Sometimes, terrible things happen before our eyes. Sometimes, we don’t want to see things as they are, especially when it comes to the people we love. Gentle monsterThe new film by Austrian writer and director Marie Kreutzer (Oscar Presentation and Historical Drama). corsage), which makes its world premiere in the competition program of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, explores themes such as love, trust, loyalty, and narrative, both real and fantastic, in ways that will enchant you.
Lucy and Elsa have built their lives around men who may have underlying dark sides. Pianist Lucie, played by French star Léa Seydoux, with Catherine Deneuve playing her mother, loves her husband Philippe (Laurence Robb) so much that she agrees to move to the countryside with him and their son Johnny after Philippe burns out. This affects her career, but there is a bigger worry lurking in the shadows. On an early morning police visit, investigators from the Sexual Violence Against Children and Child and Youth Pornography Unit accused Philip of being active on online chat forums where men shared footage of children. Is he gay? Was he looking to make a quick but illegal profit? Or is there another explanation? Desperate to protect Johnny, Lucy feels trapped between the man she loves and the terror of what he might do.
Meanwhile, Elsa, portrayed by German actress Gila Haase (Berlin Alexanderplatz), who international audiences will know as the star of the Netflix spy series CleoShe lives for her job as a private police investigator, while also being responsible for her father (Sylvester Grothe), who suffers from dementia. But he also seems to have a dark side that rears its ugly head.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde send their regards as the film takes the women and the audience on an emotional cinematic journey through complex and painful terrain into the abyss where they must confront harrowing questions!
to Gentle monsterKreutzer re-collaborated with cinematographer Judith Kaufman (Yellow letters, Late transformation), editor Ulrike Koffler (Jenna) and producers Alexander Gleiher and Joanna Scherz of Film AG, with the film also supported by Komplizen Film and Kazak Productions. MK2 Films is handling international sales.
The author spoke to THR On the inspiration for her latest creation, how she casts big international stars, her work with music, and what the real-life scandal surrounding Austrian actor Florian Taichtmeister, who appeared in her previous film, is like. corsageplayed a role in the process of the new film, and how a pair of sunglasses inspired the title Gentle monster.
What led you to explore the heavy and difficult topics of women’s relationships and sexuality? Gentle monster face?
For me, it’s all about power and wanting to control someone, to be above someone. I was inspired by a newspaper article I read during the Covid-19 period, while I was still preparing two other films, one of which is in the works. corsage. It was amazing journalism, and it really haunted me. I couldn’t even finish it in one day, because it was so obvious. I felt like the only thing I could do was tell a story about this issue, this problem that we, as a society, don’t really know how to deal with.
Of course, I knew about sexual violence against children, but when I read that article in 2020, I realized even more that it’s not about the creepy man behind the bushes. Statistically speaking, it should be someone we know. Hence the title. We all know the victims, and we all know the perpetrators. We just don’t know who they are. What I wanted to show is that it could be someone you love, or it could be someone you trust. This is what I like about the title. There can be something really dark and dangerous about someone we trust and love.
Can you share how you actually found the title of the film?
It’s actually a Korean sunglasses brand. Obviously we had to check if we were allowed to use the name. The first title was [different]. I had sunglasses on while I was working on the script. The sunglasses were lying on the table, and I was looking around and thinking. Then I saw the small writing [on the glasses]“This is the perfect title,” he thought.
I felt like you made me, as a viewer, feel different emotions all the time, including anxiety, anger, and fear. Since I mentioned the writing stageHow did you approach the writing process to make me care so much?
I wrote it down as if it were happening to me and asking, “What am I going to do?” I don’t know who said it, but it’s a famous saying: Write about your biggest fear. The worst thing for me, of course, is if something happens to my child. But right after that, my partner will have done something [horrible]. Hence the story and plot.
When we started looking for financing, we always said this was a film about trust and about violence. Now, looking at the movie, I think it’s really a movie about honesty, including honesty to oneself. At what point will you admit that someone did something, and you don’t want to see it, and you don’t want to believe it, even if the proof was there all along?
How different it was from making historical dramas corsage?
Doing a period film always seems to require more work. But in reality, making a contemporary film is a big job, because everyone who sees it knows this world and knows this time. Sometimes it’s harder to do it right in a way that feels very natural than in an old movie, where you can make things up and create things. I tried to make it a movie that felt authentic [in the sense that it could be happening] To our friends or neighbors.
Can you talk a little bit about music and how important it is in your filmmaking, specifically Gentle monster? I have a feeling these two women have different soundtracks. For example, Coldplay’s song “Yellow” is part of Lucy’s world and her family, while Elsa listens to rap or hip-hop.
Music is always a big part of my work, especially when I’m writing. I have my own playlists, I have playlists for different personalities, and I just have a soundtrack in my head. Sometimes, some songs appear in the movie.
