Review: Think Good
- CANNES 2026: Géraldine Nakache traces the history of an abusive relationship, set to the rhythm of sacred Jewish rituals
French actor and director Géraldine Nakache presented her fourth feature film, Think Good, a marital drama starring the undeniably talented Monia Chokri, in the Cannes Premiere section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.
"Think positively and everything will be alright." This mantra, central to the Jewish faith, has been with Gil her whole life, especially during hard times and moments of doubt. A cinematographer, she put her career on hold to start a family, raise her young daughter and give her a brother or sister. When she receives a phone call from a former colleague offering her a job, her whole past life resurfaces in the narrative, along with the reasons that led her to withdraw from the world; she sees this offer as an opportunity for emancipation, even if she struggles to put it into words. Moving back and forth through time, the narrative highlights the complex dynamics governing the relationship between Gil and Jacques (Niels Schneider), her husband, which quickly emerges as a deeply toxic, controlling relationship. Focusing on snapshots of the couple’s life scattered across time, the screenplay highlights a series of situations that serve as red flags. The film dissects the dynamics of domination based on isolation, guilt-tripping, surveillance, the reversal of blame, and gaslighting. These concepts are embodied in vignettes from the couple’s daily life, perhaps culminating in the maternity ward at the birth of their first child, when Jacques prevents Gil’s family from visiting her and meeting their granddaughter for the first time.
Domestic abuse is a subject that has already been explored in cinema (one naturally thinks of My King in the context of French cinema) as it is inherently rich in its own narrative potential and the #MeToo movement has not only encouraged people to speak out, but has also brought to light certain concepts that help us to better understand it. Think Good is part of this movement, but tackles the issue by setting it against the backdrop of its heroine’s faith. Jewish, like her husband, Gil has a different approach to religion than he does, being less strict in her observance of ritual. Yet it is her faith that is shaken when she realises the situation and decides to take action. How can she reconcile her religious convictions with the separation? How can she move beyond the injunction: think positively and everything will be fine. The film opens with a scene in the mikvah, the ritual bath that punctuates the lives of married Jewish women. A purifying bath that is an obligation, but which may also allow Gil, perhaps, to move from one state to another.
Think Good was produced by Liaison Cinématographique (France), Pan Cinéma (Pan-Européenne) (France), Artémis Productions (Belgium) and Les Productions du Ch’timi (France). Playtime handles international sales.
Photogallery 15/05/2026: Cannes 2026 - Think Good
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