- Cannes 2026 Video #2: A Look Back at Day One of the Fest (May 13, 2026)
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival starts Tuesday, May 12th, running through May 24th. The Ebert team returns this year with coverage of all of the major films in review and video form.
In the latest from Chaz Ebert’s series of remote video dispatches from Cannes, she breaks down the opening ceremonies and the opening-night film, “The Electric Kiss.” She also details the joyous screening of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth,” with del Toro in attendance. We also check in with press conferences with Thierry Fremaux and questions about politics for this year’s Cannes jury.
Enjoy the video and a transcript below.
Day one kicked things off with a parade of international stars and fashion on the red carpet.
At the opening ceremony, hosted by French-Malian actress Eye Haidara, along with the formal introduction of this year’s jury, New Zealand director Peter Jackson was presented by Elijah Wood with an honorary Palme d’Or for his work on The Lord of the Rings films, among many others throughout his career.
Following the ceremony, the opening-night film “La Venus Electrique” played for audiences in Cannes and in theaters throughout France.
But generating more excitement among the cinephiles at the festival was a 20th anniversary screening earlier in the day of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” playing in the Cannes Classics section.
Del Toro was warmly introduced at the screening by his friend, Cannes director Thierry Frémaux, and gave a heartfelt and funny introduction of the film.
Guillermo del Toro: “Because one thing happens to me as a filmmaker, everybody who liked ‘Hellboy’ when they were 20, now they come to me, and they’re 40.
Everybody who liked “Pan’s Labyrinth” every year is in their 20s. For some reason, it connects with the strength of being young, when the world tells you you’re wrong, and you know you’re right. So I wanted to put it out in the world in a big way so that I can keep connecting with the souls that remain young. So I’m going to sit my gigantic but over there and we’re going to watch it together.”
Chaz: After the film played, del Toro, clearly touched by the response of the audience, spoke again to the assembled crowd.
GdT: “You know, this movie, I think, is for me like a little parable on a little lullaby, a little song. For the times one is down, cinema has saved my life a few times. And, I hope the movie connects with you in that way. I know it has through the decades.
And, this is what film does for us. And this is what art does for us. And fuck A.I.”
Chaz: Political statements and moviemaking are top of mind these days. At his own introductory press conference, Thierry Frémaux was asked about how the Cannes film festival prepares itself to deal with the political issues of the day.
Thierry Frémaux: “Politics is on the screen. That’s what we see in Cannes. So I owe my reputation to my function. I’m not going to put my function in the service of my political opinions, my personal opinions. I could talk about Bruce Springsteen, Olympique Lyonnais, but these are personal views. The Cannes Festival considers that political matters should be addressed through what the filmmakers say and do.
In other words, one has to look at the gesture of artists, view it as an artistic gesture, a question of cinema, and not lend it more meaning than that. One should not lend it more meaning than what will happen in the course of the two weeks here at the Cannes Festival. And then we’ll see.”
Chaz: Politics have always been a hot topic in Cannes. And that’s the subject of today’s Cannes Flashback, recalling the time I asked George Clooney about the upcoming Presidential election in 2016.
Chaz 2016: “Chaz Ebert from RogerEbert.com and the Chicago Sun-Times. Although this film is about past financial misdoings. Can you see this as a harbinger, a cautionary tale, or a harbinger of things to come under a potential President Donald Trump?
George Clooney 2016: “Well, let’s sort of start much simpler. There’s not going to be a President Donald Trump. That’s not going to happen. It’s not going to happen because we’re not going to be scared. Fear is not something we’re going to be; that’s what’s going to drive our country. We’re not going to be scared of Muslims or immigrants or, you know, women.
We’re not actually afraid of anything. So, you know, we’re not going to use fear. So that’s not going to be an issue. If you’re asking if it’s a harbinger, I think that, you know, and I think you would agree, and I think we all sort of see it. I think that’s sort of landed in a way.
