Cannes 2025 Recap – 10 Incredible Films to Watch From This Festival
by Alex Billington
June 3, 2025
What are the best films out of this year’s Cannes Film Festival? Which ones should you be taking an interest in? What films should be a priority for you to see? After diving into a worldclass selection of films across 12 days at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, and after watching a grand total of 43 films, it’s time to present my 2025 list of my Top 10 Favorites. This was my 15th year back to this prestigious festival right on the Mediterranean, and I still love being in the middle of all the buzz and action, watching brand new cinema every single day. As I usually say – there’s always more to discover, so always keep watching. These ten 2025 favorites listed below are the ones that connected with me emotionally or intellectually, and I hope you’ll consider keeping an eye out for them whenever they show up in your neighborhood. Each one is clever and exciting and beautiful in its own way. It might have been another fairly unexciting Cannes selection overall, many colleagues have expressed the same, though I am always delighted to discover some incredible films anyway. This is my final recap of Cannes 2025 – don’t skip a chance to watch any of these with an audience.
My goal at film festivals nowadays is to watch, watch, watch and keep watching as much as possible. I don’t want to miss anything that might be good, and I prefer to get a look at anything just to see what each one is about. The Cannes 2025 line-up was stacked with big names, alas it ended up being another lackluster year. 2024 & 2025 haven’t been the greatest years in Cannes – I believe 2023 is the last year with a real handful of 5/5 all-timer movies. I have been very vocal about my dislike of Jafar Panahi’s A Simple Accident (or It Was Just an Accident) winning the Palme d’Or because I believe they gave this award to him because of what he went through as a filmmaker and not necessarily because it’s the best film at the festival. Everyone I spoke with said they would give it to Sirat or Sentimental Value, and while those two did get a bunch awards, they didn’t win the Palme in the end. So be it, time to move on. Most importantly, I’m glad to have encountered some top notch discoveries in all the side sections this year. Sometimes you’ll find the most gems outside of the Main Competition at film festivals. There’s never enough time to see everything, and it’s hard enough to watch films non-stop for 12 days and still work on the site, too. But I’m happy with what I watched anyway.
I won’t delay any further with my Top 10 films of Cannes 2025, as these are the films that I loved the most, or left the greatest impact on me, and they all deserve to gain recognition outside of France. My favorites:
Sentimental Value – Directed by Joachim Trier
My #1 of the festival. The best film of Cannes 2025. My Palme d’Or winner (everyone was rooting for it!). This is the one we’ve been waiting for in Cannes this year! What a stunning film. It’s the kind that leaves you floating after it ends. That leaves you with a big grin on your face. That makes you want to starting dancing in the streets after because it’s just so gosh darn good (and the songs he picks are so danceable). It’s Trier’s exceptionally intelligent cinema on how cinema can actually heal us and change us, even though at times I wasn’t sure which way he was leaning… But he brings it home. It goes without saying the cast is perfect in this – Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as sisters, Stellan Skarsgård as their father, and Elle Fanning, too. I also love how light & lovely the film – the score by composer Hania Rani is amazing (she also did the score for The Summer Book). The soundtrack of songs throughout are perfect (my favorite is “Cannock Chase” by Labi Siffre). This is what film can be when made by a real master filmmaker who only gets better as he keeps making more. I’m just so happy about it being this exceptional and so deeply moving.
Sirât – Directed by Oliver Laxe
Up until the first screening of Sentimental Value, this film was my Best of the Fest pick. It rules. My god! So awesome. Techno-infused soundtrack about ravers in Morocco. But it’s about so much more than that. Once it all comes together, and you figure out exactly what is going on and what the story is really about, and it continues on for another hour through hell and back, you can’t help but want to explode with applause by the end. THIS IS CINEMA! Óliver Laxe’s Sirat is a dusty, desert odyssey that will leave everyone breathless. A must watch for all cinephiles. I love a good “WTF is going to happen next?!” first-time experience. The techno score in this (by Kangding Ray) is exceptional and people will be raving about it and raving to it for years from now. Sirat will stir up something inside of you, grip you, and leave you in awe on the way to Valhalla. I am also especially impressed by the lead performance by Spanish actor Sergi López, who has to carry so many intense emotions on his shoulder as he’s going through this experience. He deserves as much acclaimed as everyone else who made it. Go in fresh & watch this on the big screen the first chance you get.
