As the Cannes Film Festival 2024 starts to wrap up, it’s worth taking a look at the most exciting movies coming out of the event. The Cannes Film Festival occurs annually and is held in Cannes, France. The event highlights titles that are expected to become some of the best movies of all time. For the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Barbie and Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig will serve as jury president for the main competition in 2024.

The yearly festival is one of the most anticipated celebrations of cinema in the world. Cannes not only premieres several incredible new movies that are releasing throughout 2024 and beyond, but it also awards the very best titles with various accolades. While the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes is yet to be announced, there are several other awards up for grabs, such as the Caméra d’Or or the Queer Palm. Every year, only a select number of titles are picked to take part at Cannes, but they are always guaranteed to be thought-provoking and anticipated.

10

The Apprentice

Directed By Ali Abbasi

The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, focuses on the career of one of the world’s most controversial figures in the 1970s and ‘80s. The film is generating a significant buzz at Cannes because of its provocative topic, but its cast is receiving a tremendous amount of praise for their respective stellar performances. The Apprentice is up for selection as winner of the Palme d’Or. The film has a good chance of receiving the award, especially because its director, Ali Abbasi, won in 2022 with Holy Spider.

Despite the movie highlighting the life and work of such a vexed public personality, the Trump team is far from happy with The Apprentice. Certain scenes that are taken from real-life legal documents from Trump’s divorce from Ivana have upset the business mogul. At The Apprentice’s premiere, Ali Abbasi acknowledges that “there is no nice metaphorical way to deal with the rising wave of fascism.” Although The Apprentice is sending waves through Cannes, it’s clearly a movie worth watching out for.

9

Bird

Directed By Andrea Arnold

Three-time Jury Prize winner Andrea Arnold returns to Cannes with Bird. The film features Nykiya Adams as 12-year-old Bailey and her father Bug, who Saltburn star Barry Keoghan portrays. In an exciting blend of magical realism and true grittiness, Bailey meets the enigmatic character simply referred to as Bird (Franz Rogowski). Critics have praised the bizarre yet beautiful coming-of-age story for its emotional depth and for delving into the realities of working-class lives in the UK.

Bird is amazingly nominated for two awards at Cannes 2024 – the Palme d’Or and Queer Palm. In a fascinating story about financial struggles and societal structures, Bird throws Bailey into a near-hallucinogenic world where she struggles to fit in and stands as a beacon of hope and kindness while surrounded by violent gangs and drugs. Through it all, Bird and Bailey spark up a strange friendship that keeps the child grounded.

8

The Invasion

Directed By Sergi Loznitsa

The Invasion is a documentary that incredibly reflects current society. Ukrainian filmmaker Sergi Loznitsa documents his country’s war-torn reality of bombings and constant combat. The Invasion is intricately observant and throws audiences into the depths of the war in Ukraine while jumping back and forth to those still pushing through and attempting to have a life of some normality. The film is profoundly emotional and chilling, drastically pulling forward and highlighting the horrendous disasters.

The Invasion isn’t Loznitsa’s first project about Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. The director is also responsible for the 2014 piece Maidan and 2018’s Donbass. The Invasion particularly focuses on the recent political campaign in Russia and its effect on Ukraine. The film is gritty and contemplative, translating the heartwrenching and realistic grief the Ukrainian people face on a daily basis and leaving a heavy, lasting impact on audiences.

7

Furiosa

Directed By George Miller

Furiosa, the fifth installment in the Max Max franchise, serves as both a prequel and spinoff to the 2015 title Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the young Furiosa, building brilliantly upon Charlize Theron’s interpretation of the character. Director George Miller is receiving notable praise for Furiosa’s intense and action-packed sequences in the apocalyptic backdrop, which makes the titular character’s development and backstory even more impactful.

Furiosa fits in brilliantly within the Mad Max movies and also works as a stand-alone film. The spirited and narrative-heavy Furiosa also sees Chris Hemsworth as the warlord Dementus, and the on-screen chemistry between him and Taylor-Joy adds a tense layer to an already intriguing story. Although Furiosa isn’t up for any awards at Cannes 2024, it’s still an exciting title to watch and enjoy, and it greatly adds to the lore of the Mad Max films effortlessly.

6

Oh, Canada

Directed By Paul Schrader

Oh, Canada is a movie novel adaptation of Foregone by Russell Banks. It has a massive, star-studded cast that includes Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, and Jacob Elordi. Oh, Canada is directed by Paul Schrader, who is known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and famously wrote the script for 1976’s Taxi Driver. The movie is competing with several other established titles for 2024’s Palme d’Or winner but is a stand-out in its category because of its fascinating use of storytelling.

Oh, Canada uses an unreliable narrator in its protagonist, Leonard Fife, who Gere and Elordi play at different stages of his life. Fife’s tale about his years as a troubled and damaged writer who flees Canada to escape being drafted in the Vietnam War is stunning, and Gere’s performance as Fife at the end of his life is heartbreaking but engaging. Because of his terminal illness, Fife’s memory is failing him, which makes his story of hardship even more interesting.