Trump is actually a result of many things, including the fact that many news programs didn’t follow up and ask tough questions. That’s the truth. It was, you know, it’s really easy because your numbers go up. All these cable news numbers, this 24-hour news, doesn’t mean you get more news. It just means you get the same news – more.
So the more and more and more you hear. You know, these guys, your ratings go up because they can show an empty podium saying Donald Trump is about to speak, you know, as opposed to taking those 30 seconds and saying, well, let’s talk about refugees, which is the biggest crisis that’s going on in the world right now.
Chaz: And the questions about politics were at the forefront of this year’s jury press conference also….
Park Chan-wook:
I don’t think politics and the arts should be divided. I think it’s a strange concept to think that they’re in conflict with each other.
Paul Laverty:
And isn’t that fascinating to see somebody like Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, and Mark Ruffalo blacklisted because of their views and opposing the murder of women and children in Gaza. Shame on Hollywood people who do that. And so, my respect and total solidarity with them.
Demi Moore:
I think part of art is about expression. So if we start censoring ourselves, I think we shut down the very core of our creativity, which is where we can discover truths and answers.
Chaz: On an inspiring note, Jury President Park Chan-wook and Oscar-nominated actress Ruth Negga talked about what it meant to them to get the call to join the jury in Cannes.
Park Chan-wook: I told my wife about the news. I first said maybe I shouldn’t go because, having been a juror here before, I know how stressful the job of being a president is. So I had to spend five minutes really thinking about whether I was ready for this task. But reflecting on my memories of Cannes, where I have screened my films and have been fortunate to win awards, I realized it was time for me to give back and serve the film festival.
Ruth Negga: “My heart skipped a beat, to be honest, and it actually felt like poetry because I was first at Cannes ten years ago. We brought Jeff Nichols “Loving” here, and the warmth, the generosity, the support, the joy that we all felt. I mean, it was unforgettable. I mean, it’s embedded in my memory. And so it’s so special to be invited back here to be on the jury.”
Chaz: That’s all for now, but join us each day for our regular reports, reviews, and reactions at RogerEbert.com/festivals. We’ll keep you on top of everything going on each day at the Cannes Film Festival.
Until next time, au revoir!
- Prime Video’s “Off Campus” is Big on Romance, Music, and Spice (May 13, 2026)
As a self-professed Romance girlie, I’ve frequently written about the difference between a romantic film/show and a romance novel. That difference isn’t semantics. It comes down to the storytelling, the characterizations, and the thing that Romance readers love most: the tropes. “Bridgerton” was the first to recognize this fact. We haven’t seen that dedication to Romance novel-styled storytelling repeated. Until now.
Enter Prime Video’s “Off Campus”, based on the novels by Elle Kennedy. Here, we join the fictional Boston-set university, Briar U, for an intimate look at the love lives and friendships of its hockey team.
Networks and studios are excited about the viewership prospects of hockey/sports romance after the success of “Heated Rivalry.” Why not? Part of launching a hit series is knowing when to catch a wave. However, while both shows are swoony hockey love stories, the two differ in style. The former is a romantic drama, darker in tone and driven by hidden passions. “Off Campus” is playful, at times exuberant, with the trope-y rom-com readers and audiences also crave. The genre is contemporary and new adult—the college-aged or new to the workforce—and although you’ll get some of the same hijinks as in YA, it skews older and does it well.
Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Garrett (Belmont Cameli), Dean (Stephen Thomas Kalyn), and Tucker (Jalen Thomas Brooks) in OFF CAMPUS
Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Prime
© AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
The first couple in the lineup ignites when quiet songwriter Hannah (Ella Bright) and all-star hockey player Garrett (Belmont Cameli) meet in the locker room showers at Briar University. She sees everything he has to offer—at least on the outside—but it isn’t until they make a mutually beneficial deal that they truly see each other. He pretends to be her boyfriend to make another guy jealous, while she tutors him in philosophy. Classic. It’s a set-up we’ve seen before.
What sets this first season of “Off Campus” apart is how tangible Bright and Cameli make Hannah and Garrett feel. Every shade of emotion is explored; they are vulnerable, quippy, hopeful, and honest in a way that makes you forget their characters are on screen.
