- Cannes 2026: Table of Contents (May 15, 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.
Full Reviews
Propeller One-Way Night Coach review: Travolta’s directorial debut never takes flight by Brian Tallerico
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma review: Slasher fans get the homage they deserve by Brian Tallerico
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
Cannes 2026 Video #3: Nagi Notes, Camp Miasma, Werner Herzog 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
Cannes 2026: Fatherland, Parallel Tales by Brian Tallerico
Cannes 2026: Nagi Notes, Ashes by Ben Kenigsberg
Cannes 2026: Ken Russell’s The Devils, Pan’s Labyrinth, Moonlighting by Brian Tallerico
- Cannes 2026: Ken Russell’s The Devils, Pan’s Labyrinth, Moonlighting (May 15, 2026)
The Cannes Classics program has become one of its most interesting sections, offering restorations of great films from around the world, and they slotted arguably the hottest ticket on the Croisette this year in “Ken Russell’s The Devils,” a complete version of the masterful director’s controversial film. Released theatrically in October 2026, it will serve as the launch of Clockwork, a branch of WB dedicated to this kind of thing, and it sets the bar as high as possible for this new brand. People have been asking for a full version of “The Devils” for decades, and the result is absolutely mesmerizing, a 4K restoration from the original camera negative that amplifies the film’s remarkable production design.
Russell’s film has been accurately praised for what can only be called its fury: it’s a movie that looks at the conflict between church and state and wants to burn it all down, but only after the orgy. This uncut version, which restores the infamous “Rape of Christ” sequence along with an amazing beat at the end that I won’t spoil just in case you haven’t read about it, feels angrier than ever. A filmmaker friend told me the night before that he had seen Russell’s film fifty times but felt like he had never really seen it until this viewing. And it’s not just the new footage: it’s the complete package, one that is going to drive nails into the hands of moviegoers later this year.
Famous critic Mark Kermode introduced the film by saying that Russell saw it as his only political film, but this masterpiece was so controversial that it never really reached theaters in the form preferred by the filmmaker until 2004, when Kermode helped him assemble the director’s cut for the first time. The years since saw further restoration, and fans will now be able to experience something that has been a sort of Holy Grail for movie lovers for half a century.
Based loosely on true events in the French city of Loudon in the 17th century, “The Devils” is the story of Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed), a charismatic priest who becomes the enemy of the flamboyant King Louis XIII (Graham Armitage) and Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue). When a nun named Sister Jeanne des Anges (a fearless Vanessa Redgrave) accuses Grandier of being a demonic figure who has warped her convent into a carnal fury, the exorcisms and the tortures begin. Before you know it, naked nuns are writhing all over Derek Jarman’s spectacular sets, and “The Devils” forces viewers to question to whom the title refers: the creatures allegedly possessing these women or the men using them for their political needs.
“The Devils” is a righteously furious movie, a piece that works as a display of carnal depravity so intense that the censors chopped it up before releasing it, but also one that’s so subversively smart. It’s the kind of film that you’re unpacking thematically while watching nuns hump a statue of Jesus Christ.
In other words, it’s a lot of movie, and now we can finally experience all that Russell wanted us to experience. Get thee to an arthouse.
You should also take the chance to see Guillermo del Toro’s 20th anniversary restoration of his masterpiece, “Pan’s Labyrinth” later this year, although he’s still working on polishing it up to an even more pristine version than the one that opened Cannes on Tuesday. It’s hard to believe it could look better than this edition. What’s most striking this time is the intensification of the color palettes from the greens in the woods to the cold blues that surround the evil Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), but the whole thing just looks better than ever.
It’s also notable how timeless “Pan’s” looks in 2026 thanks to its reliance on practical effects, make-up, and production design instead of special effects. It sounds clichéd, but it quite literally hasn’t aged a day, and its themes feel as timely as ever. “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a film about courage in the face of evil; it is about holding onto hope in a time of darkness and believing that there are forces beyond our comprehension that can keep the monsters locked away. I found it more moving than I ever have before, a reminder of the power of storytelling to comment on our reality by transporting us to a fantasy.
