{"id":149029,"date":"2026-05-24T15:10:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T15:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/?p=149029"},"modified":"2026-05-24T15:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T15:12:38","slug":"the-nine-buzziest-cannes-films-that-could-become-oscar-contenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/showbizztoday.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/24\/the-nine-buzziest-cannes-films-that-could-become-oscar-contenders\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nine Buzziest Cannes Films That Could Become Oscar Contenders…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s May 23, 2026<\/a>. The French Riviera is buzzing. The 79th Cannes Film Festival has just wrapped after 12 gloriously pretentious days<\/a>. More than 40,000 film professionals<\/a> have descended upon this tiny coastal city. They\u2019ve watched 22 films in competition<\/a>. They\u2019ve argued. They\u2019ve cried. They\u2019ve given standing ovations that lasted longer than some of the films themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now? Now begins the annual ritual where we look at what won at Cannes and say, \u201cAh yes, that\u2019ll be up for an Oscar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because here\u2019s the thing about Cannes and the Oscars<\/a>: they\u2019re dating. Not officially, but everyone knows. Last year\u2019s Cannes batch included Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent<\/a>. The year before that? The Substance, Emilia P\u00e9rez, and Anora. You know, just a few little indie films that nobody\u2019s heard of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So grab your popcorn, your best French accent, and your strongest opinions. Here are the nine films from Cannes 2026 that could end up holding little gold men next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Fjord \u2013 The Palme d\u2019Or Winner That Everyone Hates (Or Loves. Nobody Can Decide.)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start with the big one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fjord won the Palme d\u2019Or<\/a>, Cannes\u2019 top prize, the equivalent of Best Picture but French and therefore automatically more sophisticated. It\u2019s directed by Cristian Mungiu, who previously won the Palme d\u2019Or in 2007 for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days<\/a>. He\u2019s now the 10th director in history to win the prize twice<\/a>. Fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film stars Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve<\/a> as an evangelical couple who move from Romania to a remote Norwegian village with their five children. The family\u2019s deeply conservative religious beliefs clash with progressive Norwegian laws<\/a>. When their eldest daughter shows up at school with bruises, the authorities launch an investigation into their parenting methods. The parents admit to slapping their children as discipline \u2013 perfectly normal in Romania, deeply illegal in Norway<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film received a 12-minute standing ovation<\/a>, one of the longest at the festival. But here\u2019s the twist: the critics are completely, spectacularly divided<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Variety\u2019s Guy Lodge called it \u201cmasterful\u201d and said it \u201csharply captures the conflicts and misunderstandings of the modern world.\u201d<\/a> ScreenDaily\u2019s Lee Marshall argued it \u201clacked a sufficiently strong climax.\u201d<\/a> The Guardian\u2019s Peter Bradshaw gave it 2 out of 5 stars and called it \u201clacking emotional weight.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mungiu himself summed it up perfectly at the press conference: \u201cWe need to respect each other and leave children with a less violent society.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> High. The film tackles the hottest of hot topics \u2013 religion, parenting, cultural clashes<\/a>. The Academy loves movies that make them feel smart and uncomfortable at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Minotaur \u2013 The Grand Prix Winner That Should Have Won The Palme (According To Everyone Who Lost)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Minotaur won the Grand Prix<\/a>, the second most important award at Cannes. And before Fjord was announced, many experts predicted Minotaur would take the top prize<\/a>. So this is essentially the runner-up. The bridesmaid. The \u201cwe liked it but not enough to give you the trophy\u201d award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, whose previous films have been Oscar-nominated<\/a>, Minotaur is a remake of Claude Chabrol\u2019s The Unfaithful Wife (1969)<\/a>. But Zvyagintsev has moved the story to a Russian city and added a sharp political edge. The husband is an oligarch enjoying a life of luxury while his employees are sent to fight in Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film is described as \u201cHitchcockian, tense, richly characterised, and deliciously dark\u201d<\/a>. It\u2019s also, apparently, \u201cgripping and accessible\u201d<\/a>, which for a Zvyagintsev film is like saying a polar bear is \u201cslightly chilly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Very high. Zvyagintsev has been nominated before. The political angle is timely. And the Academy loves a good remake that\u2019s not really a remake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Club Kid \u2013 The Anora of 2026 (But Gayer)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Club Kid was one of the few American films at Cannes this year<\/a>. It\u2019s written, directed, and starring Jordan Firstman<\/a> (you might know him from I Love LA). The plot? A party animal\u2019s life is upended when he\u2019s presented with the 10-year-old son he never knew he had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film premiered on May 15<\/a> and received a six-minute standing ovation<\/a>. Then things got interesting. Firstman kissed his co-star Diego Calva during the celebrations<\/a>. The video went viral<\/a>. Social media lost its collective mind. \u201cIs Diego even gay?