By Jake Hodges
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As one of the most prestigious events on the film calendar, the Cannes Film Festival is always a wonderful celebration of the very best of cinema. Founded 77 years ago in 1946, the festival has gone through several changes over the years, perhaps no bigger than the introduction of the modern name audiences know today back in 2003.
In this modern period, when the festival has been largely known by its current title, attendees have been privy to premieres of some of the best films. Every year at the festival, one such title is picked as the winner of the Palme d'Or, a prize that guarantees the recipient cinematic immortality. With many such winners going on to great box office and awards success, the Palme d'Or has a reputation for seeking out the film industry's finest. From thrillers to satirical comedies, these are the best Palme d'Or winners in the 21st century, proving that the revered film festival always has its hand on the cinematic pulse.
10 'Triangle of Sadness' (2022)
Directed by Ruben Östlund
In 2022, chaos won the Palme d'Or, with Ruben Östlund's unapologetically uproarious Triangle of Sadness taking home the award. The film follows a young supermodel couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), who struggle to fit in with the elite modeling hierarchy around them. After earning the chance to vacation on a super yacht in exchange for social media promotion, the pair ends up stuck inside during a particularly treacherous storm alongside several of the world's filthiest rich people, from oligarchs to weapon manufacturers.
To say any more would be to spoil the film, with the subsequent events divulging into madness, topped off with a truly clever twist. In a modern society where social commentary and cultural hot takes are shouted as loud as possible, Triangle of Sadness shouts the loudest. With financial inequality at an all-time high, the opportunity to see some of the greediest in the world face their gruesome comeuppance in the most extreme and often disgusting way possible clearly attracted audiences. Östlund strikes at the heart of Triangle of Sadness with a piercing and laugh-out-loud attack on the global elite.
Triangle of Sadness
R
Comedy
Drama
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Release Date
- September 18, 2022
- Cast
- Thobias Thorwid , Harris Dickinson , Charlbi Dean , Vicki Berlin
- Runtime
- 147 minutes
- Writers
- Ruben Östlund
9 'I, Daniel Blake' (2016)
Directed by Ken Loach
Master of British social realism Ken Loach won his second Palme d'Or for his masterpiece I, Daniel Blake. The film follows the titular Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), a man struck off from work following a heart attack who is denied the correct financial benefits by the government. He then befriends a young single mother, Katie (Hayley Squires), who, alongside her two children, is equally as mistreated and forgotten by a backward system.
Ken Loach's raw drama I, Daniel Blake takes a magnifying glass to the UK government's failings.
Like a punch to the heart, I, Daniel Blake is a sharp and honest reminder that the world owes no one a living and just how difficult the poorer areas of society are hit. In a country that has long survived on an inefficient class system, Loach's raw drama takes a magnifying glass to the UK government's failings. Intent on providing a neorealist experience, Loach employs almost entirely new actors, all from the very background the movie depicts. Often warm and certainly bleak, nothing can quite prepare the audience for that scene in the food bank.
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8 'Shoplifters' (2018)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
This critical and commercial success by talented director Hirokazu Kore-eda follows a group of outsiders living off-grid in Tokyo. Their life is funded by harmless petty crimes, with their knack for turning any ordinary situation into a chance for a quick buck certainly remarkable. However, their unseen life soon finds attention when one is arrested, and dark secrets come to light.
This mesmeric film seamlessly drifts through the journey of a group of devastatingly relatable characters.
Shoplifters feels like a movie made for the soul. Featuring breathtaking visuals from director of photography Ryûto Kondô and a script ripped right out of the audience's everyday lives, this mesmeric film seamlessly drifts through the journey of a group of devastatingly relatable characters. Of course, this level of relatability would not be possible without the ensemble's talent, with several awards nods going to some of the cast. Beyond its Palme d'Or, Shoplifters was even recognized by the Academy, earning a nomination for Best Foreign Language Picture in 2019.