The rest of the cast delivers, too. “Off Campus” is boosted by lively, engaging dialogue between characters who are growing toward better versions of themselves. It’s easy to imagine future seasons with John Logan (Antonio Cipriano), Allie (Mika Abdalla), or Dean (Stephen Kalyn), but this is the season of ‘Gannah,’ and the pair is charming in the extreme. If this were a chemistry class, they’d ace it with extra credit. They’re playful, considerate, and have beloved nicknames—he calls her Wellsy because her last name is Wells. So cute.
Beyond their winning portrayals, the heroine and hero are dealing with childhood traumas. As a result, their character arcs are partially defined by their efforts to define themselves without the context of their parents or the people who hurt them badly in the past.
Another factor that makes “Off Campus” work is that Louisa Levy, the series creator, and co-showrunner Gina Fattore understand that romance on TV is common, but true Romance novel formats are hard to find. The story beats and progression of falling in love are different between the two. The series envisions the episodes like chapters, closing out on cliffhangers or with hooks that pull you into the next episode.
Justin (Josh Heuston) in OFF CAMPUS
Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Prime
© AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
The classic tropes: jock boy paired with nerdy girl, jock needs a tutor, one bed, opposites attract, and the Queen Mother of tropes: fake dating, all sparkle throughout the season. And it’s spicy too. Spice refers to how explicit the sex is, and this show is saucy. There’s lots of sex, but it never objectifies. There’s also nudity, and some of it is full frontal. Just thought I should let you know if you’re a pearl clutcher.
Music as a healing force is part of the connection between Hannah and Garrett, especially classic rock. Early on, I thought of the Fox series “Glee” and was rewarded with a reference. “Off Campus” doesn’t just have a soundtrack; many of the plot beats hinge on music—from classical to rock to pop—and all the sub-genres in between. To accentuate the storytelling, Prime Video bought out the record store with big needle drops and musical guest appearances, including one that fans will be howling for.
“Off Campus” is a swoon-worthy, hot, and heated rom-com-drama that gives its story space to fully bloom just like its characters. It’s a highly enjoyable romance from front to back that’ll leave you wishing, hoping, and anticipating which couple you’ll spend the sophomore season with. Until then, this series will get plenty of replays.
- Notes from the Red Carpet of the 2026 Chicago Critics Film Festival (May 13, 2026)
In its thirteenth year, the Chicago Critics Film Festival returned with one of its strongest line-ups to date, featuring multiple sold-out shows and an exciting line-up of in-person guests.
As Managing Editor, Brian Tallerico shared, “As headlines screech about the divide between critics and moviegoers, CCFF serves as a counterargument, bringing together people who write about movies, those who make them, and those who love them.” That dovetails with what Roger would say about movies being machines that generate empathy, acting as intermediaries between people who seem so different from each other and striving to show that they may be more connected than they think.
This question about critics versus creatives versus consumers was on my mind as I hit the red carpet on behalf of RogerEbert.com to speak with the talent in attendance. The festival was thrilled to bring Olivia Wilde, who directed and starred in “The Invite,” which screened on 35mm and served as the opening night film.
“When A Witness Recants” was the festival’s Centerpiece screening and brought director Dawn Porter to the Music Box. (Porter’s film also won the Documentary Audience Award.) The festival was thrilled to give hometown welcomes to three films that celebrated Midwestern creativity.
Directors Edd Benda and Stephen Holstad, as well as star Judy Greer, were in attendance for the Chicago premiere of “Chili Finger,” where many local cast and crew were present. The same can be said for the Chicago-shot and set film “Loafers,” which saw writer-director Zach Schnitzer and producer Nate Simon pack out the Music Box with the entire cast.
If I had a nickel for every time the closing-night film of the festival was acquired by a studio right before it screened, I’d have two nickels, which is not a lot, but it’s serendipitous that it happened twice. Following in the footsteps of last year’s “A Little Prayer,” Chicago-based director Joe Swanberg and producer and star Cory Michael Smith concluded proceedings with “The Sun Never Sets,” fresh off its acquisition from IFC.