\u201d people asked<\/a>. \u201cA six-minute Cannes ovation AND a celebratory kiss?? Oh, ClubKid just entered its indie cult classic era instantly,\u201d someone else tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film has been called this year\u2019s answer to Anora<\/a>. It has the same producer, Alex Coco<\/a>. It\u2019s a \u201crollicking, New York-set indie comedy that bursts with raunchiness and caustic wit, but is big-hearted too.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Moderate. It probably won\u2019t win Best Picture like Anora did<\/a>, but expect nominations in acting, screenplay, and possibly a \u201cwait, this is actually really good\u201d surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. La Bola Negra \/ The Black Ball \u2013 The Spanish Epic That Made Everyone Cry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi \u2013 aka \u201cLos Javis\u201d \u2013 this Spanish saga is described as having \u201csweeping scale, lavish period detail, wrenching emotion, and literary cleverness.\u201d<\/a> It cuts between three narratives \u2013 two in the 193s and one in 2017 \u2013 examining how gay relationships have been erased from history in Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film received a 13-minute standing ovation<\/a>, one of the longest of the festival. The critical response has been rapturous. The New York Times\u2019 Kyle Buchanan called it a future Oscar contender \u201cin all categories.\u201d<\/a> Variety\u2019s Guy Lodge praised its \u201cnarrative and stylistic maximalism.\u201d<\/a> The Hollywood Reporter called it \u201ca dazzling blend of contemporary pop sensibility and classic cinema.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It features memorable cameos by Pen\u00e9lope Cruz (as a music-hall bombshell) and Glenn Close (as a pioneering academic).<\/a> The wartime scenes are reminiscent of The English Patient and Captain Corelli\u2019s Mandolin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Extremely high. International feature. Best supporting actress for Cruz. Possibly Best Picture if the campaign is strong. Spain\u2019s official submission? Almost certainly.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Soudain \/ All of a Sudden \u2013 The Three-Hour Tearjerker That Will Ruin Your Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ryusuke Hamaguchi\u2019s Drive My Car won the Oscar for Best International Feature in 2022 and was nominated for Best Picture<\/a>. So when he makes a new film, people pay attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of a Sudden is set in Paris<\/a>. Virginie Efira plays the director of a nursing home who meets Tao Okamoto, a Japanese playwright with terminal cancer<\/a>. And here\u2019s the kicker: it\u2019s three hours and sixteen minutes long<\/a>. Including a 30-minute lecture on the demographic effects of capitalism<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you read that correctly. A half-hour lecture. On demographics. In French and Japanese. With subtitles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Actress award was shared between Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for their performances in this film<\/a>. And despite the daunting runtime, critics say viewers who stick with it will be \u201csobbing by the end.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Moderate-to-high. Hamaguchi has the track record. The Academy loves a good cry. But three hours and sixteen minutes is a hard sell for voters who have twenty other films to watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. The Man I Love \u2013 Rami Malek\u2019s Comeback (With Tears)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rami Malek hasn\u2019t given awards voters much to focus on since he won his Oscar for Bohemian Rhapsody in 2019<\/a>. The Man I Love changes that<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set in New York in 1984<\/a>, Malek plays Jimmy George, a beloved queer entertainer living with AIDS who refuses to stop working<\/a>. He\u2019s determined to mount one last theatrical production as time runs short. Tom Sturridge plays his devoted partner. Luther Ford plays a younger neighbor with whom he has a simmering affair.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film received a seven-minute standing ovation at its premiere<\/a>. Malek, making his Cannes debut, seemed overwhelmed. His eyes filled with tears as the audience applauded.<\/a> One genuine showstopper involves Malek mournfully singing Melanie\u2019s 197 B-side, \u201cLook What They\u2019ve Done to My Song, Ma,\u201d to his family.