‘Coward’ Review: Lukas Dhont’s Third and Most Ambitious Feature Sticks Soldiers in a Tortured Queer Love Story Mired in Emotional Fraudulence
Lukas Dhont's film 'Coward' explores the complexities of queer love amidst the backdrop of war. While the film showcases Dhont's talent for directing young actors, it suffers from a lack of chemistry between leads and an overreliance on emotional manipulation. Critics have noted that the film's grand ambitions often come off as hollow and artificial.
- ▪Lukas Dhont is known for his previous films 'Girl' and 'Close', which examined themes of sexual and gender identity.
- ▪The film 'Coward' features rookie Belgian soldiers and includes musical elements that aim to convey heightened emotions.
- ▪Critics have pointed out the lack of chemistry between the lead actors and the film's tendency towards self-conscious grandiosity.
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'Coward' Cannes Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment With his first two features, Girl and Close, Lukas Dhont carved out a reputation for piercing examinations of the minefield for children and adolescents of sexual and gender identity, whether internalized or in relation to the outside world. Both films drew acclaim, but also detractors who bristled at the Belgian director’s perceived exploitation of subjects as sensitive as gender dysphoria, self-harm and suicide for the purposes of emotional manipulation.
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