# ‘Coward’ movie review: An intimate and harrowing World War I drama

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/coward-movie-review-an-intimate-and-harrowing-world-war-i-drama/
- Published: 2026-09-22T22:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-23T00:04:28+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/lukas-dhont-coward-movie-review/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- A tender queer romance unfolds amid First World War brutality.
- Dhont balances battlefield horror with youthful joy and intimacy.
- Two debut leads earned Cannes’ joint Best Actor prize.

## Summary

Lukas Dhont’s *Coward* is an intimate LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama set during the First World War, following young soldiers whose adolescence is consumed by conflict. It centres on Pierre, a troubled recruit, and Francis, a more openly expressive fellow soldier, whose growing romantic bond offers hope and emotional freedom amid the brutality of military life.

The film contrasts battered camps, battlefields and army confinement with the soldiers’ theatrical performances, friendships and tentative intimacy. The review praises Dhont’s impressionistic visuals, restrained treatment of violence and the performances of Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne, who shared Cannes’ Best Actor prize, while acknowledging that its queer military and First World War themes are familiar.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.