For many, “Pan’s” is the film that broke Guillermo del Toro. Arthouse goers knew about the quality of “Cronos” and “The Devil’s Backbone” (and a lot of people loved “Hellboy,” while some of us loved “Blade II”) but this is the one that truly revealed his storytelling gifts.
Watching “Pan’s” in 2026 also feels rewarding in terms of how his career moved from there to here. One can see the wonder that would grow in different ways in projects like “Crimson Peak,” “The Shape of Water,” and “Frankenstein.” Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters because he sees us in them. He is a crafter of fantasies, but there’s a human core in all of his best work and watching this one with not only him but star Ivana Baquero in the room added to the emotional impact.
I can’t hide my love for this film so don’t consider this an unbiased opinion, but I’m hopeful that this restoration will bring “Pan’s Labyrinth” to a new generation, opening doors to imagination the way it did for the last. I know I’m taking my kids to see it again.
Finally, there’s the very different “Moonlighting,” from Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski. Released in 1982, this Jeremy Irons-led dramedy was a hit with Siskel & Ebert, the latter giving it four stars and the former naming it his #1 film of that year. It hasn’t held up as well as that trivia might imply, but it’s still an effective study of an exploited work force at a time of international tumult. And a reminder that Irons has been hitting home runs for over four decades.
The Oscar winner is wonderfully fidgety as Nowak, an electrician who has come to London in 1981 with three Polish workers who speak no English and aren’t really allowed to be working there. They’ve been hired as cheap labor to renovate a house, but only Nowak really knows the extent of the danger. If they’re caught, they’ll be kicked out of the country, and the project will fail. He tries to keep them hidden as costs rise to such a degree that Nowak has to devise an elaborate shoplifting scheme at the grocery store nearby to keep them from starving to death. While this is happening, martial law is declared back in Poland, stranding Nowak even further. These are men without a home, trying to build one for someone rich.
Skolimowski keeps “Moonlighting” humming in terms of pace, and he wrote a witty script, but literally none of this works without what Irons brings to it. Not only does he narrate the entire thing, but he embodies the kind of instinctual working-class leader who does what it takes to get a job done. When he’s cut off from his homeland and his cash, he improvises, finding new ways to get through each day. In that sense, it’s a story that feels timely as immigration debates rage and we hear new stories about abused workforces every day. There are a lot of Nowaks out there.
- The Night I Danced On Stage With Michael Jackson (May 15, 2026)
One sultry summer night in Chicago around 1966, I was backstage at the Broadway Strand with my dance troupe, The Foscoettes. The Strand, as it was called then, was located on Chicago’s West Side. On this night, it was transformed into a variety show space similar to the more famous Regal Theater. But most nights, it doubled as a skating rink.
As my fellow Foscoettes and I were getting ready to perform our modern dance number, I observed the other groups waiting with us in the Green Room. One that particularly caught my eye was “The Boys from Gary,” as we called them, consisting of perhaps an 8-year-old Michael Jackson and his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and perhaps Marlon. His brothers were older adolescents and/or teenagers, and so were jovial and eager to talk with us dancers as we practiced our stretches outfitted in our leotards and tights.
While the rest of us laughed and talked, Michael stood apart from the pack, looking down shyly at the floor. We signaled for him to join us, but he declined. Something about him reminded me of shy boys in my own family, so I pulled on my duster to cover my leotards and walked over to Michael to engage him in conversation. He looked up, his eye catching my own. In that millisecond of exchange, it was clear that we trusted each other. I sat down, and we began to speak in low tones so as not to call attention to ourselves. I could sense from his smile that he felt more comfortable interacting in this one-on-one way.
As our conversation continued, I invited him to sit on my lap, as I would have with my own younger cousins. He complied. He looked at me with his big brown eyes, and we talked about dancing, singing, and whether it was scary to go on stage. I have to admit that I don’t remember the entirety of our conversation, and it never occurred to me that I might be sheltering a kid who would grow up to be the most famous entertainer in the world, not to mention the undisputed “King of Pop.”
