Screen critics’ stand-out titles from Cannes 2024

Screen International reviewed almost 100 films at Cannes. Our critics round up the films that may have flown under the radar but generated a lot of praise, and also give their verdicts on the prize winners from official selection and the key sidebars.

Compiled by Fionnuala Halligan.

The best reviewed films outside the winners enclosure

Competition

Wild Diamond
Dir. Agathe Riedinger
Our critic said: “The feisty restlessness of Agathe Riedinger’s impressive feature debut belies the profound sadness of its central theme – that for many young women, beauty and pain are one and the same.”
International sales: Pyramide International  
Read the review

The Girl With The Needle
Dir. Magnus von Horn
Our critic said: “Two unrelentingly fascinating performances from Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, and an exquisite black-and-white aesthetic, command attention.”
International sales: The Match Factory
Read the review

Caught By The Tides
Dir. Jia Zhang-ke
Our critic said: “An expression of his career-long preoccupations, Jia Zhang-ke’s odyssey through China since the turn of the century has an epic sense within a homespun feel.”
International sales: mk2 Films
Read the review  

Bird
Dir. Andrea Arnold
Our critic said: “Arnold weaves a subtle mix between gritty realism and the magical kind.”
International sales: Cornerstone Films  
Read the review

Un Certain Regard

When The Light Breaks
Dir. Rúnar Rúnarsson
Our critic said: “There’s always a playfulness alongside the poeticism of Rúnarsson’s work.”
International sales: The Party Film Sales  
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Santosh
Dir. Sandhya Suri
Our critic said: “It’s a terrific feature debut from British-Indian documentary filmmaker Sandhya Suri – a propulsive neo-noir that holds up a mirror to contemporary India.”
International sales: mk2 Films
Read the review

My Sunshine
Dir. Hiroshi Okuyama
Our critic said: “A heartwarming Japanese drama about young friendships cuts much deeper than it initially promises.”
International sales: Charades
Read the review  

September Says
Dir. Ariane Labed
Our critic said: “Labed’s arresting directorial debut captures the fragility of adolescence with a preciseness and intimacy, brought to life by performances from Mia Tharia and Pascale Kann.”
International sales: The Match Factory  
Read the review  

Viet And Nam
Dir. Truong Minh Quy
Our critic said: “Truong’s flourishes ensure that it offers a richly personal blend of the authentic and the abstract.”
International sales: Pyramide International  
Read the review

Flow
Dir. Gints Zilbalodis
Our critic said: “A rousing animated adventure in which technical virtuosity is matched by storytelling vigour and dramatic heft.”
International sales: Charades  
Read the review    

Special screenings

Filmlovers!
Dir. Arnaud Desplechin
Our critic said: “The warm, inviting tone of the film and Desplechin’s use of a stunning selection of movie clips should make this essential programming for festivals, and hugely appealing for cinephiles who will consider it a must-see.”
International sales: Les Films du Losange  
Read the review  

Elementary
Dir. Claire Simon
Our critic said: “Charming school documentary celebrates the collective effort that goes into learning, to engaging and frequently rather moving effect.”
International sales: Films Boutique
Read the review

Out of Competition

The Count Of Monte Cristo
Dirs. Matthieu Delaporte, Alexandre De La Patellière
Our critic said: “Everything about this robust and very enjoyable retelling of the Alexandre Dumas classic is epic in scale.”
International sales: Pathe Films
Read the review

She’s Got No Name
Dir. Peter Chan Ho-sun
Our critic said: “Overseas play will be helped by its widescreen allure and the return of of Zhang Ziyi as a leading lady.”
International sales: We Distribution Limited
Read the review  

Premiere

Being Maria
Dir. Anamaria Vartolomei
Our critic said: “Anamaria Vartolomei impresses as Last Tango In Paris star Maria Schneider in Jessica Palud’s sensitive biopic.”
International sales: Studiocanal
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Jim’s Story
Dirs. Arnaud & Jean-Marie Larrieu
Our critic said: “Starring seasoned character actor Karim Leklou, this is a touching melodrama of fatherhood that depicts a relentlessly nice guy who somehow walks wide-eyed into an emotional catastrophe.”
International sales: Pyramide International
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Midnight Screenings

Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In
Dir. Soi Cheang
Our critic said: “This punchy, peppy thriller will be lapped up like manna from heaven by fans of Hong Kong action cinema.”
International sales: Media Asia Film Distribution Ltd
Read the review

Directors’ Fortnight

Eephus
Dir. Carson Lund
Our critic said: “Two local, middle-aged baseball teams play one final game in this poignant slice of Americana.”
International sales: Film Constellation
Read the review  

Good One
Dir. India Donaldson
Our critic said: “Donaldson’s minimalist, slow-burn feature debut reveals a sensibility that inevitably invites comparisons with the work of Kelly Reichardt.”
International sales: Visit Films
Read the review  

Critics’ Week

Ghost Trail
Dir. Jonathan Millet
Our critic said: “A charismatic central performance from Adam Bessa lends gravitas to an assured, involving tale inspired by true events.”
International sales: mk2 Films
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Julie Keeps Quiet
Dir. Leonardo van Dijl
Our critic said: “A focused tennis player stays silent to protect her coach in this controlled Belgian debut that is a standout of Critics Week.”
International sales: New Europe Film Sales  
Read the review  

Screen critics’ verdict on the award winners

Competition

Anora (Palme d’Or)
Dir. Sean Baker
Our critic said: “A wildly entertaining, modern-day screwball comedy set in 2018 that barrels through New York and Las Vegas.”
International sales: Filmnation Entertainment
Read the review   

