At the Cannes 2026 Film Festival, James Gray's impressive melodrama, dazzling projects featuring Rami Malek and Sandra Hüller, a magnificent French coming-of-age story, a wild Korean monster movie, and a portrait of a reformed gay party boy were among the favorites of THR critics. This year's festival offered unforgettable moments for cinema lovers.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's bold work, following the Oscar-winning "Drive My Car," is set in an elderly care facility in Paris. The female character, played by Virginie Efira, highlights the conflict between progressive treatment methods and chronic staff shortages, as well as profit-driven management. Although the first hour is slow-paced and dialogue-heavy, viewers are rewarded with an emotional and occasionally captivating experience that emphasizes the fundamental rights of human dignity and respect when they patiently navigate this process.

Among the other notable works at the festival is the first film by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, a Rwandan director featured in the official Cannes selection. This film presents an impressive and intimate portrait that deeply explores a nation's reckoning. The female character, portrayed by Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, faces a man accused of killing her siblings and other relatives, while the story deepens through her complex relationships with her daughter, sister, and mother.

Cannes 2026 was filled with works that shed light not only on the world of cinema but also on social issues. These films managed to entertain viewers while leaving a lasting impression with thought-provoking themes.