10 Best Critics’ Choice Films from Cannes 2025 That Set the Screen on Fire

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, many films explored the topics of pain, who we are and how we deal with them.  All ten of these films, whether serious or intimate, show remarkable talent in telling their stories. 

Critics Can’t Stop Talking About These 10 Best Critics’ Choice Films from Cannes 2025

Here are the 10 best critics’ choice films from Cannes 2025:

1. It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Cast: Vahid Mobasseri (Vahid), Mariam Afshari (Shiva), Ebrahim Azizi (Eghbal), Hadis Pakbaten (Golrokh), Majid Panahi (the groom), Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr (Hamid) 

Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident clinched the Palme d’Or, marking a significant moment in Iranian cinema.  The film focuses on Vahid, who has been traumatized by previous torture and thinks he has spotted his torturer in a mechanic with a prosthetic leg.  When Vahid reaches out to ex-prisoners for details, the book develops into an exciting study of how trauma, vengeance and forgiveness intersect.  Despite his opposition to censorship, Panahi writes a striking story with both political and personal meanings.  

2. Die, My Love

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence (Grace), Robert Pattinson (Jackson), LaKeith Stanfield (Karl), Sissy Spacek (Pam), Nick Nolte (Harry), Debs Howard 

Adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s novel, Die, My Love tells an intense story of how postpartum depression causes one’s identity to fall apart.  Jennifer Lawrence acts with great honesty as Grace, a mother enduring issues with her mental health on her own.  Ramsay’s way of directing makes viewers feel Grace’s emotional problems by using striking shots and an unsettling musical score.  The film’s honest look at the challenges of being a mother creates a strong story that people will remember after they have left the theater.  

3. Nouvelle Vague

Director: Richard Linklater

Cast: Guillaume Marbeck (Jean-Luc Godard), Zoey Deutch (Jean Seberg), Aubry Dullin (Jean-Paul Belmondo), Adrien Rouyard  

Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is a cinephile’s dream, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. The film shows the influence of the French New Wave by mixing important details from history with artistic differences.  Marbeck is full of mysterious charisma, similar to Godard, while Deutch gives Seberg’s character added interest.  Linklater gives us a fun and informative look at a key moment for movies.  

4. Sentimental Value

Director: Joachim Trier

Cast: Renate Reinsve (Nora Borg), Stellan Skarsgård (Gustav Borg), Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Agnes Borg Pettersen), Elle Fanning (Rachel Kemp) 

The Sentimental Value story poetically explores how close you can be with family and how hard it can be to say goodbye.  Following the death of their mother, sisters Nora and Agnes confront their estranged father, Gustav, a once-renowned filmmaker.  She tells a story centered on grief, what people leave as a legacy and the way family members influence each other.  Because of its thoughtful acting and story, the film walked away with the Grand Prix at Cannes.  

5. Eagles of the Republic

Director: Tarik Saleh

Cast: Fares Fares (George Fahmy), Lyna Khoudri (Donya), Amr Waked (Dr. Mansour), Zineb Triki (Suzanne) 

To end his Cairo trilogy, Tarik Saleh focuses on where politics and art meet.  The Eagles of the Republic story revolves around the celebrated actor, George Fahmy, who was forced to work on a propaganda picture.  The film provides a thrilling analysis of censorship and artist’s ethics as George deals with different political and personal issues.  Because of Saleh’s filming, the tense environment of modern Egypt is captured throughout the film.  

6. The Secret Agent

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Cast: Wagner Moura (Marcelo), Maria Fernanda Cândido (Elza), Gabriel Leone (Bobbi), Carlos Francisco 

In 1977 Recife, The Secret Agent is a thrilling political story about the repercussions of taking action against the government.  Marcelo, who worked as a technology teacher and expert, was forced into hiding during Brazil’s military dictatorship.  Through his role, Moura received the Best Actor award at Cannes, while Mendonça Filho won Best Director. The film’s intricate narrative and atmospheric tension make it a standout in contemporary Brazilian cinema.  

7. The Little Sister

Director: Hafsia Herzi

Cast: Nadia Melliti (Fatima), Park Ji-min (Ji-Na) 

The Little Sister provides a close view of Fatima’s efforts to handle issues with identity, culture and sexuality in Paris.  Herzi made the story seem real and Melliti’s performance at Cannes took home the Best Actress award.  The story’s focus on second-generation immigrants is powerful, as it shows that everyone wants to discover their identity.  

8. Sound of Falling

Director: Mascha Schilinski

Cast: Hanna Heckt (Alma), Lena Urzendowsky (Angelika), Laeni Geiseler (Lenka), Susanne Wuest (Emma), Luise Heyer (Christa), Lea Drinda (Erika), Florian Stetter (Paul)  

Schilinski’s latest effort explores how the past influences people, particularly through generational trauma. Held at a lonely German farm, the film mixes different stories together, resulting in a rich memory of experience.  Film-lovers were drawn in by both the movie’s mesmerizing scenery and its eerie soundtrack which helped it share the Jury Prize at Cannes.  

9. Sorry, Baby

Director: Eva Victor

Cast: Eva Victor (Agnes), Naomi Ackie (Lydie), Louis Cancelmi (Preston Decker), Kelly McCormack (Natasha), Lucas Hedges (Gavin) 

Eva Victor’s first film as director, Sorry, Baby, is a fun and emotional coming-of-age movie.  In the film, Agnes learns about friendship, love and who she really is.  Thanks in large part to Victor’s insight and sense of humor, this film adds a personal touch to the selection this year.  

10. Amrum

Director: Fatih Akin

Cast: Jasper Ole Billerbeck (Nanning), Laura Tonke (Hille), Lisa Hagmeister (Ena), Diane Kruger (Tessa), Kian Köppke (Hermann), Detlev Buck (Sam Gangsters), Matthias Schweighöfer (Theo), Lars Jessen (Opa Arjan) 

During the war’s final days on the island of Amrum off the German coast, Akin’s Amrum gives a sad reflection on separateness and connecting with people.  Because the actors and cinematography are subtle, the film draws you in and portrays the raw feelings of its characters during the bleak days of war.  

Conclusion 

The ten films from Cannes 2025 represent the strong influence of film to challenge, encourage and stay with viewers.  Filmmakers each offer their own ideas and styles, giving audiences many different stories about how people live.  With a larger audience, these movies are ready to make a strong impression on film history.