The 10 most highly anticipated movies of Cannes 2023
There are two dates in any movie lover’s calendar that are highly anticipated on an annual basis. The first is the American Academy Awards, which prize the best movies of the previous year, and the second is the Cannes Film Festival which gives audiences an insight into the films that will be lighting up the release schedule in the years to come. Whilst the former is steadily fading away from relevance, the latter grows stronger and stronger with each passing year.
Whilst many people feel that the Oscars have lost their relevance, Cannes feels more contemporary, largely being pretty good at reflecting a broad range of filmmakers from different countries, creeds and genders. Last year, it was Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness that walked away with the Palme d’Or, the festival’s most admired prize, but this year there are a whole host of other films vying to win.
The 2023 lineup is stacked with a load of exciting releases, with some coming from debut filmmakers whilst others are from veteran directors of the trade. Whilst we’re certainly excited about Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and James Mangold’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, we thought we’d spend some time casting light on some other films that haven’t yet received appropriate hype.
Take a look at our list of the ten movies we’re most excited to see at Cannes 2023, below.
The 10 most highly anticipated movies of Cannes 2023
About Dry Grasses (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Despite having made some of the greatest movies of the 21st century, the Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan is yet to enter the mainstream. Helming such classics as 2002’s Uzak, 2011’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia and 2014’s Winter Sleep, Ceylan is a regular contender at Cannes, having won eight major awards at the festival over the years, including the esteemed Golden Coach prize.
His new movie, About Dry Grasses, tells the story of a young teacher working in a small village in Turkey who dreams of working in Istanbul. Starring the likes of Merve Dizdar, Deniz Celiloglu and Musab Ekici, the film will surely be another Cannes hit.
Club Zero (Jessica Hausner)
Speaking of filmmakers who don’t get the credit they deserve, the Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner has made some of the most intriguing films of modern cinema. Her relatively short filmography includes such gems as 2009’s Lourdes, 2014’s Amour fou and, most recently, the peculiar sci-fi flick Little Joe, starring Ben Whishaw, Emily Beecham, Kit Connor, Kerry Fox and Phénix Brossard.
Her latest movie, Club Zero, sees her collaborating with the great star of indie cinema, Mia Wasikowska, telling the story of a teacher who forms a dangerous bond with a group of five students.
How to Have Sex (Molly Manning Walker)
It feels like no one was talking about Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex mere months ago, but now its profile has risen considerably. The debut from British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker tells the coming-of-age story of three teenage girls who go on a youthful holiday to drink, dance and hook up on a trip that should be the summer of a lifetime.
Starring a number of rising British stars, including the likes of Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley and Shaun Thomas, who is known for his multiple collaborations with filmmaker Clio Barnard, How to Have Sex has the potential to be one of the most important British films of the year.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese)
We put this list together to shine some light on those films at Cannes that haven’t yet gained much publicity, but it’s almost impossible to talk about the 2023 edition of the festival without talking about Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Many years in the making, Scorsese’s latest is adapted from the narrative non-fiction movie of the same name written by David Grann, following the story of a set of brutal murders that befall a tribe of Native Americans.
Boasting a glittering cast that includes the likes of Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brendan Fraser, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, and John Lithgow, Killers of the Flower Moon is sure to be a hit.
Kubi (Takeshi Kitano)
It feels like the cult Japanese filmmaker, actor and comedian Takeshi Kitano has been around for generations, though his latest movie, Kubi, is due to be his very last behind the camera. Having helmed such greats as Sonatine, Minnâ-yatteruka! and Kikujiro, the director’s latest movie tells the story of rival warlords who wage war against each other in Japan amidst a fierce rebellion.
The films of Kitano are never straightforward, and this one is sure to include some unexpected surprises, as well as a pretty strong dose of surrealist comedy.
Last Summer (Catherine Breillat)
Known as one of the most innovative French filmmakers of her generation, Catherine Breillat has made such modern greats as 2009’s Bluebeard, 2007’s The Last Mistress and 2001’s Brief Crossing. Appearing three times before at the Cannes Film Festival, her latest work, Last Summer, tells the story of a lawyer who falls in love with her husband’s son from a previous marriage.
Considering Breillat is known for her films about gender and sexuality, Last Summer sounds like a very intriguing film, especially when it stars the likes of Custody’s Léa Drucker and La Vie En Rose’s Clotilde Courau.
May/December (Todd Haynes)
We’ve talked a lot about up-and-coming filmmakers on this list so far, so let’s end our discussion with a number of established names who are triumphantly returning to the world stage. American filmmaker Todd Haynes is widely known as one of the country’s most prized directors, making such classics as 1995’s Safe, 2002’s Far from Heaven and 2015’s Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara.
His latest movie, May/December, stars the likes of Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore and tells the story of a married couple who feel the pressure when a reporter begins to dig up the truth behind their turbulent past.
Perfect Days (Wim Wenders)
German filmmaker Wim Wenders is truly gracing us with his presence at Cannes in 2023, releasing not one but two feature films that will be screening at the festival. One of which is titled Anselm, and is a documentary that follows the artist Anselm Kiefer, meanwhile, the other film is classic Wenders, with Perfect Days telling the story of a janitor in Japan who travels whilst listening to classic rock music.
Wenders made a career for himself with similar road movies Alice in the Cities and Kings of the Road, so we can’t wait to see what he conjures with a contemporary take on the sub-genre he helped to thrive.
The Old Oak (Ken Loach)
The fiercely political British filmmaker Ken Loach hasn’t been back to Cannes since the release of his 2019 film Sorry We Missed You, with the filmmaker having won the Palme d’Or for I, Daniel Blake in 2016. Returning once again to comment on the state of his home country, The Old Oak will follow the story of the last remaining pub in a village in Northeast England, which has been forgotten by time.
Typically, Loach has gone for a cast of relative unknowns, choosing the likes of Trevor Fox, Debbie Honeywood, Col Tait and Laura Lee Daly for his latest project.
The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)
The British filmmaker Jonathan Glazer may have only made three movies during his career, but each one has innovated the craft so much that he has become a popular critical name. From Sexy Beast in 2000 to Birth in 2004 and Under the Skin in 2013, Glazer has time and time again shown himself to be a cinematic innovator who cannot be matched in the contemporary field. But with The Zone of Interest, has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Adapted from Martin Amis’ book of the same name, The Zone of Interest is a complex tale about the everyday practices that kept the horrific concentration camps of WWII up and running. Whilst the book is something of a terrifying existential drama and romantic comedy, we have no idea how Glazer will manage to adapt the novel, but we know whatever he does will be worth watching.
