Apart from being the venue for the sale and premiere of the best movies of the year, Cannes is also the first step for films that may ultimately win numerous awards at the Oscars.
Every year, Screen Daily publishes a highly informative articlethat is useful to identify the films that are likely to perform well with The Academy, known as the Cannes Jury Grid. This grid aggregates the opinions of twelve of the most prominent critics worldwide on the 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or this year.
The rating scale ranges from poor to excellent, and it compiles all the reviews to calculate an average score for each film. Here, find out which of them are likely to feature prominently at the crucial event for cinema on March 2, 2025.
Which movies that premiered at Cannes might sweep the 2025 Oscars?
“Anora” by Sean Baker – 3.3 Score
Unanimously, “Anora” was the movie that the critics liked the most. With the exception of one journalist, the other twelve gave the production three or four stars, mostly awarding it the highest score.
It narrates the whirlwind romance between a New York stripper and the young son of a Russian oligarch. They impulsively marry in Las Vegas, triggering the fury of their families.
“All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia – 3.3 Score
The case of this film is quite similar to “Anora,” as it has been given the highest rating by the majority of the critics. They have been quite impressed by Kapadia, as this is just the second feature-length film by the Indian director.
In Mumbai, nurse Prabha’s routine is disrupted when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Her younger roommate, Anu, tries in vain to find a place in the city to be intimate with her boyfriend. A trip to a coastal town allows them to find a space for their desires to unfold.
“Grand Tour” by Miguel Gomes – 3.0 score
Out of the 22 films competing for the Palme d’Or, this is the last to come close to a perfect score. Portuguese director Miguel Gomes is known for “Our Beloved Month of August,” which has gained critical acclaim worldwide.
Rangoon, Burma, 1917. Edward, a British Empire official, flees from his fiancée Molly on the day she arrives to marry him. However, during his journey, panic gives way to melancholy. Contemplating the emptiness of his existence, cowardly Edward wonders what has become of Molly. Amused by Edward, Molly tracks him across Asia.
“The Substance” by Coralie Fargeat – 2.7 score
Although the Oscars typically overlook horror movies for their awards, we can dream that they will make an exception for this film starring Demi Moore, which received a 13-minute ovation at its premiere.
“You, but better in every way.” That’s the promise of The Substance, a revolutionary product based on cell division, which creates a younger, more beautiful, more perfect alter ego.
“Caught by the Tides” by Jia Zhangke – 2.6 score
Having been nominated for the Palme d’Or five times in the past, Jia Zhangke returns to win for the second time, as he did in 2013 with “A Touch of Sin.”
In early 2000s China, Qiao Qiao and Guao Bin share a passionate but fragile love. When Guao Bin disappears to seek his fortune in another province, Qiao Qiao decides to go after him.
“Emilia Perez” by Jacques Audiard – 2.5 score
Could this be the first Oscar for Selena Gomez? It seems quite probably! Among all the titles at Cannes that feature Hollywood stars, “Emilia Perez” has been the best reviewed by critics.
Overqualified and undervalued, Rita is a lawyer at a prestigious law firm who one day receives an unexpected offer: to help the feared leader of a cartel retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the woman he has always dreamed of being.
“Three Kilometres to the End of the World” by Emanuel Parvu – 2.3 score
It’s the first time Romanian actor and director Emanuel Parvu has visited Cannes, but he has already made a name for himself at other festivals around the world, such as the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
Set in a conservative community in the Danube Delta, a gay teenager’s journey of self-discovery clashes with the traditional values upheld by his parents and neighbors.
“Megalopolis” by Francis Ford Coppola – 2.1 Score
It’s quite probable that this rating not only reflects the quality of the film but also the controversies that Coppola had to endure from the day he began filming. Nevertheless, it’s always certain that big names make it to the Oscars. And this is one of the biggest.
A futuristic sci-fi epic exploring themes of utopia and dystopia in a modern metropolitan city. The plot follows a visionary architect attempting to rebuild New York as a utopia after a disaster that devastated the city.
“Bird” by Andrea Arnold – 2.3 Score
Andrea Arnold, who won the Oscar for Best Short Film in the 2005 edition, made a strong impression at Cannes with a heart-wrenching film featuring Barry Keoghan in the lead role.
Bailey, 12, lives with his single father Bug and his brother Hunter in a squatted house in northern Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids, and Bailey, approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventures on his own.
“Kinds of Kindness” by Yorgos Lanthimos – 2.4 score
Although Lanthimos already has his 2025 Oscar nomination secured from his performance in the last edition, it is certainly surprising to see it ranking so low among its other competitors.
A fable in the form of a triptych that tells three stories: one about a trapped man attempting to take control of his own life; another about a terrified policeman whose wife, who had disappeared at sea, has returned and seems like a different person; and the third about a determined woman seeking out someone with a special gift, destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.