Soon, the announcer called our groups to perform. The Foscoettes went first, as I recall. And then the announcer called “The Boys From Gary.” We were standing just offstage, so we saw this miraculous change in Little Michael. Once they went on stage, some magic beam from above transformed that timid little boy into a whirling dervish of talent! We were all enthralled by his singing and dancing. The rapidity of the changing light in Michael’s eyes and the shift of his body to accommodate his otherworldly moves caused all of us to cheer with laughter. Having performed their numbers, they signaled to the Foscoettes to come back out on stage to dance with them. It was electric! That night left no doubt in my mind that Michael and his brothers would go far. (Although my brain couldn’t comprehend at that time just how far.)
The joy of the performances in Antoine Fuqua’s new movie, “Michael”—led by Michael’s own nephew, Jafaar Jackson, in the title role—took me back to the wonder of that evening. Over the years, as I watched Michael Jackson’s evolution, from the transformation of “the Boys from Gary” into the Jackson Five, followed by Michael’s own groundbreaking solo career, we all concluded that he is a rare talent.
Perhaps he lost his way in the years that followed; I don’t know any details. One day, we may find out. But for now, as Spike Lee noted in a recent interview, the abuse allegations against Michael would not have fit into the film’s timeline. Michael’s alleged misdeeds took place long after 1988, when the film ends, and the film acknowledges that there are many more stories left to tell. While modern-day cancel culture often aims to delegitimize the value of an artist’s work due to their personal actions, the phenomenal box office success of “Michael,” which grossed $423 million globally over its first two weekends, affirms that in some instances, the cultural impact of one’s work will long outlive the person who created it.
“Michael” reminds us of a time before the controversies and allegations, of the young man who overcame abuse administered by his own father to create some of the most enduring and beloved music of all time.
“Michael” also reminded me that, for someone not in the performing arts, I had the unbelievable fortune of being on stage dancing with another superstar, Prince, at the United Center in September of 2012. The occasion was a fundraiser hosted by Van Jones to benefit a charity. I donated to the cause and bought front row seats. At some point during the concert, Prince signaled for a few of us to come up on the stage to dance with him. Some of the dancers were on stage for only moments, but I chose to dance all around the entire stage with Prince! Why, I don’t know. I guess I was having fun. Days afterward, someone wrote to my daughter, Sonia, rather disapprovingly, “Did you see that lady prancing all around the stage with Prince?” “Yes,” Sonia replied, “That was my mother.” At this point in my life, it seems like a dream or a fairy tale. And I haven’t told my grandchildren about these instances yet. But now, perhaps I can.
There is an epilogue to my dance with Prince. At the Wedding Reception in Chicago for Mellody Hobson and George Lucas, Prince was the surprise performer! No, he didn’t invite anyone on stage that time. But as I was standing in front of the stage swaying to the music, he looked down, and I saw the beam of recognition in his eye. He pointed his guitar at me and strummed a few chords of welcome. You bet I beamed. One of the event planners, Yvonne McNair, confirmed that he recognized me. It is difficult to believe that both Michael and Prince are gone. As is Whitney, and so many others who left too soon.
Rest in peace, Michael Jackson and Prince, and thank you for demonstrating to me that one is never too old to keep dancing. I will have you both in mind the next time I hit the dance floor.
- Cannes 2026 Video #3: Nagi Notes, Camp Miasma, Werner Herzog (May 15, 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. Enjoy this latest segment, with an edited video transcript below.
On today’s segment, direct from Cannes, we’ll review two new films from the festival’s official selection with RogerEbert.com associate editor Robert Daniels.
Robert Daniels:
The first film I’d like to talk about is “Nagi Notes” by Koji Fukada. It is playing in competition, and it’s a pretty mesmerizing, ruminative film that’s set in a small town in Japan. It begins with an architect by the name of Yuriko, who arrives to see her, her former sister-in-law Yuri, who’s a sculptor, and Yuriko and Yuri have been friends for quite some time and remain friends, mostly because they both have failed relationships.
And those failed relationships are really what bind them together.
