Coward: Lukas Dhont’s Queer WWI Drama Premieres at Cannes

The film is set on the 1916 Western Front, where a Belgian infantry unit forms a drag-style troupe to lift morale. Director Lukas Dhont, whose earlier works include “Girl” (2018) and “Close” (2022), said his childhood near WWI cemeteries inspired him to explore this overlooked wartime facet.

Reuters

Francis (Valentin Campagne) leads the troupe; Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia), a silent conscript, joins after self-inflicting a bayonet wound. Their concealed romance unfolds amid rehearsals, battlefield losses, and the clash between artistic freedom and military duty.

IndieWire

Lukas Dhont directs; newcomers Valentin Campagne and Emmanuel Macchia star as Francis and Pierre. The Cannes Film Festival selected “Coward” as one of 22 entries competing for the Palme d’Or.

Reuters

Dhont told Reuters that a wartime photograph of soldiers in “sandbag skirts” led him to foreground the “softness and expression” missing from typical war movies. He said the troupe’s shows acted as resistance, letting soldiers express same-sex desire when love “had to be unspoken.” Cannes confirmed the film’s competition slot, and Deadline praised Macchia’s “fresh talent” and “great screen acting.”

Reuters

Indiewire called the “happy” ending an emotional shortcut that mimics earlier queer romances without comparable depth, and noted that homophobia among senior officers is shown but not fully explored. The Guardian called the plot “a little predictable” despite strong acting. LWLies recalled criticism of Dhont’s prior films for graphic violence, noting “Coward” is more restrained.

IndieWire

“Coward” is Dhont’s third feature and competes with 21 other titles for Cannes’ Palme d’Or. “Girl” won the Camera d’Or in 2018; “Close” earned an Oscar nomination for Best International Feature in 2022. The story is set in 1916 and stars two first-time leads.

Reuters

The film brings queer intimacy into a WWI narrative, expanding historical LGBTQ representation and challenging war-film conventions that prioritize combat over personal expression. It suggests that performance can function as both morale-boosting entertainment and subtle resistance.

IndieWire

Reuters described critical response as broadly favourable, while Indiewire and The Guardian emphasized shortcomings, showing a split in appraisal. No audience metrics, distribution details, or box-office forecasts have been disclosed.

Coward – first-look review

• “These men live in a time where their love had to ?be unspoken, had to be incredibly silent,” — Lukas Dhont

Reuters

• “But weirdly enough, the war at that time brought them together.” — Lukas Dhont

Reuters

• “He was so soft speaking and so tender, and he just moved me,” — Lukas Dhont

Reuters

• “We are free here,” — Francis (character, quoted in The Guardian)

The Guardian

“Coward” will screen at Cannes, with the Palme d’Or awarded at the festival’s closing ceremony. The film is slated for international sales and may shape future depictions of LGBTQ stories in war settings.

Reuters