As Cannes 2026 begins, attention is already turning toward the films expected to shape this year’s festival conversation. From ambitious sci-fi thrillers to intimate auteur dramas, this year’s selection once again brings together some of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers. Here are eight films from the event lineup you should not miss

Hope, Na Hong-jin

One of the biggest competition titles at Cannes this year is undoubtedly Hope, an ambitious sci-fi thriller from acclaimed Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin, best known for The Wailing. Set in a remote village near the demilitarised zone, the story follows residents thrown into panic after a mysterious presence begins appearing nearby. The film also brings together one of Cannes’ most international casts this year, including Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Squid Game star Hoyeon.

Sheep in the Box, Hirokazu Kore-eda

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to Cannes competition with Sheep in the Box, a near-future drama exploring grief, family and artificial intelligence. Best known for winning the Palme d’Or in 2018 with Shoplifters, Kore-eda once again centres the story around fragile family dynamics, this time following a couple who welcome a humanoid robot made in the image of their late son into their home. While the premise leans toward science fiction, the film still appears rooted in the emotional humanism that defines much of his work.

All of a Sudden, Ryusuke Hamaguchi

After winning the 2022 Oscar for Best International Feature with Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi arrives at Cannes with All of a Sudden, notably his first French-language feature. Starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the drama follows a French nursing home director whose life shifts after meeting a terminally ill Japanese playwright. As expected from Hamaguchi, the project appears driven less by plot than by emotional intimacy and quiet human connection.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Jane Schoenbrun

Few titles in this year’s lineup are generating as much curiosity as Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. Opening the Un Certain Regard section, Jane Schoenbrun’s latest film follows a queer filmmaker attempting to revive a fading slasher franchise before spiralling into increasingly surreal psychosexual chaos. Coming after the cult success of I Saw the TV Glow, the project already feels positioned to become one of Cannes’ biggest midnight conversation starters.

Fjord, Cristian Mungiu

Palme d’Or-winning director Cristian Mungiu returns to the Cannes competition with Fjord, a tense drama inspired by real events and set within a remote Norwegian town. Starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve, the film follows a Romanian-Norwegian couple whose family comes under scrutiny after their daughter appears at school with bruises. Blending cultural conflict with judicial investigation, the project appears to continue the moral tension and psychological unease closely associated with Mungiu’s cinema.

The Man I Love, Ira Sachs

As one of the few American entries in this year’s In Competition lineup, The Man I Love stands apart through its intimate and emotionally restrained approach. Directed by Ira Sachs and starring Rami Malek, the film is set in late-1980s New York during the AIDS crisis, following a downtown performance artist navigating illness, mortality and his final stage role. The drama appears focused less on spectacle and more on creativity, love and survival during a devastating period.

Her Private Hell, Nicolas Winding Refn

Nearly a decade after The Neon Demon, Nicolas Winding Refn finally returns to feature filmmaking with Her Private Hell, screening out of competition at Cannes. Set within a futuristic Tokyo engulfed by a deadly mist, the thriller follows a young woman searching for her missing father as the city slowly descends into chaos. Starring Sophie Thatcher and Charles Melton, the project already appears to fully embrace Refn’s signature neon-soaked visuals and stylised violence.

Full Phil, Quentin Dupieux

Closing out Cannes’ Midnight Screenings section this year is Full Phil, Quentin Dupieux’s latest absurdist dark comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart. The film follows a wealthy American industrialist attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter during a Paris trip that slowly spirals into surreal chaos involving strange cuisine, vintage horror films and an intrusive hotel employee. As expected from Dupieux, the film already sounds unpredictable in the best way possible.

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