Other guests included Anna Baumgarten, Carlos Lerma, Curtis Matzke, Nicholas J. Santore, Carter Amelia Davis Jet & Antonio L. Rodriguez, and Stephen Tronicek, who spoke about their respective short films.
Additional films of the line-up to note were Walter Thompson-Hernández’s “If I Go Will They Miss Me,” which won the Narrative Feature Audience Award, and Jet and Antonio L. Rodriguez’s “Glory/Us” won the Short Audience Award.
Below are excerpts from these creatives as they discuss Chicago memories, the role of criticism, and offer Easter eggs about filming their projects.
The following interview quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Opening with “The Invite” and closing with “The Sun Never Sets” was fortuitous in more ways than one. Swanberg directed “Drinking Buddies,” in which Wilde co-starred, released in 2013. It was touching to witness the two of them reunite more than ten years later on the festival’s first day.
Speaking to RogerEbert.com, Wilde reflected on her joyful time filming the project in Chicago, sharing that she “had a great time going to all the breweries where we shot the film,” and also highlighted that she lived in Wicker Park while filming. That experience of spending a Summer filming, discussing, and doing life with dear collaborators has influenced her thoughts on criticism.
“The origin of film criticism started with filmmakers and Cahiers du Cinéma,” she shared. “Those people were such film lovers that they were making films, watching each other’s films, and writing about film. I love that aspect of film criticism: people who love films so much that they want to talk about them and they want to bring other people into the fold.” In addition to name-dropping Roger Ebert himself, Wilde also took time to mention Pauline Kael, finding people like them to be “So bold in their opinions, being their own rather than just following the crowd … in some ways it’s a dying art.”
Speaking to the project she brought to the festival, Wilde stressed that she hopes it reminds people it’s never too late for retransformation. Looking at the central couple, Joe (played by Seth Rogen) and Angela (played by her), she shared:
“The movie is about choices and helping ensure they’re authentic to you. If you make life choices out of obligation, you will end up unhappy and resentful. In my life, I’ve been really lucky to make choices based on what I dreamed of doing, and I try to remember to keep doing that because it’s easy to slide into a ‘This is who I should be, this is what I should be doing’ mentality. When you’re young, you have a bold sense of courage and ambition that you lose as you get older. This film is really saying, ‘Have you gotten to the point in your life when you realize you’re not living your own life and you’re actually allowed to change?’”
The hope for change, even if it seems distant or impossible, is a key theme that undergirds Dawn Porter’s “When A Witness Recants,” which focuses on the wrongful imprisonment of three innocent teenagers who were convicted of the murder of a 14-year old boy at a Baltimore middle school.
Festival programmer Erik Childress shared that the team programmed the project not just for its expert filmmaking but for its powerful message that though justice can be delayed, it won’t be forever denied. It’s a project deserving of being highlighted in the line-up, and for Porter, she hopes the project can put her in dialogue with her fellow creatives who have been getting at this issue from different vantage points.”
“You cannot tell too many stories about wrongful incarceration,” she shared. “I think we’re living in really difficult times, and it can be easy to think that justice is impossible. The people who have been doing civil rights work and legal reform have been doing it for decades. I hope this film is added to the film timeline. I think about the work of Steve James, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Brady, Liz Garbus, and Gita Gandbhir. The hope is that there’s always going to be a new group of young people, activists, or people who aren’t aware of what’s happening, and hopefully our films can bring those people over to be interested and active.”
She also hopes the project can serve as a source of encouragement for those experiencing injustice in the current criminal justice system. “I think we’ve got to work to make sure people aren’t convicted falsely in the first place, but short of that, it’s somebody’s life on the other end of the line, we have to show that the fight is worth it. How much time is too much to keep fighting for somebody?”
She also expressed gratitude for the work of critics, citing them as people who help shed light on all facets of a film production. “True criticism is valuable because it places your film within a canon. The film criticism that I’ve read–especially coming out of Sundance this year–was so sophisticated, and writers were doing a good job of seeing themes and understanding that there’s so much that goes into what we do.
