Lukas Dhont Brings Coward to Cannes

Lukas Dhont returns to Cannes with Coward, stepping back into competition with his first feature since the 2022 breakthrough Close.

A first-look clip has surfaced ahead of the film’s debut tonight, giving audiences an early glimpse of the Belgian filmmaker’s latest project. Reports indicate Coward will premiere in Competition at the festival, a high-stakes slot that puts Dhont in the center of one of cinema’s most closely watched arenas.

Dhont’s Cannes return matters because it tests what comes after a breakout: whether a director can turn acclaim into momentum.

The film stars Emmanuel Macchia in his debut screen role alongside Valentin Campagne, known for Colours of Time. That casting choice suggests Dhont continues to pair fresh faces with emerging talent, a creative instinct that helped define the emotional immediacy of his earlier work.

For Cannes, the arrival of Coward adds another notable title to the competition lineup. For Dhont, it opens a new chapter under intense scrutiny from festival audiences, critics, and distributors watching for signs of how his filmmaking evolves after early international recognition.

What happens next will hinge on the premiere itself: the immediate critical reaction, festival buzz, and the broader conversation the film starts. That matters not just for Coward, but for Dhont’s standing as a director trying to prove that a major breakthrough was the beginning of something larger, not the peak.