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By this time next week, Vanity Fair<\/em> chief critic Richard Lawson<\/strong> and Hollywood correspondent David Canfield<\/strong> will be deep into the 2025 Cannes Film Festival\u2014and will have already identified a few favorite titles. For now, though, they can still speculate about which films might pop most at a festival that has become not only the most prestigious on the international cinema circuit, but perhaps the most crucial in introducing each year’s Oscar contenders. (Just ask Anora<\/em>.) Below, the 23 movies that seem most bound for glory\u2014or at least, a lot of discourse.<\/p>\n Beloved Scottish director Lynne Ramsay<\/strong> returns to the Croisette eight years after winning the screenplay prize for You Were Never Really Here<\/em>. This time she’s bringing with her a drama-thriller about postpartum depression called Die, My Love<\/em>. The film will have no trouble attracting attention at the festival\u2014both because Ramsay is revered in the international arthouse world, and because it stars Jennifer Lawrence<\/strong>, Robert Pattinson<\/strong>, Lakeith Stanfield<\/strong>, Nick Nolte<\/strong>, and Sissy Spacek<\/strong>. This will no doubt be one of the hottest tickets this year.<\/p>\n While we love the laid-back Texas stylings of some Richard Linklater<\/strong> films, we also quite like it when he goes Euro, as he did to such memorable effect in his trio of Before<\/em> films. Linklater\u2019s latest honors the tradition that inspired those movies, examining the onset of the French New Wave in the 1960s\u2014particularly the making of the Godard classic Breathless<\/em>. The cast is largely French, though Zoey Deutch<\/strong> does appear as the actress Jean Seberg. (A figure once played in a biopic by Kristen Stewart<\/strong>.) Linklater\u2019s deep affection for the art of film suggests that he\u2019s an ideal craftsman to tell this story; we expect something gentle but insightful about the dawn of creative revolution.<\/p>\n Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier leveled up with his heartbreaking 2021 character study The Worst Person In the World<\/em>, nabbing Oscar nominations for best international feature and, in a big surprise, original screenplay. He\u2019s reuniting with that film\u2019s star, Renate Reinsve<\/strong>\u2014who won best actress at Cannes in 2021\u2014for this new family drama, which also features bigger Hollywood names including Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong> and Elle Fanning.<\/strong> Like Worst Person<\/em>, the film is being distributed by Neon in the U.S.\u2014the company that has backed the last five Palme d\u2019Or winners, including best-picture Oscar winners Parasite<\/em> and Anora<\/em>. If Trier can maintain his momentum on the global cinema scene, watch out.<\/p>\n Wes Anderson<\/strong> loves highlighting the same performers over and over. So the headline out of the Oscar winner\u2019s latest intricately designed, star-studded romp may be that of its three leads, he\u2019s only ever worked with Benicio Del Toro<\/strong> (in The French Dispatch<\/em>). Del Toro plays a wealthy businessman with a long list of enemies who enlists his estranged daughter and Norwegian tutor\u2014played by Anderson newcomers Mia Threapleton<\/strong> and Michael Cera,<\/strong> respectively\u2014to secure his family\u2019s future. Threapleton, whose mother is Kate Winslet,<\/strong> is poised to be the film\u2019s discovery, nailing Anderson\u2019s particular brand of deadpan heartbreak. \u201cI remember this moment where I had Tom Hanks<\/strong> on my left, Bryan Cranston<\/strong> on my right, Riz Ahmed<\/strong> diagonally, Benicio in front of me, Wes at one end, and Michael to the other side,\u201d Threapleton recently told<\/a> Vanity Fair<\/em>. \u201cI just sat there and I put my hands under my legs.\u201d<\/p>\n From first-time writer-director Harry Lighton<\/strong>, this romantic drama stars Harry Mellon<\/strong> and Alexander Skarsg\u00e5rd<\/strong> as two men who enter into a sub-dom relationship. It wouldn\u2019t be a proper Cannes without at least some taboo sex in the lineup, which Pillion<\/em> seems to offer, what with its leather and pup-play. Though we probably shouldn\u2019t expect something luring and exploitative. We\u2019ve heard that Pillion<\/em> takes the arch provocation of last year\u2019s Babygirl<\/em> (also from A24) and turns it into something more sincere, even poignant. Even so, there should be lots of post-premiere chatter about what is and is not seen on screen.<\/p>\n Two men, played by rising stars Paul Mescal and Josh O\u2019Connor, fall in love\u2014and that\u2019s only the start of this sweeping period drama, which opens in the midst of World War I. The movie\u2019s initial romantic encounter reverberates over decades alongside the eclectic folk songs that light up the soundtrack. \u201cWe felt very boyish in each other\u2019s company throughout,\u201d Mescal told Vanity Fair<\/em><\/a> of his dynamic with O\u2019Connor. \u201cI\u2019ve always said this to Josh, but he brings out a childlike version of me. I haven\u2019t felt that kind of degree of boyishness in myself for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Beware the movie-star-directed film that winds up on the Cannes lineup. We\u2019ve learned that lesson the hard way over the years, with films like The Last Face<\/em> and Lost River<\/em>. Yet actor Harris Dickinson<\/strong>\u2019s first feature has us curious anyway. The film stars Frank Dillane<\/strong> (of Harry Potter<\/em> and Fear the Walking Dead<\/em> fame) as a transient young man living in London, which sounds appropriately modest in scale for a debut effort. And Dillane is an intriguing actor, wiry and weird and unpredictable. Maybe Dickinson will buck tradition and deliver something worthwhile.