I mostly liked the film, mostly for its ruminative rhythms and beats. However, in terms of whether it’s going to compete in competition, it might contend for the protagonist, the lead actress, who is absolutely, really fantastic in it. She gives the film a kind of empathetic rhythm, a pathos that brings us into the world of a woman who is pretty locked away from her surroundings and is trying to find meaning and connection in those around her.
Takako Matsu:
When it came to acting, this person, who is a sculptor and got a lot of help from a real sculptor, I went to the actor “Yey”, and she came to Nagi. She helped me throughout the shooting of the film. And it’s thanks to her that I was able to portray this character.
Robert:
And this is one of the things I very much love about it, the photography. The photography brings us into this verdant landscape of rolling hills in a very rural area that includes cows and all the accouterments of living in the middle of nowhere, basically, but living in peace in the middle of nowhere.
The next film I’d like to talk about is” Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” which was the opening film in the Un Certain Regard section, directed by Jane Schoenbrun. This film is part of her media trilogy, which began with their debut, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” which tackled internet culture. Their second film, “I Saw the TV Glow,” was about their love of television series like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and this one is very much their love of horror movies, particularly slashers.
In this film, Hannah Einbinder, who plays Kris, a director, ventures out to the middle-of-nowhere Camp Miasma, which was the setting of a film she very much loved, called Camp Miasma. There lives Gillian Anderson, who is Billy, who was the final girl in that first film. Kris has been hired by a studio to revitalize this moribund franchise into a moneymaking entity.
But she wants more than that. She wants to actually create art. She wants to relive the thing that made these movies special to her, and the things that made a thing that made it special for her is that it was an erotic awakening for her at a very young age.
I thought the performances were stellar, particularly Gillian Anderson, who takes on this kind of southern drawl that reminds one of Dolly Parton, and she’s very much the propulsive engine of this film, granting it its eroticism, its playfulness, and its many eccentricities.
Hannah Einbinder is also fantastic in this film. It’s her meatiest film role to date.
She began her career on television on Hacks. This is similarly a comedic performance, but I think it has a lot of heart and a lot of psychological injury. Yet this is very much a psychodrama, psycho horror. Depending on how you want to look at it. But it’s a psychological drama and horror with great comedic beats, and she doesn’t oversell them.
She plays them mostly straight. She plays them with much sincerity, and with that sincerity, there are real moments of heartache, especially when she’s being open about her inability to connect to others sexually.
This is a film that very much doesn’t just dabble in the slasher genre; it fully embraces it. And because of that, it is incredibly bloody. So that means it’s not for all audiences. But if you’re a fan of slashers, if you’re a fan of gore, if you’re a fan of practical effects and fountains of blood, then this film is excellent.
It’s one of the really great homages to horror films without feeling like a pastiche; it still feels original and plays as original.
The film I’m still most looking forward to at Cannes as part of Directors’ Fortnight is “Diary of a Chambermaid” from the Romanian auteur Radu Jude. Radu Jude is known for his film “Dracula,” which was an A.I. spoof.
He’s also known for “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn,” which was Romania’s submission to the Academy Awards. He has the propensity to be an artist who is surprising, playful, and quite, quite crude. But his crudeness is often used to critique Romanian society and politics, and capitalism, too. So, no matter if you read the synopsis, or even if someone spoils the film for you, it’s bound to be something that is going to surprise.
So, it’s a film that I’m very much looking forward to from one of the great contemporary auteurs that we have.
Voice over: On today’s Cannes flashback, we’ll take a look at Chaz Ebert’s 2019 interview with the director of “Family Romance, LLC.” The legendary Werner Herzog.
Chaz:
I want to ask about the setting, because when I think of a Werner Herzog movie, not just one thing, because you make all kinds of films, but I think of films like Man Against Nature or Man Against Himself. Some challenge. Here, it’s about a connection set amidst cherry blossoms. Such a beautiful, beautiful setting in Japan. How did you choose Tokyo as a place for your movie?