7 'L'Enfant' (2005)
Directed by the Dardenne Brothers
This gutwrenchingly compassionate tale hailing from Belgium follows Jérémie Renier as Bruno and Déborah François as Sonia, a couple on the brink of parenthood and financial ruin. Fearing their mounting debts, Bruno sells their unborn child on the black market, leading to a rift in their relationship that seems unrepairable.
Simple yet effective, L'Enfant perfects every aspect of filmmaking and then some.
Sometimes, the toughest watches are the most important. L'Enfant prides itself on pulling no punches, even choosing to include no soundtrack to ramp up the sociorealism. Directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne are well-known for telling the tale of the underrepresented, with most of their movies set in the same region of Belgium. However, this certainly hits harder than any before or after, with a tragic central tale whose desperate clawing to life somehow becomes hopeful. Simple yet effective, L'Enfant perfects every aspect of filmmaking and then some.
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6 'Elephant' (2003)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
The legendary Gus Van Sant won his only Palme d'Or to date for Elephant, which follows the events leading up to and including a school shooting in Portland, Oregon. The movie depicts several students, each as ordinary as the next, going about a seemingly normal daily routine. However, within the crowd are two students who plan to commit an act that will change the lives of everyone at the school forever.
Inspired by the Columbine Massacre and released just four years later, this provocative movie channels the very best of Van Sant. The controversial subject matter is depicted with the cold truth that thankfully rids it of any sense of excitement. With a topic such as this, many lesser filmmakers tend to lean on the violent nature, accidentally glorifying such an event as thrilling or adrenaline-fueled. Elephant avoids this and then some, with Van Sant deliberately crafting one of the best anti-violence films of the 21st century. Cold and spine-chilling, Elephant is filmmaking used to push pivotal boundaries.
5 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' (2006)
Directed by Ken Loach
Long before he was changing the world in Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy was starring as Damien in Ken Loach's war dramaThe Wind That Shakes the Barley. Set in 1920s Ireland, it follows two brothers, Damien and Teddy (Pádraic Delaney), who join the desperate fight for freedom from Britain, only to have their relationship punctured by the civil conflict that soon evolves.
At the time of its release, The Wind That Shakes the Barley was the highest-grossing Irish-made independent film, although the record has since been broken. It also still stands as Loach's biggest Box Office success worldwide, despite the veteran director's prestigious career. Telling a broad story of a historically poignant event through the lens of a tragedy-struck character is nothing new for Loach, but this outing may be his best use of the narrative style. Gorgeous and gutwrenching, The Wind That Shakes the Barley more than deserved its Palme d'Or.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Not Rated
Drama
War
- Release Date
- March 23, 2007
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Padraic Delaney , Liam Cunningham , Orla Fitzgerald , Mary O'Riordan , Mary Murphy , Laurence Barry , Damien Kearney
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Writers
- Paul Laverty
4 'Winter Sleep' (2014)
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Based on Anton Chekhov's novella The Wife, Winter Sleep is set in Anatolia, Turkey, and follows hotel owner Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), who runs his business alongside his young wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen), their relationship fractious. The film examines the family's issues and the troubled relationship between Aydin and a tenant who is considerably behind on rent, with a collection agency having already violently threatened him.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan picked up the acclaimed Palm d'Or for Winter Sleep on the 100th anniversary of Turkish cinema, making this win all the more poignant. His penchant for unpacking the class and wealth divide in modern Turkey adapts the social commentary of Chekhov's original work perfectly, with the results deeply immersive. By no means an easy watch, Ceylansilently crafts a lonely ambiance that shadows every beat of Winter Sleep, infesting the mind of the viewer and deepening the movie's verisimilitude. Like a breath of cold night air, Winter Sleep both soothes and chills the core.
