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The Birthday Party

The Birthday Party (Histoires de la nuit)

Movie · 2026 · 5 people

Written and directed by Léa Mysius, The Birthday Party turns a 2020 Laurent Mauvignier novel that bears the same title into a 2026 drama and thriller. A French-Belgian co-production, it is called Histoires de la nuit ("Night Stories") in French. The film had its world premiere on 22 May 2026 in the main competition of the 79th Cannes Film Festival and competed for the Palme d'Or. Critical reaction was moderate. It was released in France through Le Pacte on 16 September 2026.

The story unfolds at a remote farm near a marsh. Nora, Thomas and their daughter Ida live there with the Italian painter Cristina, their only neighbour. While everyone prepares a surprise birthday party for Nora, three men prowl around the house and crash the party uninvited; long-hidden secrets come out and unforeseen events throw the family into complete chaos. Hafsia Herzi plays Nora, Bastien Bouillon is Thomas and Monica Bellucci is Cristina, with Benoît Magimel, Tawba El Gharchi, Paul Hamy, Servane Ducorps and Tatia Tsuladze also in the cast.

Mysius also wrote the screenplay. Filming began on 2 June 2025 in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The film is in French and runs about one hour and fifty-four minutes.

DirectorLéa Mysius

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You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Cast

Monica Bellucci Monica Bellucci Actor · 62 years old Hafsia Herzi Hafsia Herzi Film actor · 39 years old Benoît Magimel Bastien Bouillon Paul Hamy

Through different eyes

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

The setup is a textbook thriller recipe: a remote farm by a marsh, a surprise party in the works, and three strangers prowling around the house. Handled well, the uninvited-guests angle can nail you to your seat. My doubt is the family-drama side, where long-hidden secrets come out. In a film of nearly two hours, that part could let the tension drop. The critics' lukewarm reaction also suggests the balance doesn't fully hold.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

By building Mauvignier's novel as both drama and thriller, Léa Mysius has to manage two different rhythms under one roof: the sharp pace of a threat from outside and the slow unfolding of secrets that have built up inside for years. On paper that duality is a rich field of tension; the uninvited men can become a catalyst that brings what the family has buried to the surface. Monica Bellucci as the only neighbour, a painter, also lends the cast an intriguing weight. But premiering in the Cannes main competition and meeting a middling response suggests to me that the two rhythms at times get in each other's way rather than feeding each other. An ambitious adaptation, but the kind that struggles to find its balance.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

This is not a family-night film. There are three men who barge into a family's home uninvited, old secrets coming out and a household thrown into chaos. The level of suspense is too much for children. Adults should prefer to watch it among themselves, and for older teens it is worth checking the content advice first.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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