All We Can Imagine As Light (Grand Prix)
Dir. Payal Kapadia
Our critic said: “Arthouse audiences should respond to the opportunity to follow this beautifully-shot, gentle story.”
International sales: Luxbox Films
Read the review   

Emilia Perez (Jury Prize)
Dir. Jacques Audiard
Our critic said: “Solid critical buzz alongside the presence of stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez should drive interest in this addition to the arthouse musical niche.”
International sales: The Veterans
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Grand Tour (best director)
Dir. Miguel Gomes
Our critic said: “The viewer may not know exactly where Gomes and his characters are headed, but the journey is pursued with wit, imagination and intelligence, and delivers oblique insights about the way we see the world and history.”
International sales: The Match Factory
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The Seed Of The Sacred Fig (special award)
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Our critic said: “As an impassioned outcry against oppression, and a depiction of how a new generation – notably female – is challenging a long-entrenched status quo, the film is essential watching.”
International sales:  Films Boutique
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Kinds Of Kindness (best actor, Jesse Plemons)
Dir.  Yorgos Lanthimos
Our critic said: “Plemons is the revelation here, an anchor in a cast telling three different stories of penetrating strangeness.”
International sales: Disney/Searchlight Pictures
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Emilia Perez (best actress, shared among the cast)
Dir. Jacques Audiard
Our critic said: “Transgender Spanish star Gascon, playing both Manitas and Emilia, is the film’s bedrock. There is pride, vulnerability and pathos in her take on Emilia, but there’s also a steeliness in the character that makes for a fascinating mix.”
International sales: The Veterans
Read the review  

The Substance (best screenplay)
Dir. Coralie Fargeat
Our critic said: “This potent body horror is executed with skill and compassion, bringing fresh insights alongside generous helpings of graphic gore.”
International sales: The Match Factory  
Read the review  

Armand (Camera d’Or)
Dir. Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Our critic said: “This Un Certain Regard standout boasts gripping stylistic and dramatic control, together with superb ensemble acting from a cast including Renate Reinsve.”
International sales: Charades
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Ernest Cole. Lost And Found (Golden Eye for best documentary ex-aqueo)
Dir. Raoul Peck
Our critic said: “Peck’s film is a rich chronicling of Cole’s unique career, peerless artistry, political strength and moving end.”
International sales: mk2 Films
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The Brink Of Dreams (Golden Eye for best documentary ex-aqueo)
Dir. Ayman El Amir, Nada Riyadh
Our critic said: “This engaging, sobering human story should find a welcome at documentary festivals, specialist channels and beyond.”
International sales: The Party Film Sales
Read the review  

Un Certain Regard

Black Dog (UCR Prize)
Dir. Guan Hu
Our critic said: “A warm-hearted crowd pleaser about an ex-convict and the canine he befriends.”
International sales: Playtime
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The Story Of Souleymane (Jury Prize/best actor, Abou Sangare)
Dir. Boris Lojkine
Our critic said: “Non-professional Sangare is magnetic throughout, whether on the saddle or an interview hot seat.”
International sales: Pyramide
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The Damned (best director ex-aqueo)
Dir. Roberto Minervini
Our critic said: “The unvarnished naturalism and unpolished dialogue – there is nothing here that feels scripted or artificial – comes as close, one imagines, to the realities of military life in 1862 America as it is possible to get.”
International sales: Les Filmes Du Losange
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On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (best director ex-aqueo)
Dir. Rungano Nyoni
Our critic said: “A formally daring picture that blends fantasy, stylised drama and elements of black comedy to explore the societal pressures that rewrite the truth.”
International sales: A24
Read the review  

The Shameless (best actress, Anasuya Sengupta)
Dir. Konstantin Bojanov
Our critic said: “Sengupta is never less than compelling in her first screen role. Her background is in production design but she proves equally capable of crafting a believable character.”
International sales: Urban Group  
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Holy Cow (youth award)
Dir. Louise Courvoisier
Our critic said: “A small but likeable coming-of-age tale that reeks of dung, grilled sausages, sweat and diesel oil.”
International sales:  Pyramide International  
Read the review

Directors’ Fortnight 

Universal Language (audience award)
Dir. Matthew Rankin
Our critic said: “While this lightly comic caper is a pleasing homage to beloved Iranian cinema, set in the snowy-beige anonymity of Winnipeg, it also owes a deep aesthetic debt to the deliberate mise-en-scene of Wes Anderson.”
International sales: Best Friend Forever  
Read the review  

The Other Way Around (Europa Cinemas Label)
Dir. Jonas Trueba
Our critic said: “Trueba continues to satisfy film buffs with plenty of fun self-referential elements, designed to appeal to purists.”
International sales: Memento International
Read the review  

Critics’ Week

Simon Of The Mountain (Grand Prize)
Dir. Federico Luis
Our critic said: “Luis’ debut feature finds a fresh way of addressing adolescence and disability.”
International sales: Luxbox
Read the review

Blue Sun Palace (Fresh Touch Prize for first film)
Dir. Constance Tsang
Our critic said: “[This] Superb’ Critics Week debut explores the precariousness of New York’s Chinese community.”
International sales: Charades; US sale: WME
Read the review

Baby (acting prize, Ricardo Teodoro)
Dir. Marcelo Caetano
Our critic said: “A tenderhearted, quietly affirmative take on a teenage boy’s search for family that is largely set on the mean streets of Sao Paolo.”
International sales: M-Appeal
Read the review  

• Comment: Sex and politics reign at newsworthy Cannes 2024