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3 'Anatomy of a Fall' (2023)
Directed by Justine Triet
This swirling mystery by Justine Triet won the stacked 2023 Cannes Film Festival's top prize. The film follows Sandra Hüller's Sandra Voyter, a woman whose life is turned upside down after the mysterious death of her husband. With the police unsure whether it is a murder or a suicide, it soon becomes clear that Sandra is suspect number one. Required to defend herself in court, her half-blind son, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), is caught between honesty and loyalty.
Remarkably, this win marked only the third Palm d'Or win for a female director, with Triet joining Jane Campion and Julia Ducournau. A movie that can be accurately described as genius, Anatomy of a Fall is equal parts intriguing mystery and an introspective character drama. Never short of thrills, Triet's rollercoaster creates a gorgeously intricate enigma balanced by an even more detailed central mother-and-son relationship. Although including arguably 2023's best female performance, the world's attention was rightly taken by Messi, the dog who played Snoop, who took home the beloved Palm Dog award.
Anatomy of a Fall
R
Crime
Drama
Thriller
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
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- Release Date
- May 22, 2023
- Cast
- Sandra Hüller , Swann Arlaud , Antoine Reinartz , Samuel Theis
- Runtime
- 151 Minutes
- Writers
- Justine Triet , Arthur Harari
2 'The Tree of Life' (2011)
Directed by Terrence Malick
Regarded as one of the most touching movies of all time, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is a coming-of-age drama like no other. This experimental tale of a life lived sees young Jack (Hunter McCracken) as he grows up in Texas in the 1950s. As innocence turns to disillusionment and adolescence turns to adulthood, Jack, now played by Sean Penn, attempts to reconcile a relationship with his father (Brad Pitt), all in the shadow of a world that grants him few answers to his burning existential questions.
Good things come to those who wait, which is something the production of The Tree of Life can attest to. After originally attempting to release in both 2009 and 2010, the movie finally made it to Cannes in 2011, receiving its just rewards. Widely cited as one of the best arthouse movies of all time, Malick's expressionist take on life's many disappointments is impossible not to find solace in. Like a slow stroll across gorgeous countryside, The Tree of Life offers viewers the chance to take a breath and indulge in its story, but not without admiring the stunning view it often presents. Some say films are a mirror to the soul, and The Tree of Life is a perfect example of such a sentiment.
The Tree of Life
PG-13
Drama
Documentary
Fantasy
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Release Date
- May 17, 2011
- Cast
- Brad Pitt , Sean Penn , Jessica Chastain , Hunter McCracken , Laramie Eppler , Tye Sheridan
- Runtime
- 138
- Writers
- Terrence Malick
1 'Parasite' (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Simply put, Parasite is a cinematic masterpiece. Brought to life by the acclaimed Bong Joon-ho, the movie follows the Kim family as they attempt to climb out of their spiraling financial trouble. A lifeline soon appears thanks to the son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), who poses as a university student to work for the wealthy Park family. After slowly infiltrating their lives, Ki-woo meticulously replaces other members of the Park's staff with members of his family. When the Parks head out one evening, the Kim family spends the night, not knowing that an evil secret lurks beneath them.
A triumph in the drama, horror, and comedy genres, Parasite delivers social commentary with a morbid twist. Marked distinctly by two tonally different halves, the movie flows seamlessly into the haws of breathlessness, unpacking the class system and capitalism along the way. Not only was Parasite the first Korean movie to win Cannes' coveted top prize, it was also the first ever non-English language film to pick up the Best Picture prize at the Academy Awards, one of only three movies to win Best Picture and the Palme d'Or. Breathtaking from start to finish, Parasite more than deserves its list of honors.
Parasite
R
Comedy
Satire
Drama
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Release Date
- May 8, 2019
- Cast
- Seo Joon Park , Kang-ho Song , Seon-gyun Lee , Yeo-Jeong Jo , Woo-sik Choi , Hye-jin Jang
- Runtime
- 132 minutes
- Writers
- Bong Joon-ho , Jin Won Han
NEXT: Every Palme d'Or Winner of the Past Decade (And How to Watch Them)
- Cannes Film Festival
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