Coward. 2026. Belgium/France/Netherlands. Directed by Lukas Dhont. Screenplay by Dhont, Angelo Tijssens. With Valentin Campagne, Emmanuel Macchia. DCP courtesy MUBI. In French, Dutch; English subtitles. 120 min.
On the brutal front lines of World War I, two young Belgian soldiers find a temporary refuge in staging theatrical revues for their fellow comrades, forging an unexpected and tender bond amid the horrors of combat. Following his acclaimed features Girl (2018) and Close (2022), Lukas Dhont returns to the intimate, character-driven storytelling that has become his signature. Attuned to queer experience and the fragile emotional landscapes of youth, Dhont once again delivers a lyrical, deeply humane meditation on camaraderie, vulnerability, and the quiet courage of love in the face of destruction. A filmmaker with an extraordinary gift for discovering and nurturing young talent, he draws remarkable performances from Emmanuel Macchia, making his acting debut, and Valentin Campagne, whose breakthrough work earned them the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actor prize, awarded jointly.
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