“I appreciate how, when the critics acknowledge the score, the edit, the pacing … I mean, there are so many sleepless nights worrying about so many small things that I personally really appreciate it when someone notices that we’re not just putting up a camera and hoping for the best, that there’s so much thought that goes into what we do. Film critics help us. They’re megaphones for the audiences.”
This charitable disposition towards critics and their work was co-signed by the cast and crew of “Chili Finger,” even if the widening gap between creatives and critics was also facetiously acknowledged. Co-director and writer Stephen Helstad stated that although, as the maker of the film, he’s had to separate himself from the critique and “make the movie that we want to make and think that will resonate with the audience,” the rest is out of the filmmakers’ hands.
“Critics fill an interesting gap in giving shape to the life of a film once it’s been unleashed upon the public,” Helstad explained. “They are instrumental and can serve as a filter for wider audiences; people may not hear about our film. So in that sense, critics, I hope you really like ‘Chili Finger.”
Co-director Edd Benda echoed similar sentiments expressed by Porter, sharing, “What’s cool is when people care. What’s fun is that we made this film for audiences, and is there a greater gift than somebody who really sits there and thinks about it in the way critics do.” He jokingly caveats, “I’m saying this all in my early interaction with critics … ask me again in a decade.”
During the filming of “Chili Finger,” star Judy Greer stayed in Roger Ebert’s childhood home. “The production rented me this Airbnb. They gave me a couple of options, and I obviously had to stay in Roger’s home. There’s a plaque on the sidewalk in the front of the house that demarcates this as his home and a fair amount of paraphernalia in the house that was kind of fun and not crazy … there was good juju,” she summarized.
“Loafers,” a Chicago-set production that focuses on two best friends dealing with post-grad haze, was made “with friends, no money, and because we love movies,” according to writer-director Zach Schnitzer, and he was grateful for the ways the festival has helped put more visibility on the project and helped him think about the film in ways he hadn’t previously considered.
“This festival has put more eyes on this film, and as a result, the writing that has come out of it has put the project in conversations with films I love. That’s something I’m incredibly grateful for. The company that they have listed amongst is a group of people that I’m very grateful to be listed amongst, not side-by-side comparisons or anything, but I’m very grateful that the inspirational mentions of people like Richard Linklater or the Duplass Brothers are like, ‘We can see that you like their movies.’ And that is an honor to me because I do. I really love those movies.
“The intention of making this movie was much simpler. We made this film because we liked movies and we wanted to make one. We wanted to tell this sort of personal story, and everything that’s happened afterward has been just a gift and something unexpected.”
Sharing more about criticism, as a young filmmaker, he expressed a gratitude for the vital way in which criticism is a part of the ecosystem of art making “There’s a million purposes for art, but I think one of the purposes that art serves is to create discussions that can cause positive change in the world, and I think that criticism is a vital element of that and a very necessary piece to that sort of response and growth that art can offer society.”
He also cited gratitude for the training critics undergo and how their familiarity with film validates a project in a way other types of writing may not. “It means something very different to get a four-star review from a critic than it does to get a four-star review from an average moviegoer,” he shared.
Speaking about “The Sun Never Sets,” director Joe Swanberg (who has a cameo in “Loafers”) shared that, having grown up in the era of Siskel and Ebert and having written film criticism himself, he knew from an early age that critics were a big part of filmmaking. “Certainly, with my early movies, I was positive or negative, thrilled just to get any reviews of my movies. Even negative … just watch ‘em, baby?”
Producer and actor Cory Michael Smith jokingly co-signed, sharing, “Well, in terms of the economy, critics are essential because they help keep therapists for actors employed.” He then shared that he has appreciated growing alongside critics as both actor and critic develop their craft. “What’s nice is that when you find a few critics who you typically agree with, and you appreciate their point of view, and you can sort of follow them through their career in a way that they follow you. So there’s some respect. Occasionally, I will read a review where I’m like, ‘Yeah, they nailed all the weaknesses of the movie. That’s exactly what I think is wrong with it, too. I guess we didn’t get away with it.’”
