The Films To Watch To Help You Prepare For Cannes 2026

Even as a spectator from across the globe, a big film festival like Cannes is a joy to follow as a film fan. However, no matter how exciting it is to hear early word about some of the most anticipated new releases, there is undeniable FOMO, knowing that it’ll be at least months before these films get any form of wider release. In the meantime, a great way to engage in the conversation around this year’s festival is to get familiar with the filmmakers whose new work will be on full display shortly. To pair with some of the most exciting titles, here are some previous works worth checking out from the biggest filmmakers heading over to this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

After LifeOne of two films by legendary Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda at the festival, “Sheep in the Box,” is participating in the official competition. While he’s another filmmaker who typically stays grounded, this is an unusual direction into genre fare from the auteur. Given this film’s sci-fi lean, the best pairing is the similarly high-concept and brilliant 1998 film “After Life.” A film that follows a group of workers tasked with assigning the recently deceased one memory to last through eternity. A great comparison is the recent film “Nine Days,” which, although underseen, anyone who loved that would likely love this as well. It’s one of his best works that anyone should watch, regardless, but with him dipping his toes in similar waters this year, it gives an extra reason for anyone who hasn’t seen it to seek it out. His other film, the live-action adaptation of “Look Back,” will also screen at the festival, and both will surely be talking points in the film space throughout the year.

Asako I and IIWhile most tuned in to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s 2021 Oscar Winner “Drive My Car,” he has a few great works before his big global breakout. Perhaps the richest of his catalog is 2018’s “Asako I and II,” a “Vertigo” like tale following a woman who falls in love with two very similar men. Before his new three-hour drama, “All Of A Sudden,” everyone should honestly watch all of his films, cause they’re all pretty incredible, but “Asako I and II” is perhaps his most unsung and should be towards the top of not just everyone’s Hamaguchi watchlist, but watchlist period.

Bad EducationPedro Almodóvar is one of the most unique and sensational working filmmakers. You could choose any of the films from his illustrious career to prepare for his newest “Bitter Christmas,” but his disturbing yet enriching 2004 film “Bad Education” is perhaps the most apt pairing. Both follow characters whose work begins to reflect their own pasts and traumas, using cinema as a framework for both stories. Whether his latest film will be as delicately handled and haunting as “Bad Education” is a high bar to clear, but an excuse to watch an Almodóvar film you haven’t seen is always one worth taking.

BeanpoleKantemir Balagov has only three films, with his latest, “Butterfly Jam,” continuing the trend of Cannes premieres. His 2019 film “Beanpole” was a quieter entry in that year’s lineup and is much less contemporary than his latest film. However, for anyone hoping to gain insight into Balagov’s work, it’s probably a great entry point into one of the smallest filmographies on this list that follows two young women during World War II in Leningrad who search for meaning and hope during their struggle to rebuild their lives amongst the ruins.

CloseFor those with their eyes on the international cinema scene in 2022, “Close” was one of the hottest topics of discussion, even earning an International Feature nomination that year. His newest film, “Coward,” seems to tackle younger characters similarly dealing with their own masculinity, and, with that, probably works as a good companion piece to that breakout film. While he’s had other films miss or at least not hit the degree to which “Close” did, he will certainly have a lot of eyes on the follow-up to that film.

Cold WarAcademy Award nominee for Best Director Paweł Pawlikowski finally returns to enchant the screen after an eight-year break. His last film, “Cold War,” for which he received said nomination, was, in hindsight, probably in the top ten for Best Picture that year, and awards aside, one of the great films of 2018. This year’s “Fatherland” has a similarly short runtime and an even richer black-and-white look to “Cold War,” and his previous film, “Ida,” for that matter. It’ll be curious to see if the awards recognition continues and even grows with this latest film, but if anyone missed “Cold War” in its initial glow of acclaim, it would be a shame not to catch up with it before his follow-up.

GraduationWhile Cristian Mungiu hasn’t received quite the same recognition, by next year, his latest, “Fjord,” may have changed that, as it’s solidified itself as one of the buzziest festival titles. The cast is certainly a factor in this buzz, with Oscar Nominees Renate Reinsve and a bald Sebastian Stan, but his acclaimed past works have certainly pent up demand to get Mungiu in the spotlight. A recent masterwork of his, “Graduation,” is one of the finest films of 2016. The bleak drama likely sets the stage for where “Fjord” might be heading tonally, and Mungiu’s sharp direction and layered screenplays make one incredibly excited to see his new film, his biggest talent yet.

