Cannes is arguably the film industry’s most prestigious festival.
Founded in 1946, the annual festival has become a landmark showcase for the biggest films over the coming year – ranging from starry blockbusters to potential award season darlings.
The biggest prize is the Palme d’Or, which was originally introduced in 1955. Past winners have included Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, and Jane Campion’s The Piano.
If you’re looking for the movies making a splash at this year’s festival, you can check out the biggest names and those running for the main prize below.
Jeanne du Barry
Opening this year’s festival is Jeanne du Barry, written, directed and produced by Maiwenn (Polisse). Its inclusion by the festival has sparked some controversy due to Johnny Depp, who plays King Louis XV in his first feature performance since winning his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and currently sits at 52 per cent on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
One of the biggest films to play outside of the competition is the fifth instalment in the Indiana Jones franchise, starring Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. While the film hasn’t been warmly received by everyone, NME gave it four stars, describing it as a “lively, enthralling tale with some particularly emotive scenes in the final act.”
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese’s western crime drama brings together his frequent collaborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, to tell the true story of the Oklahoma murders in the Osage Nation in the 1920s. After it premiered on May 20, reviews have described it as a “masterpiece” and an “instant American classic”.
Asteroid City
Wes Anderson is competing for the main prize with this sci-fi romantic comedy set at a Junior Stargazer convention in 1955. Like most of his past works, it boasts an absurd ensemble cast, including regulars Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray and Edward Norton alongside Margot Robbie and Tom Hanks. The film premieres at the festival on May 23.
May December
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore lead this romantic drama from director Todd Haynes, whose past work includes Oscar contenders Far From Heaven and Carol. The film has been widely praised by critics, with the film earning a 92 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Zone Of Interest
Ten years after his last film Under The Skin, director Jonathan Glazer returns with a British-Polish period drama about a Nazi officer’s family life next to Auschwitz. The film, loosely based on late author Martin Amis’ novel, has garnered universal acclaim and is one of the frontrunners for the main prize.
The Old Oak
Ken Loach’s final ever film will also compete for the main prize, which will premiere at the festival on May 26. The film, set in County Durham, follows a struggling pub landlord who strikes up a friendship with a Syrian refugee placed in the town.
Monster
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won the Palme d’Or in 2018 for Shoplifters, returns for another crack at the main prize with Monster. The film, scored by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, follows a mother who confronts a teacher after noticing changes in her son’s behaviour. A four-star Guardian review described it as having “a great moral intelligence and humanity”.
What films are competing for the 2023 Palme d’Or prize?
You can check out a list of the 21 films competing for the main prize below.
- Anatomy Of A Fall – Justine Triet
- Asteroid City – Wes Anderson
- Banel & Adama – Ramata-Toulaye Sy
- Black Flies – Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
- Club Zero – Jessica Hausner
- Firebrand – Karim Ainouz
- A Brighter Tomorrow – Nanni Moretti
- Monster – Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Fallen Leaves – Aki Kaurismaki
- About Dry Grasses – Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Last Summer – Catherine Breillat
- La Chimera – Alice Rohrwacher
- The Pot-Au-Feu – Tran Anh Hung
- Homecoming – Catherine Corsini
- Four Daughters – Kaouther Ben Hania
- May December – Todd Haynes
- Perfect Days – Wim Wenders
- Youth (Spring) – Wang Bing
- Kidnapped – Marco Bellocchio
- The Old Oak – Ken Loach
- The Zone Of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
The Cannes Film Festival concludes on May 27, 2023.