<\/p>\n Maybe Kristen Stewart will too! The actor\u2019s debut feature film as a director is based on a 2011 memoir about a former swimmer experimenting with drugs and exploring BDSM sex. That has the makings of a buzzy Cannes envelope-pusher. It certainly won\u2019t hurt Stewart\u2019s chances that she is beloved by French cineastes\u2014Stewart is one of only two American actors to have won a C\u00e9sar award, France\u2019s equivalent of the Oscar. The Chronology of Water<\/em> could also mean good things for its star, Imogen Poots<\/strong>, though we\u2019re more curious about her co-star Thora Birch<\/strong>\u2014a former teen queen who doesn\u2019t work much these days but is an arresting screen presence whenever she pops up.<\/p>\n But wait, a third! Early word is positive on Scarlett Johansson<\/strong>\u2019s feature directorial debut, which stars Oscar-nominated nonagenarian June Squibb<\/strong> as a retiree who relocates to New York after the death of her roommate and best friend. With distribution already secured via Sony Pictures Classics, the film\u2019s launch in the festival\u2019s Un Certain Regard section marks only the beginning of a hopefully long, splashy rollout for the dramedy, which Johansson has compared to throwback indies like Living Out Loud<\/em> and Moonstruck.<\/em><\/p>\n Julia Ducornau<\/strong>\u2019s previous movie, Titane<\/em>, won the Palme d\u2019Or in something of an upset; a film that introduces a sexual relationship between a young woman and a car is never going to be an obvious slam dunk. So all eyes are on her follow-up, which we know centers on a 13-year-old girl but is otherwise shrouded in mystery. Despite having just two features under her belt\u20142016\u2019s Raw<\/em> also premiered on the Croisette\u2014Ducournau has swiftly emerged as one of our most fearless, audacious filmmakers. That makes Alpha<\/em> an instant event.<\/p>\n Kleber Mendon\u00e7a Filho<\/strong> has been ruffling feathers in Brazil for years with his polemical, genre-defying social dramas, most recently Bacurau<\/em>, which won Cannes\u2019s Jury Prize. Coming off of that high, Filho returns to the Croisette with a higher personal profile, a bigger star (Narcos<\/em>\u2019s Wagner Moura<\/strong>), and another urgent examination of his home country. This one is set in 1977, and follows a technology expert on the run.<\/p>\n The versatile French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski<\/strong> is no stranger to Hollywood stars, having directed Natalie Portman<\/strong> and a teenaged Lily-Rose Depp<\/strong> in Planetarium<\/em>. That film was not as well-received as what the director has made in her native France, particularly 2022\u2019s critical hit Other People\u2019s Children<\/em>, but Vie priv\u00e9e<\/em> may thrillingly split the difference. It\u2019s described as a French murder mystery, and it stars none other than Jodie Foster.<\/strong> Sign us up.<\/p>\n Back in 2022, the great American indie director Kelly Reichardt<\/strong>\u2019s Showing Up<\/em> was the last Cannes competition premiere on the schedule. Many journalists had already returned home, and the movie came and went largely unheralded. Which was a shame, given what a lovely film Reichardt made<\/a>. This year, Reichardt returns with what is billed, quite compellingly, as a crime film. The Mastermind<\/em> boasts an impressive cast of cool actors\u2014Josh O\u2019Connor<\/strong>, Alana Haim<\/strong>, John Magaro<\/strong>, Gaby Hoffman<\/strong>\u2014and a beguiling art-heist premise. Maybe this time Reichardt will get her Cannes due\u2014though of course, they\u2019ve scheduled the movie at the end of the festival again. Sigh.<\/p>\n Perhaps some of us on the VF<\/em> staff have traumatic memories of going to sleepaway sports camp in their younger years, and are thus particularly drawn to the premise of queer filmmaker Charlie Polinger<\/strong>\u2019s debut feature. The film follows a 12-year-old boy at an all-boys water polo camp, where things quickly turn grim. We think The Plague<\/em> is something of a horror film, though perhaps of the arty, psychological Cannes variety\u2014more about ominous mood than jump scares. Either way, we can\u2019t wait to relive our own troubled youths\u2014safely in movie form, that is.<\/p>\n This film, from Australian writer-director Sean Byrne<\/strong> (The Devil\u2019s Candy<\/em>), seems to be a more straightforward horror. Jai Courtney<\/strong> plays a serial killer whose weapon of choice is live sharks, a fun tweak on the genre that we don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen before. There may not be much more to the film than that, though its presence in the often experimental Directors\u2019 Fortnight sidebar suggests something a bit more textured than your standard B-movie. If it is just a basic fright fest, though, a little grimy entertainment is always welcome amidst the pomp and seriousness of Cannes.<\/p>\n Spike Lee is conditioning us to expect the unexpected of his take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low<\/em>\u2014and that\u2019s just in the delivery of the movie. Cannes didn\u2019t include the film in its initial lineup announcement, but Lee posted on his Instagram that it was going to Cannes anyway; earlier this week, A24 posted on socials that a teaser trailer would land in about 24 hours, then Lee immediately leaked it. Here\u2019s a guy who likes to keep us on our toes. How thrilling that anything seems possible for the project that marks Lee and Denzel Washington<\/strong>\u2019s first collaboration since Inside Man<\/em>, 18 years ago.