Werner Herzog:
It was everything because the company is in Tokyo, and I knew the cherry blossom time was coming, so I wanted to take advantage of it. It’s a very, very much made film in a way, because I’m trying to look very deep into the heart of people. And I’m trying to find out what our human condition is, and this curiosity about who we are and what our condition is has never left me.
And that has been the first and foremost connection with Roger, Roger, and speaking of Roger Ebert, yes, I he he he, and he was looking for us. Who are we? What is our present human condition? Where are we moving? What is science fiction, and what is futuristic and still? And when we speak about Family Romance, it is not science fiction, but it’s somehow still a little bit in the future and coming at all of us.
Chaz:
Well, I want to thank you, Werner, for making this film and for doing this interview with us, and I wish you very much success with it.
Werner:
Thank you very much. Yes. And, the film was not just for the world out there. It was also, in a way, done for Roger, because he’s always with me. And I know I must not disappoint him.
Chaz:
Thank you so much.
Voice Over:
That’s all for now, but keep checking back each day at Rogerebert.com/festivals for more reviews, reports, and reactions. See you next time.
- Cannes 2026: Fatherland, Parallel Tales (May 15, 2026)
This year’s Competition program at the Cannes Film Festival is filled with familiar names, including Pedro Almodovar, James Gray, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Two international auteurs were slated early in the festival, promising an intellectually invigorating start to the year’s battle for the Palme d’Or. Only one fulfilled that promise, and even that’s with a few reservations.
Pawel Pawlikowski brings his formally rigid yet strikingly beautiful sense of composition to the story of Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) in Frankfurt in 1949, where he’s been asked to attend an event in a post-WWII Germany still seeking its identity. In the film’s fantastic one-shot opening scene, Mann’s son, Klaus (August Diehl), lays out many of the themes that follow in a phone call with his sister, Erica (Sandra Huller). Thomas and Erica now live in the States, but what does their return to Germany (after fleeing in 1933) mean to their family, reputation, and the country? Is Thomas Mann a “Good German,” and what space is there for culture or intellectualism in a place that’s literally still in rubble? With the West run by the Americans, as Klaus asks, do they choose Hitler or Mickey Mouse?
After the prologue, “Fatherland” is almost precisely divided into two as Erica, who serves as her father’s assistant, travels with Thomas to the two halves of Germany, starting in Frankfurt in the West and moving to Weimar in the East. The U.S. largely controls the former, and a press conference on Mann’s arrival highlights some of the thorny issues surrounding his visit. Is he a returning hero to a people who might argue that he betrayed them by fleeing in the first place? In a place that has seen all of its systems destroyed to the point that it is being controlled by its former adversary on one side and remnants of the Nazi party on the other, what role does a man who preaches the importance of Art have? Does culture matter to the defeated?
Working again with “Ida” and “Cold War” cinematographer Lukasz Zal, “Fatherland” has a painterly visual language, once again finding compositions that could hang in galleries, but this drama feels icier than the others, a vision of a place without warmth. To inject some humanity into it, Pawlikowski plays a little loose with history and crafts a family drama around the reveal that Klaus won’t be attending the event with his twin and father because he’s taken his own life after that prologue. Huller then becomes the gateway into the drama: a vision of a woman processing the cost of what a war they weren’t even directly involved in has exacted on her family. The Oscar nominee for “Anatomy of a Fall” is predictably stellar, making the most of every subdued emotional beat. She’s the reason alone to see it.
“Fatherland” is surprisingly short, clocking in at around 80 minutes with credits, and that gives it almost the sense of a short film idea that never found a way to expand into a feature. I loved how the Manns are almost interrogated in Frankfort but serenaded by literal choirs praising their existence in the part of the country less ready to ask the tough questions, yet it feels like “Fatherland” ends just as the film is starting to simmer these themes. Maybe it’s intentional to keep the audience in a sort of intellectual purgatory, reflecting two people grappling with the complexity of not just their own individual and family legacies but the entire country’s.
There are no easy answers in “Fatherland,” which makes it a bit less satisfying narratively, but I think also means it will have the freedom to bounce around in the minds of viewers more than a film concerned with tighter conclusions.
