With Cannes 2025 officially underway, I am taking inspiration from The Disapproving Swede to revisit the past few years to make a Top 10 list of my favourite Cannes films from 2020 – 2024. Of course, this list isn’t a proper reflection of 5 normal years of film selections. There was no physical Cannes Film Festival edition in 2020 so that likely impacted the distribution of many 2020 selections. In turn, the deferred 2020 edition also likely ensured that 2021 and 2022 consisted of many more worthy films. There are also quite a few 2024 films that I need to view so in essence, this list is mostly made of 2021 – 2023 titles. Plus, I have decided to incorporate all the different Cannes sections, including Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight.
Top 10 Films from Cannes 2020 – 2024
1. Pacification (2022, Alberta Serra): Competition
2. La chimera (2023, Alice
Rohrwacher): Competition
3. Drive my Car (2021, Ryusuke Hamaguchi): Competition
4. Return to Seoul (2022, Davy Chou): Un Certain Regard
5. Aftersun (2022, Charlotte Wells): Critics' Week
6. The Taste of Things (2023, Tran Anh Hung): Competition
7. A Night of Knowing Nothing
(2021, Payal Kapadia): Directors' Fortnight
8. Close Your Eyes (2023, Víctor Erice): Cannes Premiere
9. Eureka (2023, Lisandro Alonso): Cannes Premiere
10. Grand Tour (2024, Miguel Gomes): Competition
Honourable Mentions (in no order):
Memoria (2021, Apichatpong Weerasethakul): Competition
My Imaginary Country (2022, Patricio Guzmán): Special Screenings
The Delinquents (2023, Rodrigo Moreno): Un Certain Regard
How to Have Sex (2023, Molly Manning Walker): Un Certain
Regard
Universal Language (2024, Matthew Rankin): Directors' Fortnight
Top 10 Films by Year & %
2021: 2, 20%
2022: 3, 30%
2023: 4, 40%
2024: 1, 10%
As expected, no 2020 films made the cut and only one from
2024.
Top 10 Films by Cannes Category:
Competition: 5, 50%
Un Certain Regard: 1, 10%
Critics’ Week: 1, 10%
Directors' Fortnight: 1, 10%
Cannes Premiere: 2, 20%
I am surprised to find that half of my Top 10 consists of films
in the Official Competition category. In the past, I have been more partial to those
in Un Certain Regard and Directors’ Fortnight categories. Although, I do believe
that Cannes Premiere category has taken away films that would have been in
Critics’ Week or Directors’ Fortnight.
Top 15 Films by Year:
2021: 3, 20%
2022: 4, 27%
2023: 6, 40%
2024: 2, 13%
The overall % increase in Top 15 is closely proportional to
those in the Top 10.
Top 15 Films by Cannes Category:
Competition: 6, 40%
Un Certain Regard: 3, 20%
Critics’ Week: 1, 7%
Directors' Fortnight: 2, 13%
Cannes Premiere: 2, 13%
Special Screenings: 1, 7%
