#TIFF26: “COWARD” REVIEW

By Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong

In the first World War, Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia), a Belgian soldier, tries to balance the emotional weight of his horrifying position on the front lines with a blossoming romantic connection to Francis (Valentin Campagne), a theatre kid who motivates the troops with songs and dance. Lukas Dhont‘s Coward is a queer coming-of-age WWI movie, and right off the bat I have to give it props for being such a singular fusion of themes and genres. The look and feel of the trenches is agonizingly sharp and evocative, and makes for a stunning contrast with the beauty of the countryside, and the makeshift theatre and performance spaces.

Dhont‘s vision of a young man torn between love and war is inspired, and the story demands a deep, interior performance from his quiet lead. It is so disappointing that Emmanuel Macchia (in his first film), cannot offer that necessary depth. He has two distinct modes of performance–glum and grinning. Both masks are compelling at first, but as Coward unfolds, the limits of Macchia‘s expressions are unavoidable. It’s all too surfacey and repetitive. In the meta-theatrical sequences, he never even tries to embody the roles he’s signed up for, opting instead to stew in sadness. Your mileage may vary of course, as so much of his performance is wordless, and he is aided by a breathtaking period backdrop and a compelling co-star in Campagne. Not to mention–they shared the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. There are jurors out there who vehemently disagree with my take. But in a film about performance and masculinity, I needed a lead to match the complexity of his harrowing world. To my mind, the true star of Coward is that aching world itself–and not so much its central inhabitant.

Coward screens at TIFF ’26:

Sun. Sept 13 at 5:45 PM at TIFF Lightbox

Mon. Sept 14 at 5:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto