3 Minutes
In the middle of a battlefield, a makeshift stage can feel like a miracle. Short scenes. Short breaths. Lukas Dhont's new film 'Coward' arrived at Cannes with that fragile promise and left critics talking.
MUBI has picked up North American rights after the film's world premiere in the competition lineup. The distributor's move signals confidence, even though a concrete release date hasn't been announced. Industry observers suggest a release this year could position 'Coward' as Belgium's contender for the international feature Oscar.
The story centers on Pierre, a young soldier who goes to the front to prove himself. There he meets Francis, an unlikely morale captain who stages a small theatre production for the troops. Against the relentless noise and ruin of war, the two men carve out brief pockets of escape, human connection and unexpected tenderness.
Critic Jordan Ruimy called the film emotionally controlled and quietly affecting. The plot may not upend war cinema, he notes, but Dhont's direction, the performances and the camera work give the material real weight. Short scenes of intimacy sit beside longer, lingering shots that refuse to rush a feeling.
Cinematographer Frank van den Eeden is singled out repeatedly. His palette favors vivid yet weathered colors; his framing is precise, often placing faces against landscapes that seem to hold memory. Those visual choices turn routine wartime imagery into something tactile and, at times, startling.
For Dhont this is a return to Cannes' main competition after the success of 'Close', which won the Grand Prix in 2022, and follows earlier recognition for 'Girl'. He has built a reputation for films that demand emotional attention without theatrical excess. That restraint is on full display in 'Coward'.
MUBI's acquisition doesn't just promise a North American run; it hints at an awards-season strategy and broader conversations about how intimate human stories survive within the machinery of war. Keep an eye out—this could be one of those small films that lingers long after the credits roll.
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