The 15 Best Films From Cannes 2025
Our tireless critic reports from the Croisette.
Elle Fanning, Simone Ashley, Gillian Anderson and Viola Davis attend the The Mastermind red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23.
Photographer: PA Images/Getty Images
Hello! I’m Esther Zuckerman, a film critic for Pursuits, and I’ve just spent about two weeks at the Cannes Film Festival, which ends tonight. So what does that mean? Well, I saw more than 30 films in the lineup (including some pre-screenings back at home in New York), I drank a lot of rosé, I went to a bunch of beach parties, and I have a lot of opinions.
Cannes is a festival known for its impossible glamour. After all, the premieres are black-tie affairs with strict dress codes. (This year nudity and volume were banned.) Meanwhile, anywhere you look on the Croisette you might see a celebrity. I never caught sight of Charli XCX, but she was bouncing around and chronicling her opinions on Letterboxd. I did spot Jason Momoa walking down the street, and he was massive. But for all the silliness outside the venues, inside the movies are typically extreme and intense.