Un Poeta – Directed by Simón Mesa Soto
A fragile dreamer… just trying to write a happy poem. I loved this film. It’s the funniest film at Cannes this year by far. The madness and chaos and failures and challenges and lonely life of being a poet. Un Poeta, also titled simply A Poet, is an ingenious film from the South American country of Colombia. Written and directed by Simón Mesa Soto, filmed in Colombia, it stars Ubeimar Rios as Oscar Restrepo, a once famous poet who has faded. He befriends a young girl whose poetry impresses him, and attempts to help her, only ending up causing more chaos. So many hilarious shots in this film – every zoom into this Silva guy’s portrait had me bursting out in laughter. So much awkward humor. An ingenious screenplay, not just a comedy but a poignant reflection on fame & glory. Terrific performance from Ubeimar Rios and the whole cast. Oh Oscar, I feel so bad for him… He’s just trying to be a simple poet when the world doesn’t care about poets anymore.
The Love That Remains – Directed by Hlynur Pálmason
Another knock out by Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason. His films are sublime! He’s quickly become one of my favorite filmmakers working today – almost everything he touches is brilliant and fascinating and unique. His approach to Icelandic storytelling is clever, but it’s the way he frames every single shot that dazzles me every single time. Literally every shot in this movie is glorious! And it’s fun and funny and smart and melancholic. This instantly joins the ranks with Marriage Story as one of THE best break-up films EVER made. For real. The score, the lightness of it all, the humor, the honesty, the kids, the dog, everything about it is pure bliss. It may not reach the same heights as in Godland (which is an irrefutable masterpiece) but it’s still amazing. And completely enjoyable from start to finish. The two lead performances from Saga Garðarsdóttir and Sverrir Gudnason as so realistic that I actually think these two are really breaking up (maybe they are?). I could talk about this film for hours and hours, and I cannot wait to watch it again.
Love Letters – Directed by Alice Douard
This French tale of lovers working through emotional challenges won me over big time and has stuck with me all the way through the fest. A stunning, underrated cinematic gem hidden in the “Critics Week” sidebar section at Cannes. The way it integrates music directly into the storytelling, especially when Céline’s famous pianist mom shows up in the plot, is especially amazing. There are a number of piano based music scenes where I was floored, breaking out into instantaneous applause because I was so moved and so impressed by how this is worked into the story. Her mom uses these melodies to express her feelings, and it’s so powerful. Love Letters is the latest creation written & directed by French filmmaker Alice Douard, about a lesbian couple expecting a child, navigating all the challenges that come with being LGBTQ in this modern world – even when laws are finally passed. The couple at the center of the story is Céline, played by talented Swiss-French actress Ella Rumpf, and Nadia, played by Quebecois actress Monia Chokri. Both are of them are exquisite in this film, though the camera focuses especially on Céline and all of her emotions & experiences.
Little Amélie – Directed by Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang & Mailys Vallade
My favorite animated movie at Cannes this year. It’s so lovely! Most people will think this is meant for kids (my screening as almost empty because no one wanted to see it). But it’s not! Little Amélie, also known as Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes or Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, is a smart story about growing up. The animation is beautiful even if it doesn’t seem so at first glance – a flat vector 2D style that becomes truly stunning with perfectly crafted animation that makes it all feel real. It’s so colorful and so entrancing. There are a couple of scenes which are so beautiful I almost got tears in my eyes because of how ravishing it looks. The story is one of the most vivid examples of how vitally important this time is in the life of human beings growing up. The way her narration explains how all of these first-time discoveries mean something to her are a reminder that children need good, meaningful, wholesome experiences when they’re very young. I’ll be recommending this animated delight to everyone (of all ages) the rest of this year.
The President’s Cake – Directed by Hasan Hadi
One of the best surprises at Cannes – it premiered in the “Directors’ Fortnight” sidebar. This wasn’t even on my radar during the fest until a bunch of my friends started telling me about and saying it’s one of their favorites. I finally caught up with it and yep – it goes right on my Top 10! I’ve never ever seen this side of Iraq before – I always appreciate a film that opens my eyes to a culture I’m not familiar with. Absolutely deserving of the Camera d’Or award (for best feature directorial debut). Going into this film I was expecting something more upbeat and “fun” and charming, my assumption based on what many colleagues told me about it during the festival. But it’s actually much more sad and depressing, though still beautifully made and engaging from start to finish. An incredibly bleak look at brainwashing and America’s wars and broken societies and how horrible things can be in many places. But with a glimmer of hope as Lamia navigates her country and tries her best to get what she needs to bake a cake. Impressively complex filmmaking, visually astounding & compelling. Most important – everyone will fall in love with her rooster Hindi! He’s the best.