Bouncing around is a good phrase to use to describe Asghar Farhadi’s deeply disappointing “Parallel Tales,” the first true heartbreaker of Cannes 2026. An incredible ensemble of living French legends that includes Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel, Virginie Efira, and Catherine Deneuve can’t salvage a borderline incoherent script from Farhadi, who uses Krzysztof Kieslowski’s sixth chapter of “Dekalog” (“A Short Film About Love”) as the basis for a convoluted tale of intersecting characters who live across from each other on a Parisian street.
As the people at the center of “Parallel Tales” start to feel increasingly inconsistent, the mind wanders to the fact that this film about two brothers who make movies has a narrative foundation that pivots on an act of plagiarism, of which the filmmaker was acquitted in 2022. Perhaps the most interesting reading of the first word in the title is how this story could be read as parallel to the recent drama surrounding the man who made it. Sadly, it’s a more interesting way to unpack the film than to do so directly.
Huppert plays a writer named Sylvie, whose niece Celine (India Hair) brings home a young man named Adam (Adam Bessa) to help her pack up her old apartment before they sell it. Adam meets Celine after he stops a pickpocket on a train, which leads her to believe he can be trusted. Sylvie is a writer, and she’s been spying on the beautiful people across the street, turning her impressions of their lives into fiction.
In Sylvie’s version, there’s infidelity, double crosses, and even murder, but the truth is that these neighbors are significantly more mundane than that. When Adam takes credit for Sylvie’s novel, and it ends up in the hands of the people who inspired it, lines start to blur, and the emotional undercurrents of the fiction start to surface in reality.
Across from Sylvie is an apartment used as a sound studio by a filmmaker named Nicolas (Cassel, easily the film’s MVP), who works with his brother Theo (Pierre Niney) and a foley artist named Nita (Efira), Nicolas’ partner. They spend their days crafting fake sounds for what looks like nature footage, which feels like a commentary on how nothing is real, not even the sound of the bird wings flapping in a film, but, like so much of the script, it never really connects to anything.
Farhadi can never seem to find the right temperature in “Parallel Tales,” alternating between half-baked ideas that are never as resonant as their intent and overcooked character beats. Bluntly, these people feel as real as Nita’s Foley work, reducing them all to devices in an overwrought piece of storytelling.
He will bounce back; let’s hope Cannes does soon, too.
- Cannes 2026: Hamaguchi's 'All of a Sudden' is a Soulful Masterpiece (May 16, 2026)
Is anyone truly normal? Aren't we all flawed? How do we evolve humanity knowing this truth? Can a bit of compassion save us? These are a few of the philosophical questions introduced in this phenomenal film. Walking out of my afternoon screening of this sublime film at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, I couldn't stop talking about it. Shaking with energy and excitement, I just blurted out sentence after sentence, word after word, about why it's so utterly masterful and beautiful and soulful and enchanting. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's new film All of a Sudden is a bona fide Masterpiece. Filmed mostly in Paris, it's Hamaguchi stepping out of his usual Japanese setting to tell his most masterful story yet – a profound look at humanity and how we must grow & how art can help us evolve. It's one of the most deeply soulful, philosophically mesmerizing, profoundly humanistic, exceptionally heartfelt films I have EVER seen. It's not only one of my favorite films of the year, it's instantly one of my personal favorites films of all-time. Hyperbolic as it may be to say that just after emerging from a screening, the film itself reminded me to always trust my heart, to express myself fully and clearly, and to be honest if I encounter any kind of art that is truly this moving and this impactful. // Continue Reading ›
- New Trailer for Classic Anime 'Tekkonkinkreet' 4K Remaster Re-Release (May 15, 2026)