With Lucy, it was clear early on that she was going to be a musician and work with existing material. At some point, I realized that all the songs I had collected for Lucy to play and perform were songs by men. I mentioned it in one line, but I think it’s interesting that we’re so influenced by love songs that men write.
For Elsa, I was looking for something that would be a contrast. When I discussed it with Gela, the idea of female rap was actually more her idea than mine. I asked my music supervisor to show me different artists, and that’s how we found these tracks.
I mentioned how Gentle monster It explores how people close to us can be involved in dark and scary things. Conversation about corsage At one point it ended up partly talking about one of his actors and how he was accused of possessing child pornography. Did this affect your work? Gentle monsterOr did making the film help you process that experience further?
I had been working on this movie for a while when all of this happened, so it was really ridiculous. I literally had an hour and a half research phone call with the police detective on Friday, and on Monday, I heard about these rumors for the first time. It was so crazy.
In the midst of that scandal and shitstorm, I thought maybe I couldn’t do it Gentle monster Anymore, because everyone will always make that connection. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I might have to try harder. If I didn’t make the film for this reason, wouldn’t that be a mistake? What happened to us was not as traumatic as what happened to Lucy, because she was not someone I loved, but someone I worked with. This may sound corny, but it seemed like this was an invitation.
I also asked someone at Child Protection if we shouldn’t offer corsets anymore. This would be a very Austrian solution, she said. It just means sweeping it under the rug and not having to look at that ugly side.
Talking about child protection: How involved is Eger? Protection measures for the work team? Gentle monsterEspecially to protect young Malou Blanchett, who plays Lucy’s son, Johnny?
We have been very careful with everything. There was a whole crew involved, and we had very high standards for child protection. We were [careful about] How are we and also how his parents communicated with Malu and what he should know and what he does not know. We agreed on all these things with his parents who know him best.
We also took into account the entire crew. Cassia [Szustow]who coordinated the intimate relationship, brought it up. We need a mental health person or someone people can talk to, because, statistically, there should be people on the team who have gone through these types of things, she said. So, if something happens, they might have someone to talk to. But generally, when you finally make a movie, it’s broken down into so many little scenes and bits and pieces that it’s not like you’re thinking about the subject every day, but you [focused] On this specific scene. So, to be honest, I didn’t have the feeling that it was really weighing on us.
How did the two great French stars, Lea and Catherine, end up? Gentle monster?
after corsageI’ve already received a lot of calls and had a lot of meetings with the actors. I learned something that Americans do, which we are not very familiar with in Europe, or at least in Austria, which is “general meeting.” after corsageI started working with an American manager, and she said people wanted to have a general meeting just to get to know me, and maybe at some point, we’d work together. I started to enjoy this and realized that this would also work in reverse. I could also say that I wanted to meet this or that person, which I then did. So, it wasn’t difficult to connect with great actors.
I had some American and international offers, but I just wanted to make my film with my people, and at some point, I realized I could make it more international with my actors. Lucy was already a bilingual character because of her parents, and so, I thought it would be good for the story if she wasn’t native Austrian or German, because when it comes to institutions and all these problematic things, it’s hard for you if you don’t deal with them in your country in your first language. [Using] Three languages in the film also highlight this issue [transcends] Social and country boundaries. But just excellent.
What was the hardest part about shooting the movie?
The music scenes, because they were so technically demanding for all of us. This was a completely new situation that I’d never had to work with on screen before, music that was meant to be live. It was like a parallel production, shooting these big party scenes with a lot of extras. Those were days when I was very stressed, because I couldn’t do much. I just had to depend on everyone, and I couldn’t direct that much. This was the most stressful part.
How wonderful that is Gentle monster Will it premiere at the Cannes Film Festival? corsage Your first appearance was in the “What We Look” section, and this time you are on the competition show?
It’s very special. I just learned that the number of films in competition compared to the number of entries is less than 1 percent. It’s like winning the lottery, in a way. I am especially happy for this movie. with IssuePeople wanted to watch this historical film about the Empress of Austria. Many people loved him very much. I knew, when I started this project, that it was not going to be the same, because this is not a movie that you can watch three times. People did that with corsage; They won’t do that with Gentle monster.
It’s important to tell these difficult stories. I knew it was going to be hard to get love and attention for this movie, so I’m even happier that it’s going to be presented in this very special place and with all this attention.
Are you already working on something new?
I have four projects, but they are in different stages. So, it’s not that I’m going to be filming anything next week.
You have also done television productions, but are films your biggest passion?
I just love cinema. I just went to the movies last night… to see Hamnet – Late to the party. (Laughs) When the lights go out, and you’re with people you don’t know in a dark room watching a movie, it’s just magic.