5

Megalopolis

Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

Director and writer Francis Ford Coppola has long been passionate about Megalopolis, first devising the premise in 1977. Coppola has previously received five Oscars, three of which are for his work on The Godfather, but Megalopolis has surprisingly divided critics. The film delves into the fictional world of New Rome and a utopian architect called Cesar Catilina, portrayed by Adam Driver. Megalopolis covers themes of political corruption and socialism in a world trying to be perfect. However, the film’s over-ambitious qualities are also what is causing the mixed reactions.

Members of Megalopolis’ cast spoke out about Coppola as a director and his devotion to the project, which could be hindering at times. In an interview with The Guardian, several crew members recall Coppola hiding away before large-scale shoots with no plan in mind, then eventually “whip up something that didn’t make sense” (via The Guardian). This behavior makes sense from critics’ responses to Megalopolis, with many finding the narrative disjointed and confusing at times. However, Megalopolis is still in consideration for the 2024 Palme d’Or.

4

My Sunshine

Directed By Hiroshi Okuyama

My Sunshine is a nominee in the Un Certain Regard and Queer Palm sections, the latter dedicated to LGBT-relevant movies. My Sunshine is attracting a lot of attention at Cannes because of its in-depth exploration of two young ice skaters in Japan and how their relationship progresses and changes as they persevere through rigorous and exhausting training. The pair are taught by their gay coach, Arakawa, who The Last Samurai actor Sosuke Ikematsu plays.

In addition to being a story about the strict sport of figure skating, My Sunshine’s plot also confronts Japan’s treatment of topics surrounding masculinity and queerness. Keitatsu Koshiyama’s Takuya struggles with being good at sports and failing to fit in with the other boys at his school, which is beautifully contrasted by Arakawa’s own difficulties with prejudice. My Sunshine’s melancholic but touching tale is unique, with a subtle and profound narrative that takes on queer rights from a new angle.

3

Wild Diamond

Directed By Agathe Riedinger

Agathe Riedinger’s Wild Diamond is eligible for the Caméra d’Or and Palme d’Or in 2024, which is impressive for a directorial debut. Riedinger’s creative decisions behind the camera are being praised in particular, especially her fascinating way of highlighting the harsh realities of social media and reality TV shows. Wild Diamond follows Malou Khebizi as Liane, a 19-year-old who is obsessed with her looks and dreams of achieving worldwide fame, which leads to her applying for the TV show “Miracle Island.”

In a world that prioritizes physical appearance and online attention more than ever, Wild Diamond is a reflection of the real world. However, critics’ responses to the film are mixed. While Liane’s moments of empathy and strength are appreciated, some find the objection about societal structures and self-image too harsh and disrespectful of those who dream of being reality stars. Regardless, Wild Diamond is a title worth following, especially as it is due for theatrical release in October 2024.

2

The Girl With The Needle

Directed By Magnus von Horn

The Girl With the Needle is a crime drama movie directed by Magnus von Horn. It is roughly inspired by the true story of a Danish serial murderer. The horrific story follows a fictional Dagmar Overbye, portrayed by Trime Dyrholm, who runs an illegal “adoption” agency fronting as a candy store. Dagmar then hires a young pregnant woman named Karoline, played by Vic Carmen Sonne, and she finds herself being preyed upon by her new boss in a petrifying and spine-chilling situation.

The Girl With the Needle is praised for its outstanding black-and-white cinematography, which adds to the film’s nerve-wracking atmosphere. The eerieness and panicky tone throughout feel close to a horror movie and are comparable to a noir-esque Handmaid’s Tale at points. Set in the backdrop of wartorn Denmark, The Girl With the Needle is indicated to receive universal acclaim for being beautifully somber and poetic yet disturbing.

1

Kinds Of Kindness

Directed By Yorgos Lanthimos

The absurdist dark comedy film Kinds of Kindness stars some huge Hollywood names, such as Academy Award winner Emma Stone and Breaking Bad alumnus Jesse Plemons, in a range of different roles. The film’s anthological format tells three individual stories: “The Death of R.M.F.,” “R.M.F. is Flying,” and “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,“ all of which are loosely connected. Each section covers themes of control and humanity as an overarching story about manipulation and the supernatural slowly progresses.

Kinds of Kindness’ compelling visuals are especially notable, contributing to an atmospheric tone and fascinating performances from its cast. Stone and Plemons are receiving specific applause for their versatility across the three stories, and their character development throughout each installment is powerfully impactful. Director Yorgos Lanthimos is no stranger to showing off his experimental work at Cannes. However, Kinds of Kindness is possibly his most unusual piece, especially in comparison to one of his best creations, The Favorite.