"We don't wag our tails for anyone!" GKids has unveiled a brand new trailer for a 4K remaster & re-release of the cult classic called Tekkonkinkreet – celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. One of the iconic anime creations of the early 2000s, this first hit theaters in late 2006 and has since made its mark as the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Michael Arias and one of the early works from Japanese animation house Studio 4°C. Returning to theaters for two nights only this summer. Two boys defend Treasure Town and Yakuza try to take over and clear it for new development. Based on the award-winning manga by Taiyo Matsumoto, Tekkonkinkreet hits theatres on May 31st & June 1st in a new 4K remaster. Featuring stunning, action-packed visuals from STUDIO4°C and based on Taiyo Matsumoto's legendary manga, Tekkonkinkreet is a modern cult classic – a sensitive story of brotherhood & connection in a decaying world, now beautifully remastered in 4K. The film features the voices of Kazunari Ninomiya, Yû Aoi, Yûsuke Iseya, Kankurô Kudô, and Min Tanaka. If you haven't ever seen it – no better time than now to catch up with this. Enjoy. // Continue Reading ›
- Cannes 2026: Leah Nelson's 'Tangles' Film is an Animation Sensation (May 14, 2026)
"Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre for kids. It's a medium for art, it's a medium for film." –Guillermo del Toro. This animated film from the 2026 Cannes Film Festival is one of the highlights of 2026 so far when it comes to animation. Tangles is the feature directorial debut from up-and-coming filmmaker Leah Nelson, adapting a graphic novel by Sarah Leavitt. Her book is subtitled "A Story About Alzheimer’s, My Mother and Me" – it's an autobiographical tale of her experiences with a mother whose memory begins to degrade. Leah Nelson & her team took this story and turned it into an absolutely beautiful animated film, embracing the same B&W style from the graphic novel. Tangles is a B&W film with a few glimmers of color that pop up throughout. It's an emotionally devastating, unashamedly compassionate, brutally honest look at Alzheimer's disease and how hard it is for other family members to deal with when it gets worse. Yet it's also an emotionally invigorating and especially touching story in the way it's so open about vulnerability and hardship. Tangles is a singular animation creation that should connect with audiences all around the world. // Continue Reading ›
- Japanese Tokusatsu History Doc 'The Origin of Ultraman' Full Trailer (May 14, 2026)
"Children need to be shown something real." Toho Next & Tsuburaya Productions have unveiled the official trailer for a documentary film titled The Origin of Ultraman, retelling the history of this iconic Japanese franchise. This is opening in cinemas in Japan starting in July, though we're not sure when it'll show up in the US. This masterful film explores the origins of the legendary Japanese Tokusatsu series, Ultraman. Through the eyes of today's most influential visionaries, the truth behind Ultraman is finally unveiled. The doc brings together leading voices in cinema, Tokusatsu, and design. Plus interviews with world-renowned directors/creators: Guillermo del Toro, Hirokazu Koreeda, Hideo Kojima, Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi, Nicolas Winding Refn. As their perspectives intertwine, the true essence of Ultraman begins to take shape. This explores the series' one-of-a-kind worldview: where Kaijus are given complex backstories as meaningful as the hero's, and uncovers the enduring visual appeal of both the giants and the creatures. There was an awesome new animated Ultraman movie a few years ago. Yep, this sounds like a blast! Even if you're not an Ultraman fan already, you will be one by the end of this film. Enjoy the first look trailer below. // Continue Reading ›
- First Look Teaser for Superb 'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!' Dance Film (May 14, 2026)
"So what brought you back to the studio?" Sony Pictures Classics has revealed a ravishing first look teaser trailer for the acclaimed indie sensation called Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, which first premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It earned numerous rave reviews, then was picked up by SPC for a release this year - highly recommend catching it. No final date is set yet - but they say it's expected to hit theaters in the fall. Lovers Haru and Luis enjoy competing in Tokyo's ballroom dance scene, but after tragedy strikes, Haru withdraws into isolation. When friends coax her back to the studio amidst her grief, she develops an infatuation with the new instructor – another very attractive Latino named Fedir. She must face what comes next as sparks fly. Rinko Kikuchi stars as the fabulous Ha-Chan, sporting a big curly fro, along with Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, Yoh Yoshida, Damián Alcázar, and Japanese actress known as "You". I'm a big fan of this film! I wrote a glowing review out of Sundance – it's one of the most unique & vivid takes on overcoming grief I've seen in a while. Keep an eye out for it opening later this year. // Continue Reading ›
