From Ari Aster’s polarizing pandemic satire Eddington to a brutal Saharan rave epic, here are the films making the most noise at Cannes 2025.
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival has officially hit its boiling point, erupting with a wave of premieres that have stunned, divided, and transfixed audiences. The fourth and fifth days of the festival delivered a slew of buzzy films — from controversial American debuts to harrowing European experiments — that have people buzzing on the Croisette and beyond.
Leading the charge is Eddington, Ari Aster’s twisted, politically charged satire set in small-town New Mexico during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Clocking in at nearly 2½ hours, the film unfolds with unnerving silence from the audience — a mix of stunned focus and, in some cases, utter confusion. The plot follows a feud between a bumbling, MAGA-coded sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and a liberal mayor (Pedro Pascal) that spirals from mask mandate disputes into full-blown war, complete with Black Lives Matter protests, conspiracy theories, antifa rumors, and surreal gunfights.
Some gave it a standing ovation. Others walked out in frustration. Even Aster seemed baffled during his brief post-premiere remarks, offering a sheepish, “I don’t know. Sorry?” The film, set to hit U.S. theaters on July 18, has divided critics — with some praising its audacity and others decrying it as tedious and self-important. Yet, Eddington has undeniably ignited one of the fiercest debates of the festival so far.
Also turning heads is Sirât, the first main competition entry from French-Spanish director Oliver Laxe. Described as a “strange and nerve-racking” journey through a post-apocalyptic Moroccan desert, the film follows a desperate father (played by Sergi López) in search of his daughter amid an illegal rave scene teetering on collapse. Featuring nonprofessional actors with disabilities, the movie pulses with menace and gritty realism, evoking comparisons to Mad Max. One film student summed it up best: “I feel like I need a hug.” Sirât has already sparked speculation about which top Cannes prize it might claim.
In the American indie corner, The Plague is catching serious heat — and not just from the sweltering water polo camp setting where it takes place. Directed by newcomer Charlie Polinger, this psychological body-horror film draws on the filmmaker’s childhood journals and centers on a group of boys tormented by puberty, bullies, and the fear of catching a mysterious skin disease known only as “the plague.” Featuring a standout performance from newcomer Kayo Martin and Joel Edgerton as a hilariously ineffective coach, the movie is already attracting U.S. distributors. Even Charli XCX gave it five stars on Letterboxd, claiming she was “still reeling” in her car post-screening.
Meanwhile, Sound of Falling, the sophomore effort by German director Mascha Schilinski, has positioned itself as an early Palme d’Or contender. Spanning four generations of women on a northern German farm, the impressionistic film navigates the trauma passed down through brutal patriarchal systems. From sterilization to sexual awakening to fleeting moments of liberation, Schilinski’s dreamlike storytelling has critics drawing comparisons to David Lynch, with many admitting they need a second viewing just to take it all in.
On the political front, Two Prosecutors from Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa offers a chilling satire of Soviet-era repression. The film opens in a 1937 prison, where a lone blood-written letter exposing systemic torture sparks a doomed investigation by an idealistic prosecutor. Tense and bleak, the film has drawn comparisons to Franz Kafka and emerged as the most critically praised entry thus far — a sobering reminder of totalitarian abuse, especially relevant in today’s global climate.
As Cannes marches on, major premieres from Wes Anderson, Spike Lee, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Ducournau, and Joachim Trier are still ahead. But for now, the conversation belongs to the films that have dared to provoke, polarize, and shake the festival to its core. Just like the fictional town in Eddington, Cannes itself feels divided — a battleground of artistic ideologies and emotional extremes, with each film daring viewers to pick a side.
