentice ,” a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination. He pulled off a vanishing act once again this year in Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord.” Sporting a prominent bald spot and often speaking in his native Romanian, Stan is soft spoken but brimming with an unpredictable temper as Mihai Gheorghiu, a Christian father who finds himself at odds with the progressive politics of his new Norwegian home. When he and his wife, Lisbet (Renate Reinsve), are accused of abusing their children, the film becomes an exploration of how liberal good intentions can have harmful outcomes.
Neon will release “Fjord” at a date to be announced in theaters.
Write to Esther Zuckerman at esther.zuckerman@wsj.com