Smith also divulged how working on “The Sun Never Sets” came at a pivotal point in his life in that it was sandwiched between two other projects—“Mountainhead” and Jeremy Saulnier’s upcoming horror action thriller film “October”—that could not be more different, but that ultimately complemented his experience.
“Every project, for better or worse, kind of informs the next one. I believe there’s no character bleed, but sometimes there is. It was really nice to go from playing the richest man in the world in “Mountainhead” to playing a broke dope with a bad credit score in “The Sun Never Sets.” That really set me up for “October.”
“We all collaborated to plan out your year,” Swanberg joked in response.
“There’s actually kind of more of a through line,” Smith quipped back. “This past year, I was spoiled by real gentlemen … incisive, thoughtful, big-hearted gentlemen.”
“The Sun Never Sets” is a homecoming in more ways than one, in that it reunites Swanberg with DP Eon Mora, who was an assistant to the DP for “Drinking Buddies.” “It’s been seven or eight years since then. So I think both of us have gone and done a lot of other things, and so it’s nice to return to it and to feel like the flow was still there,” Mora shared.
He spoke about filming in Alaska, where the film is set, and said he hopes to return there. “What was interesting was the time of year that we’re shooting in; it was late spring. I think our last day of shooting was the Solstice, so the longest day of the year. It’s these long days where we had to think, ‘How is this movie going to exist where the days never end, and the sun never goes away?’ We had to consider that as the film’s context and think through it from a lighting perspective. It was fun to think through how living in a place like that would affect the characters and their dispositions.”
Speaking about his cameo in “Loafers” and what makes him excited about supporting up-and-coming filmmakers, especially in Chicago, Swanberg shared, “I live in this city. I love this city. I believe in it having a strong and vibrant film community. I love acting, so I’m really always happy to show up in that role and support,” he jokes.
“There’s nothing better than a group of people just out of film school who have all that enthusiasm, youthful energy. I’m happy to place myself around happy, enthusiastic young people, even if I can just vampirically suck a little bit of their energy.”
The 2026 Chicago Critics Film Festival was held May 1–7, at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. All photography credited to Kate Scott.
- Cannes 2026: The Electric Kiss (May 13, 2026)
The Cannes Film Festival’s opening-night ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, reliably hits certain beats.
The show pays tribute to the timeless art of cinema. This year’s host, the actress Eye Haïdara, did her own renditions of famous lines from “La Dolce Vita,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Notting Hill.”
Then the jurors are formally introduced. Park Chan-wook (“No Other Choice”) is this year’s president. He delivered his remarks in Korean, and while it sounded like audience members in the Lumière theater received a translation over the loudspeaker, that part was inaudible in the TV broadcast shown to journalists in the nearby Debussy auditorium.
Sometimes the festival gives out an honorary Palme d’Or. This year, Elijah Wood presented one to Peter Jackson, his director on “The Lord of the Rings,” who seemed genuinely stunned to be there.
“The Palme d’Or is something that I never ever thought I would win, ever, because I don’t make Palme d’Or sort of films,” he said. He noted that he had only been to Cannes twice before: once 38 years ago to sell his debut feature, “Bad Taste,” and a second time in May 2001 to screen advance footage from “Lord of the Rings.”
He called both visits milestones in his career. When he came here to show “Bad Taste,” he said, “I left New Zealand as a photo engraver, and I went home as a filmmaker.” He credited the “Lord of the Rings” preview with changing minds about the project’s potential.
Then Gong Li (in Chinese) and Jane Fonda (in French) declared the festival open, and Cannes followed its timelessness-of-cinema message with another festival tradition: an opening-night feature that is utterly forgettable.
