Best of Cannes 2026: 20 Critics’ Picks From This Year’s Festival

May 22, 2026 11:15am PT Best of Cannes 2026: 20 Critics’ Picks From This Year’s Festival

By Guy Lodge

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Guy Lodge

Film Critic

@guylodge

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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 Agent,” was more uneven this time round.

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