Guillaume Canet’s French thriller “Karma,” starring Marion Cotillard, premieres at the Cannes Film Festival and draws strong early attention. Multiple outlets report the film screens out of competition in Cannes’ official lineup, with its world premiere taking place in the Special Screenings section. At the screening, “Karma” reportedly receives a standing ovation lasting about six minutes.
The film centers on Cotillard’s character, Jeanne, as she attempts to escape a religious cult. Reviewers describe the movie as a tense, cult-themed thriller that leans into melodrama and genre set pieces, featuring performances from Cotillard and Denis Ménochet. While critics differ on how effective the film is, they generally characterize it as sometimes engrossing but drawn out, with some describing it as lurid or sensational and noting contrivances in its plotting.
Across the coverage, the consistent points are that Canet directs and stars are led by Cotillard, the film is associated with Cannes’ official selection but not in the competition slate, and it is presented as a suspense-driven story about cult pressure and an attempted escape.