Pierre Salvadori’s “The Electric Kiss” served its limited role as a divertissement for those unfortunate enough not to have dinner plans. The “kiss” of the title refers to a carnival attraction. Suzanne (Anaïs Demoustier) performs under the stage name Venus Electrificata. Her act involves taking lovelorn men from the crowd and, for 30 centimes each, allowing them to kiss her while she absorbs electric current through her body. The men get to experience the lightning thrill of love; Suzanne gets to spend her nights with bandaged hands and an ice bowl for her feet.
But one night, a wealthy, widowed painter, Antoine (Pio Marmaï), mistakes her for the carnival medium. He wants to communicate with his wife, Irène (played by Vimala Pons in flashbacks), and Suzanne goes along with it. Soon enough, Antoine’s friend and art dealer, Armand (Gilles Lellouche), frustrated with the painter’s meager output, sees a way to give him a creative jolt. And so Armand begins feeding Suzanne information about Irène.
The scam recalls the novel and film adaptations of “Nightmare Alley,” and if you were really reaching for a reason—any reason—why “The Electric Kiss” should screen at Cannes, perhaps it is best to imagine that the movie was selected as an extremely oblique homage. (Edmund Goulding’s 1947 film with Tyrone Power turns 79 this year—and it’s the 79th Cannes Film Festival.)
But “The Electric Kiss” comes to us, per the credits, “after an original idea” by two directors selected in past editions of Cannes, Rebecca Zlotowski (“A Private Life”) and Robin Campillo (“BPM”). The project actually grew out of Salvadori’s experience acting in Zlotowski’s “Planetarium,” another period piece that dealt with spiritualists.
Provenance notwithstanding, “The Electric Kiss” turns its conceit into something pretty dopey. The film plays the deception for feeble laughs, as when Antoine asks Suzanne, who is wearing vision-obscuring contact lenses to make her look possessed, for tips on a painting she can barely see.
“The Electric Kiss” is set in the 1920s, although it’s hard to confirm that until Suzanne starts poaching ideas from Irène’s diary, which mercifully has dates in it. What looks like an effects-heavy production design doesn’t do much to evoke the artistic foment of Paris at the time, and several of the leads’ costumes could pass for contemporary.
The best that can be said for “The Electric Kiss” is that it is harmless (except when treating Antoine’s self-destructive tendencies as yet more targets for yuks). It’s also likely that Cannes can only light up from here.
- Cannes 2026: Table of Contents (May 12, 2026)
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival starts Tuesday, May 12th, running through May 24th. The Ebert team returns this year with coverage of all of the major films in review and video form.
Below is a running index of our reviews, dispatches, and video reports from the festival.
Video Reports
Cannes 2026 Video #1: The 79th Cannes Film Festival Begins! by Chaz Ebert
Cannes 2026 Video #2: A Look Back at Day One of the Fest by Chaz Ebert
Festival Dispatches
An Essential Showcase in a Difficult Time: Cannes Film Festival 2026 Preview by Lisa Nesselson
Cannes 2026: The Electric Kiss by Ben Kenigsberg
- Fun Teaser for 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' with Kevin Sussman (May 13, 2026)
"My childhood has lead to me to this moment..." HBO Max has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a series called Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, a sci-fi comedy special created by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady. Set for a streaing debut on HBO Max starting in July with episodes out weekly this summer. The series is the fourth TV series in The Big Bang Theory franchise, and the second direct spin-off of the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory". Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon & Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters from "The Big Bang Theory." Starring Kevin Sussman as the titular Stuart, with Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, and John Ross Bowie, plus Ryan Cartwright, Josh Brener, & Tommy Walker. A dystopian, post-apocalyptic, alternate universe comedy with some big VFX and big stakes as Stuart Bloom tries to find out how to make it all better and put things back into their place. If he can? Looks like an extra geeky, extra wacky spin-off. // Continue Reading ›
- Florence Pugh is Cathy Ames in Netflix's 'East of Eden' Series Teaser (May 13, 2026)
