Monica Bellucci returns to Cannes for dark thriller 'The Birthday Party'
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Issued on: 22/05/2026 - 20:42
ShareMonica Bellucci brings classic Cannes glamour back to the Croisette tonight as she premieres 'The Birthday Party', the latest Competition film from acclaimed French director Léa Mysius. Set in eerie isolated marshlands, the psychological thriller follows a family whose birthday celebration spirals into chaos as unsettling events begin to unfold. Bellucci plays a mysterious Italian painter living next door, alongside Hafsia Herzi and Bastien Bouillon. Mysius, known for 'Ava and The Five Devils', also co-wrote Jacques Audiard’s 'Emilia Pérez', making this one of the most anticipated late premieres of the festival. Elsewhere at Cannes, British director Clio Barnard impressed critics with 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning', an emotional adaptation of Keiran Goddard’s novel about friendship, class and success starring 'Peaky Blinders' actor Joe Cole.
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