Little OdessaJames Gray is one of the most exciting independent filmmakers of the last thirty years, who primarily works in smaller-scale crime dramas but has become a bit of a shape-shifter in the past decade. Films like “The Lost City of Z” and “Ad Astra” were larger in scale and genre than Gray has been used to, but didn’t lose the familiar themes and, more importantly, the heart that makes his work his own. However, after those two, he returned to his roots with the great family drama “Armageddon Time” and, this year, with “Paper Tiger,” which has been compared to his debut “Little Odessa.” This presumably makes the small-scale yet somewhat bleak first effort from Gray the best point of preparation, if nothing else, for bookending his oldest and newest works. It will be interesting to see how far he has come in telling this sort of story, and even if “Paper Tiger” underwhelms, using it as an excuse for Gray to catch up keeps it more than worthwhile.

I Saw The TV GlowOne of the most original and special visions this decade was Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw The TV Glow,” which makes their latest “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” one of the most anticipated films of the year for many. The Cannes spot makes it somehow even more exciting for fans of their most recent masterpiece and their incredible first narrative, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.” However, “I Saw The TV Glow” is the more realized and widely loved of the two, and the more telling of how their new film should turn out. If it turns out anywhere near as good, it’ll be one of the must-see films of the year.

The Neon DemonIt’s been 10 years since Nicolas Winding Refn’s last solo feature film, and despite how beloved his film “Drive” is, his other work has been more divisive, making this return less widely anticipated than one might expect. Those lesser-appreciated films have their fans for sure, particularly 2016’s “The Neon Demon,” a film with so much style and such a unique vision it’s bound to have people vouching for it. It would be surprising to see his latest film, “Her Private Hell,” receive the universal praise of something like “Drive.” Still, it will surely deliver as another film that feels wholly Refn and capture the imagination of those who connect with his more abstract work.

The PastAsghar Farhadi was the first of the modern Iranian cinema movement to break into the awards space with 2011’s “A Separation.” However, given how loved that film was and the fact that “The Salesman” came a few years later, his 2013 film “The Past” is perhaps the best candidate for a recommendation before his new film “Parallel Tales.” This was the only other time he has worked in French, in different circumstances, however, given that he is now working with the legend Isabelle Huppert. “The Past” is one of his greatest works, depicting a man returning to Paris to complete his divorce and, in turn, discovering a dark secret in his estranged family. While surely many have seen his Academy Award-winning work, “The Past,” it is an essential text in his career that should also be checked out, especially as the legendary filmmaker returns to Cannes this year.

The ReturnAndrey Zvyagintsev is a mostly unsung Russian filmmaker who has been building momentum over the last two decades. His new drama “Minotaur” is one of the most exciting of the new festival, particularly for fans of his 2003 debut “The Return.” For those who haven’t seen it, which is presumably most people, it’s one of the most brilliant depictions of masculinity in cinema this century. Without revealing too much of that specific gem, the depth of his scripts and how he captures them are so compelling, and watching his first feature only makes one more excited for his latest.

SanctuaryMany are reading the Virginia Feito novel to prepare for its soon-to-be-adapted into Zachary Wigon’s “Victorian Psycho.” For those without the time or will to read a full book, watching his last film, “Sanctuary,” is a great alternative. The sharp, thrilling chamber piece, with electric turns from Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, was a breakout film that instantly put Zachary Wigon on the list of filmmakers to keep an eye on. No matter how his follow-up turns out for fans of the book and newbies alike, using it as an excuse to catch up with “Sanctuary” is the best those unaware can do.

Train To BusanMany have seen Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie film “Train to Busan.” Even those who don’t care much about film are aware of it because it’s been on Netflix for so long and because its genre is accessible. This film isn’t too different from his new film “Colony,” maybe not as directly about zombies this time, but still a thriller about a virus outbreak. “Train to Busan” is one of the more renowned international films among the general public and a very respected film among cinephiles, but for anyone who hasn’t seen it, now may be the best time to check it off.

The WailingIt’s been ten years since Na Hong-Jim’s last Cannes title, “The Wailing,” and for those who’ve been waiting to see him since, this year’s “Hope” will finally quench the thirst. However, for those unfamiliar with him, that most recent film is probably the best place to start, as the twisty horror film will very easily get under your skin in the most lasting of ways. It’s obviously yet to be seen if his latest will have the same impact on its audience that “The Wailing” did, but the first step for those unaware of him to take is to watch the 2016 film to prepare.

Are you excited for the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? Which of these films have you already seen? Which have you not? Any you want to check out before the festival begins? Please let us know in the comments section below and on Next Best Picture’s X account.