Best of Cannes 2026: 20 Critics’ Picks From This Year’s Festival
The Cannes Film Festival 2026 showcased a quieter atmosphere with fewer major American films. Despite this, critics highlighted several standout films from both established directors and new voices. The festival featured a diverse range of stories, including a Nepalese trans thriller and a queer animated film, demonstrating that cinema remains vibrant and innovative.
- ▪The festival director noted a decrease in big-name American titles this year.
- ▪Critics praised the return of renowned filmmakers like Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Pawel Pawlikowski.
- ▪Notable films included a Nepalese trans thriller and a queer animated Alzheimer’s story.
5 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 34 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 3 centre.
- ▪ I Saw 24 Movies at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. These Five Were the Best — Vogue
- ▪ The 20 Best Films of Cannes 2026 — The Hollywood Reporter
- ▪ Critic’s Notebook: The Best Films at Cannes 2026 Challenged Us to Redraw Our Relationship to Reality — IndieWire
- ▪ The three must-see movies from the Cannes Film Festival — The Globe and Mail
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| Canonical URL | https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/best-of-cannes-2026-20-critics-picks-from-the-cannes-film-festival-1236757147/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 18:15:03 +0000 |
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Home Film Festivals May 22, 2026 11:15am PT Best of Cannes 2026: 20 Critics’ Picks From This Year’s Festival By Guy Lodge, Owen Gleiberman, Jessica Kiang Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival The general consensus along the Croisette at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was that it felt like a quieter fest than usual: fewer big-name American titles, as festival director Thierry Frémaux himself admitted in his opening-day press conference, and slightly lower-key star wattage. From a critic’s perspective, however, that doesn’t necessarily make for a bad festival, particularly for those willing to dig into the sidebars away from the Competition — which, following last year’s vintage edition that included “It Was Just an Accident,” “Sirāt,” “Sentimental Value,” “The Mastermind” and “The Secret…
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