‘Coward’ Review – A Poignant Tale Of Love And Secrecy Amid Relentless Brutality [Cannes 2026]

While war movies mainly focus on the brutality on and off the battlefield, director Lukas Dhont now chooses to shine a bright spotlight on friendship and love in the face of incredible hardship. Just like in Girl and Close, he explores LGBTQ+ themes and gay relationships. However, this time he reduced the drama and over-the-top trauma, making space for a more gentle yet equally effective approach.

Coward opens in a fairly upbeat manner with Belgian soldiers singing as they travel to their military camp. However, their optimism quickly fades. Soon, they are collecting ammunition, readying themselves for World War I, and bidding painful farewells to those they hold dear. Though no shots have yet been fired, fear, brutality, and the shadow of death are already settling over their lives.

To uphold morality and alleviate both mental and physical pain for a brief moment, a few soldiers form a theatre group led by the flamboyant Francis (Valentin Campagne). With uplifting plays – many involving drag and a lighthearted tone – Dhont brings a moment of hope and fun to the blood-soaked army base. Francis shines the brightest every time the theatrical troupe makes a dramatic entrance. With an incredible feel for fashion – as he was a tailor pre-war – he enthusiastically takes on the new role he’s been given. 

So does Campagne. The French actor (Case 137) is a delight to behold on the big screen. Not only when Francis thrives on stage or when he grows closer to the soft-spoken, handsome soldier Pierre (the debut-making Emmanuel Macchia), but also when the doubts and fear creep in even more. While others want the war to end, he doesn’t, as he won’t be able to be his true self in a post-war society due to the prejudices and the life his father has planned for him.

Unlike Francis, Pierre is still quietly hiding who he deep down is. Because he keeps to himself at first, it takes ages for the audience to get to know this broad-shouldered farmboy–turned–soldier. However, once you become familiar with him, he stays with you long afterwards. Even more so once Pierre slowly but steadily becomes aware of Francis’ tender looks and gentle touches and finally feels a glimpse of hope and affection, which is much-needed in dark times. 

From then on, he relentlessly pursues those feelings, even going so far as to injure himself with his own weapon to avoid combat and spend more time with Francis’ troupe, savouring their love for a little longer. During those tender moments, the reality of their lives truly sinks in. While the theatre collective consists of men sometimes portraying female roles – as there are no women present – leading to drag and more gay scenes, Pierre and Francis must keep their relationship hidden to avoid persecution. 

The effective and gentle handling of the variety of themes is thanks not only to Dhont’s precise direction but also to Frank van den Eeden’s (Small Things Like These) sensitive cinematography. The director’s regular DP uses a beautiful combination of framing and light, getting the most out of the sincere story and the young actors. His delicate use of light pastels and the ethereal atmosphere contrast effectively with the darker tones of the battlefront, leaving the viewer completely absorbed in the visuals. 

As Campagne and Macchia give award-deserving performances, you can truly feel their characters’ pain both on the battlefield and off it. While the narrative structure of Coward closely follows the repressed love stories that came before, the lead and their genuine, heartwarming chemistry ensure that the predictable beats don’t keep this movie from reaching its full potential.

That’s also because the exploration of sexuality doesn’t dominate the film. It only becomes more prominent in its latter part, while sipping through gently at first. There’s still ample space for the brutality of World War I. Dhont might tone down the passionate love scenes in this movie, but he definitely ramps up the violent battles. The film’s more visceral scenes are deeply harrowing, particularly as the soldiers gradually succumb to their injuries. Meanwhile, the hard-watch aftermaths become more gut-wrenching when witnessing the immense impact of both physical and mental scars. Witnessing how some soldiers want to die instead of going to the battlefields or how they struggle with PTSD will leave no one untouched.

Finding love on the Belgian Western Front has never looked this graceful and masculine at the same time. There’s definitely a sense of predictability running through the script, but the subtle framing and the meticulous acting ensure that this familiar drama turns into a poignant tale of love and secrecy amid relentless brutality. 

Coward held its World Premiere in the Competition section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. 

Director: Lukas Dhont

Screenwriters: Lukas Dhont, Angelo Tijssens

Rated: NR

Runtime: 120m

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