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.