The 2026 Cannes Film Festival was a little quieter than previous editions, to be sure—there was a dearth of Hollywood blockbusters, some more middling work from respected auteurs, and a few genuine head-scratchers. But, among the 24 movies I managed to catch over my week on the Croisette (which included 15 of the 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or), there were five I haven’t been able to stop thinking about: edge-of-your-seat thrillers, raucous comedies, and a heartening coming-of-age epic. These are the releases you need to look out for in the coming months.
Fjord
Photo: Cannes Film Festival
The only film on this year’s Cannes lineup that delivered a true knockout gut punch, for me at least, was previous Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu’s ice-cold thriller following a couple—the Romanian Mihai Gheorghiu (a fully transformed Sebastian Stan) and his Norwegian wife, Lisbet (the always excellent Renate Reinsve)—who relocate to the remote fjords of the latter’s homeland with their five children. As temperatures drop and the snow piles up, what seemed to be a pastoral idyll becomes something far more sinister: the community that initially embraced this new family grows wary of their devout Christianity. When their eldest daughter, Elia (Vanessa Ceban), arrives at school with strange bruises, assumptions are made that swiftly tear all five youngsters from their parents, courtesy of Norway’s strict child protection laws.
In the fight to regain custody, there are no obvious heroes and villains—Mungiu provides a clear-eyed assessment of the tormented Gheorghius, particularly the bristling Mihai, whose firm-handed, disciplinarian approach to his kids is unlikely to change. Meanwhile, those implementing these bureaucratic processes could seem heartless, but they’re also just people trying to do their jobs in a nation where adults can sue the state for not adequately looking out for them as children. This is a movie packed with extraordinary shots, quietly heartbreaking performances, and much to grapple with when it comes to our contemporary view of immigration, child-rearing, progressive values, and the negotiation of cultural differences. It’s a forensic, complex slow burn, perhaps to a fault, but its staying power is unrivaled. Mungiu, who took the festival’s top prize back in 2007 for the Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, could receive yet more awards glory this time around.
