A different wind is blowing on the Croisette this year. Fewer camera flashes from Hollywood, less calculated glamour — but more sombre subject matter, complex narratives and films that do not want to please, but aim to challenge. In the very first days of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, an atmosphere is emerging that has surprised many regular guests: cinema is once again seeking risk.
Histoires de la nuit by French director Léa Mysius is being discussed particularly avidly. The adaptation of Laurent Mauvignier’s novel is already considered one of the strongest French works in the competition programme. Those leaving the screening talk less about the plot and more about the atmosphere. The film seems to envelop the audience in fog — oppressive, hypnotic, at times almost claustrophobic. Monica Bellucci and Benoît Magimel carry this story with such force that it is sparking long conversations on the Croisette late into the night.
Completely different, but no less present: James Gray’s Paper Tiger. The American director, who was urgently included in the competition, brings back to Cannes the kind of cinema many have already missed. No superhero spectacles, no franchise machine, but a quiet, melancholic film about loneliness, family, and lost dreams. Some critics are already calling it a small manifesto against the modern studio system. So—sometimes a quiet film is enough to sound louder than any explosion on screen.
The festival’s international orientation remains particularly noticeable. Names such as Pedro Almodóvar, Asghar Farhadi, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and László Nemes dominate conversations in cafés along the Croisette. Many observers sense a return to classic auteur cinema—the kind of cinema in which directors not only convey content, but leave a unique creative signature.
This edition seems more political and melancholic than previous ones. War, identity crises, environmental anxieties, and technological fantasies of control run like a dark thread through numerous films. One journalist has already described Cannes as a “nervous festival.” In fact, world events seem to seep directly onto the screen. Even glamorous premieres suddenly have a more serious tone.
And Cannes is changing noticeably beyond the cinemas as well. Influencers, TikTok critics, and content creators are now making their way onto the red carpets alongside film stars and directors. For some, this is a breath of fresh air and an opening of the festival to younger generations. Others roll their eyes in annoyance and speak of constant digital staging. This debate has now become almost as integral a part of Cannes as tuxedos and evening gowns.
There is no clear favorite for the Palme d’Or yet. That is exactly what makes this edition so exciting. Instead of one dominant film, the festival is shaped this time by many radical, personal works. Perhaps it lacks the great glamour of past years. In return, Cannes 2026 once again recalls what once made this festival famous: bold cinema for people who want to be surprised.
Author: S. Hetti