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film is only 95 minutes long<\/a>, a blessed relief after All of a Sudden. Directed by Ira Sachs, whose last several films have received Spirit Award nominations for Best Feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> High for Malek (Best Actor). Possibly for Supporting Actor (Sturridge). And a real contender for Best Picture if the campaign finds its footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. El ser querido \/ The Beloved \u2013 Javier Bardem Being Terrifying Again<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Academy has a soft spot for films about film-making<\/a>. And The Beloved is one of the finest examples of that sub-genre<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Javier Bardem plays a prestigious director who hires his own daughter (Victoria Luengo) to star in his historical epic<\/a>. She\u2019s grateful for the opportunity. But once they\u2019re shooting on location, she learns he\u2019s just as short-tempered with her as he is with everyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film received an eight-minute standing ovation<\/a>. The Guardian called Bardem\u2019s performance \u201chis most terrifying since No Country For Old Men.\u201d<\/a> Variety said \u201cit\u2019s been a while since Bardem had such a direct role in which he could shine,\u201d describing his character as \u201coverwhelming, charismatic, manipulative, ruthless but astutely silent.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who is quickly becoming one of Spain\u2019s most exciting filmmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Very high for Bardem (Best Actor). Possibly for Luengo (Supporting Actress). The father-daughter dynamic will resonate with voters who have complicated feelings about their own parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Moulin \u2013 The Grindhouse WWII Movie You Didn\u2019t Know You Needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Nemes won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016 for Son of Saul<\/a>. His new film, Moulin, is another gruelling, atmospheric chronicle of World War Two<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the true story of Jean Moulin, a French Resistance leader who is arrested in Lyon and interrogated by the loathsome Gestapo commander Klaus Barbie<\/a>. Gilles Lelouche plays Moulin. Lars Eidinger plays Barbie.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shot on 35mm film<\/a> with an innovative \u201cbleach bypass\u201d process that gives it a distinctive, gritty look<\/a>. The same team worked on Poor Things, The Brutalist, and Maria, so you know the craft will be impeccable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nemes said in a statement: \u201cI\u2019m confident that contemporary audiences, near and far, will attach themselves to a man who embodies civilisation against barbarism.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> High for International Feature. Also a strong contender for Cinematography and Sound. It\u2019s not an easy watch, but the Academy loves a worthy struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Notre Salut \/ A Man of His Time \u2013 The Banality of Evil, French Style<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Emmanuel Marre\u2019s drama is a biopic of his own great-grandfather, Henri Marre<\/a>. After the German conquest of France in World War Two, Henri keeps knocking on doors until he gets a bureaucratic job in Marshall P\u00e9tain\u2019s Vichy regime<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sees himself as a patriot who can rebuild France with his modern management theories<\/a>. The fact that he\u2019s collaborating with the Nazis and helping to send Jewish citizens to their deaths doesn\u2019t seem to interest him<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marre drew inspiration from his own family\u2019s correspondence to imagine his great-grandfather\u2019s journey<\/a>. The film uses naturalistic performances, intimate camerawork, and bursts of 198s music<\/a> (yes, really) to make the point that the most abhorrent dictatorships can be propped up by the most ordinary people<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swann Arlaud plays Henri with what Franceinfo calls \u201cjustesse\u201d \u2013 a quiet, chilling accuracy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oscar potential:<\/strong> Moderate-to-high. International Feature. Possibly Best Adapted Screenplay. And a real dark horse for Best Picture if the campaign focuses on the film\u2019s uncomfortable relevance to modern politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ones That Didn\u2019t Make The List (But Probably Should Have)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are two more worth watching:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coward<\/strong> by Lukas Dhont. A gay romance set during World War One. The Best Actor award was shared between Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne for their performances in this film<\/a>. Dhont\u2019s previous film, Close, was nominated for Best International Feature. Expect tears. Lots of tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreamed Adventure<\/strong> by Valeska Grisebach. 167 minutes<\/a> of whatever Grisebach wants to make. Her film Western was a critical darling. This one is apparently even weirder. Oscars love weird. Sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Verdict (Or: Who\u2019s Actually Winning?)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look, predicting the Oscars in May is like predicting the weather next Christmas. You\u2019re probably wrong, but it\u2019s fun to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s my completely unqualified, definitely-wrong-by-February prediction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n