<\/p>\n Every Cannes, a few under-the-radar films pre-screen and are promptly followed by enthusiastic whispers. This German drama connecting four generations of women is one of them. (For the record, neither contributor to this list has seen Sound of Falling<\/em>.) This marks the first feature in eight years from director Mascha Schilinski,<\/strong> and her first ever to premiere in Cannes. So while there are a lot of unknowns about this title as of now, the one big<\/em> known is rather compelling: It\u2019s already getting people excited.<\/p>\n Following the death of his friend, lauded French filmmaker Laurent Cantet, the also lauded French filmmaker Robin Campillo<\/strong> stepped into the role of director and co-writer for this drama about a teenage boy struggling to find his place in a world starkly divided by class. His family is wealthy, but Enzo has rejected their academic ambitions and sought out an apprenticeship in construction. While struggling with his family, Enzo develops a friendship with an older Ukrainian man on his work crew. That\u2019s a compelling premise, and we trust Campillo\u2014the director behind terrific films like Eastern Boys<\/em>, BPM<\/em>, and Red Island<\/em>\u2014to bring his own sensibilities to the film while honoring his departed friend\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n The main cast that Ari Aster<\/strong> has assembled for his latest, a Western set in the glorious spring of 2020, says all you need to know about just how excited Hollywood is by the rising filmmaker of Hereditary, Midsommar<\/em>, and Beau Is Afraid<\/em>: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone,<\/strong> and Austin Butler<\/strong>. Even when he\u2019s divisive, Aster has proven unmissable.<\/p>\n Filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr.<\/strong> brings us to 1993 Nigeria, where political and social tumult surrounds a contentious election and two young boys journey to Lagos with their furtive, distant father. African cinema has made a strong showing at Cannes in recent years (last year\u2019s stunning On Becoming a Guinea Fowl<\/em>, from Zambia, is available to watch in the US now), and we hope that Davies continues in that burgeoning tradition. We\u2019re especially encouraged by the presence of \u1e62\u1ecdp\u1eb9\u0301 D\u00ecr\u00eds\u00f9<\/strong>, a rising British actor who was excellent in the 2020 horror film His House<\/em>.<\/p>\n Screening on the market side, this small gem out of Brazil merits attention as it courts U.S. distributors. Marianna Brennand<\/strong>\u2019s searing debut offers an unflinching, intimate, and deeply humane portrait of a 13 year old coming of age in the Amazon rainforest amid increasingly harrowing conditions. It\u2019s one of the few titles on this list to have already earned an award out of Cannes: Brennand, who also won the Director\u2019s Prize at Venice Days last fall, will be honored with Cannes and Kering\u2019s prestigious Women in Motion Emerging Talent Award.<\/p>\n Director Lloyd Lee Choi<\/strong> has been making a name for himself on the short-film circuit, taking home awards out of major festivals like Berlin, SXSW, and Toronto. It\u2019s no surprise, then, that his feature debut is slowly but surely generating buzz as a standout of the festival\u2019s Directors\u2019 Fortnight section. The drama tracks a Chinese immigrant over two days in New York, when his food-delivery gig is put into jeopardy just as the rest of his family is set to join him from abroad in their new home.<\/p>\n Tom Cruise<\/strong> stars in this tiny independent drama about a man coming to terms with things. We can\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n This story is part of<\/em> Awards Insider\u2019s in-depth<\/em> Cannes coverage<\/a>, including first looks and exclusive interviews with some of the event\u2019s biggest names. Stay tuned for more Cannes stories as well as a special full week of<\/em> Little Gold Men<\/a> podcast episodes, recorded live from the festival and publishing every day.<\/em><\/p>\nDie, My Love<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Nouvelle Vague<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Sentimental Value<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The Phoenician Scheme<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Pillion<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The History of Sound<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Urchin<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The Chronology of Water<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Eleanor the Great<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Alpha<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The Secret Agent<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Vie Priv\u00e9e<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The Mastermind<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
The Plague<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Dangerous Animals<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Highest 2 Lowest<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Sound of Falling<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Enzo<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Eddington<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
My Father\u2019s Shadow<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Manas<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Lucky Yu<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
Mission: Impossible \u2014 The Final Reckoning<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
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