Nouvelle Vague – Directed by Richard Linklater
Nouvelle Vague is fantastique! Filmmaking fun! Inspiring and entertaining and so geeky! It’s as if Richard Linklater time traveled back to 1959 and made an entirely real documentary about Godard being a kooky madman filming all these shots on the fly and pulling off Breathless. It’s immensely enjoyable in so many different ways – not only as an exercise in mimicking style and as a filmmaking challenge by painstakingly recreating Paris in 1959 and casting lookalikes for every single person involved within cinema in France at the time. But also as a look at how crazy (and full of himself) Godard was and yet how he somehow pulled off making Breathless without writing any script and just winging it during every shooting day for 20 days. He broke every rule and didn’t even care and yet somehow changed cinema forever! I believe that Linklater is honoring and bowing down to Godard and the ambitious French New Wave cinema movement, while also mocking and making fun of them (in a very playful, loving way of course). This is a good one – so much fun.
A Useful Ghost – Directed by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Love & Vacuum! The best “WTF?!” film of this year’s Cannes. This remarkably unique Thai film written and directed by newcomer filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke as his feature debut is also known as the “vacuum ghost” movie. On one hand, it’s a fascinating modern drama about environmental problems / climate change, and how nothing happens & rich people continue to get away with harming others. On the other hand, it’s also an endearing story of grief and loss, following a man whose wife dies (of a respiratory disease caused by dust in the air) and what happens when her ghost “haunts” a vacuum cleaner. It’s meta, it’s wacky, it’s kinky, it’s crazy, it’s unforgettable. It’s everything that innovative cinema should be! There are a handful of hilarious rolling-on-the-floor-laughing scenes, along with more intimate, tender moments. The story moves along and twists in unusual ways, with upbeat, clever filmmaking throughout. Another fantastic discovery in Cannes – it’s destined to become a cult classic (if it’s not considered a cult classic already). 🇹🇭
My Father’s Shadow – Directed by Akinola Davies Jr.
Another wonderful discovery in the festival – the first ever film from Nigeria to premiere in the main Cannes Film Festival official selection. A resonant, heartfelt, soulful slice of cinema about a father taking his two young boys to Lagos while trying to teach them about being good and hopeful and how change is good. Got me all teary eyed at the end during one powerful scene. I’m so glad it’s playing in Cannes, it really deserves this platform to shine. This filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. is essentially telling a story about his own dad, digging deep into his personal experiences to offer an authentic slice of cinema. A realistic look at what it’s like to grow up in Nigeria. He was given a “Special Mention” award for first-time filmmakers (Camera d’Or) alongside the director of The President’s Cake. Both of these ended up on my Top 10 because they really are wonderful films that show how talented each filmmaker is as a cinematic storyteller. I’m hopeful he’ll be given a chance to make anything he wants next & continue to tell even more soulful, hopeful stories. Bravo.
A few other films from the festival I want to mention even though they didn’t make the list. The two films that are #11 & #12 on my list are Charlie Polinger’s The Plague and Harris Dickinson’s feature directorial debut Urchin. Both excellent films – I was debating whether to include them in the final Top 10 picks or not, but because they barely didn’t make the cut, they both deserve to be highlighted anyway. The Plague is a fascinating, unique thriller about bullying and kids being mean to each other – the young actors are great, the score rules. Urchin is an impressive debut from Dickinson, with an award-winning lead performance by Frank Dillane as a homeless guy trying to get back on track. A few other films that have stayed with me after everything else at the festival: Christian Petzold’s Miroirs No. 3 with Paula Beer as a woman going through a transition staying at a home in the German countryside. I just wrote a review about the Quebecois romantic comedy film Amour Apocalypse, which really got to me as a tender, sweet, comforting take on modern romance. The Indian drama Homebound is strong, another standout film in the selection (here’s my full review). And finally, Shih-Ching Tsou’s terrific Left-Handed Girl is an exciting film set in Taiwan following multiple generations of women as they try to live their own lives in this crazy hustle & bustle city.
And that’s it for Cannes 2025, ending our coverage of this film festival. Jafar Panahi’s film It Was Just an Accident (or A Simple Accident) ended up winning the Palme d’Or prize this year – find the full list of 2025 awards winners here. My coverage wraps up with this list of favorites and all my other reviews from the fest. I’m always looking forward to each year’s Cannes experience, one of my favorite fests with many discoveries.
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