"You will not, Cathy. You will not disappear." All aboard, everyone! Netflix has revealed a first look teaser for their new adaptation of the iconic classic East of Eden, ready for streaming later this fall. This modern interpretation of John Steinbeck's masterpiece will explore the multigenerational saga of the Trask family, focusing new attention on its indelible antihero, Cathy Ames – played by Florence Pugh in this version of the story. The book was turned into the James Dean classic film East of Eden in 1955 as well. The 7-episode limited series offers a compelling perspective on the ways in which a family's history impacts an individual's present reality. In addition to Florence Pugh playing the lead as Cathy Ames, the series stars Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist as Adam and Charles Trask, along with Hoon Lee, Tracy Letts, Ciarán Hinds, Martha Plimpton, Joseph Zada, and Joe Anders. It's developed by actress / writer Zoe Kazan who also co-showruns the series with Jeb Stuart. "It's a portrait of one family, but also of a society that is rapidly changing, in which men and women must navigate difficult decisions, and come face-to-face with the reality that, ultimately, you are what you choose." So far so good, this footage looks compelling. Check it out below. // Continue Reading ›
- Funny Teaser for Will Ferrell's 'The Hawk' Pro Golfer Comedy Series (May 13, 2026)
"The old man's coming for ya!" "I would crush you, dad. Golf is easy!" Netflix has debuted their first real teaser trailer for the new Will Ferrell comedy series about golfing called just The Hawk. This 10 episode sports comedy series is actually Ferrell's first television comedy (we also posted a first look back in March). A follow-up to Adam Sandler's golf comeback Happy Gilmore 2 last year? Though this is really starting to look like an extended SNL sketch. One of the greatest names in golf history (that you’re somehow only just hearing about), American hero Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins is Will Ferrell's newest original character. Get ready fore the return of an icon – on Netflix streaming this July. The series follows "The Hawk", 2004's top golfer, as he struggles to recapture his magic late in his career, refusing to believe he's anything other than one stroke away from golf's greatest return. Also starring Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, Luke Wilson, Chris Parnell, Katelyn Tarver, and David Hornsby. It looks like it should be funny enough for some summer laughs – hoping it isn't just another repeat of Happy Gilmore. Fire it up. // Continue Reading ›
- Final Promo Trailer for Kane Parsons' 'Backrooms' Creepypasta Thriller (May 13, 2026)
"It's a real mess... but also beautiful, in a way." It's almost time to find out what's inside... A24 has debuted one final promo trailer for Backrooms, a feature film version of the web series made by YouTuber Kane Parsons aka "Kane Pixels". Opening in theaters in a few weeks – this is going to be a major sleeper hit. Created by one of the youngest filmmakers ever directing a movie for A24. Ready for a nationwide launch late May and everyone is buzzing about it. It is based upon the urban legend and creepypasta of the same name that was made into Parsons' YouTube series. The movie stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia. A series of disturbing home videos captures the supernatural events that terrorize their witnesses: a strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom. Ejiofor plays the store manager of Cap'n Clark's Ottoman Empire. "A film by Kane Parsons whose original upload redefined the landscape of horror for a new generation." So ready to see this. // Continue Reading ›
- Must See Teaser for Laika's Stunning 'Wildwood' Stop-Motion Movie (May 13, 2026)
"I don't want any part of your fairy tale. I just want my brother." This is a must watch teaser. Laika has revealed their first official teaser trailer for their next stop-motion animated movie Wildwood – landing in theaters starting in October this fall. They've been developing it for years and it's finally finishing up. And it looks gorgeous! Wow. After multiple featurettes and behind-the-scenes looks, now we get some real footage and it's even more grand and majestic than expected. The character of Prue was revealed in a 2024 first look – Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her friend Curtis are drawn into a hidden, magical forest near Portland after Prue's baby brother Mac is kidnapped by crows and a mysterious woman. The cast includes Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Awkwafina, Mahershala Ali, Jemaine Clement, Charlie Day, Jake Johnson, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. From the makers of Coraline, Wildwood is a sweeping, darkly magical adventure about a young girl who ventures into a dangerous hidden forest to rescue her brother – an odyssey shaped by love, power, and the courage to confront the unknown. There are so many unique characters! And such a massive scale with all these forest battles. I'm all in now. // Continue Reading ›
