18/05/2026 - CANNES 2026: A fantastic Adèle Exarchopoulos brings endless humanity to a meticulous study on alcohol addiction, directed by Jeanne Herry

Adèle Exarchopoulos in Another Day

"It’s not such a bad idea to ask ourselves this question every now and again: do I want to live?" Presented for the very first time in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Jeanne Herry hasn’t strayed from her usual cinematographic path, using fiction to carefully scrutinise the many facets and human dimensions of harrowing societal issues (such as abandonment at birth and adoption in In Safe Hands or restorative justice in All Your Faces). But unlike her two previous works, the director’s latest opus sees her channelling her observations, in all their complexity ("everything she’s experiencing and feeling"), into one single character rather than an ensemble cast. And happily so, because Another Day sees Adèle Exarchopoulos delivering an exceptional performance and lending an overwhelmingly empathic face to the journey of a young woman who’s mired in one of the most insidious addictions that exists, on account of its association with socialising and fun: alcoholism.

"We need to take a step back from you." Various doors are closing, one by one, for the young and incredibly likeable thirty-something Garance, a struggling actress who finds herself playing bit parts in the theatre wings when she’s not relegated to kids’ shows. She doesn’t feel has any choices; she endures things rather than directing them, notably casting directors who don’t get back to her and the financial precariousness which undermines her day-to-day life (exhausting and repetitive train journeys, flat-sharing, disappointments in love). But, like a good girl, she soldiers on, oblivious to the fact that a void is opening up beneath her feet, fuelled by her fear of isolation, emptiness and aborted dreams. So she throws herself into partying and drinks increasing amounts of alcohol, ignoring warnings ("it’s like a crutch in the evening and a punch in the face the next morning") and taking refuge in denial ("We’re not putting you on trial but we don’t want to see you like this anymore, you need to get help, we can’t watch you deteriorate anymore… Your problem with alcohol”. “What are you talking about? What problem?" Her loving relationship with set designer Pauline (Sara Giraudeau) is the only light in her life, and so Garance finds herself forced to confront the troubles she tries to drown in white wine, because things go from bad to worse… But is she capable of or even interested in changing? Or is it too late?

Painting a dynamic and poignant portrait ("do you realise what I am?") over an eight-year period, Jeanne Herry (who also wrote the screenplay) explores the subject of addiction methodically and phase by phase, but with plenty of humanity too (thanks to her lead actress). Psychological isolation, doubt, a sense of weakening, destabilisation, anxiety: the depth of the damage is expertly revealed, layer by layer, as the story unfolds, with the hard-hitting nature of the subject-matter partly counterbalanced by Garance’s spirit and warm-hearted asides (which bring more than a little humour). It’s a softening approach (of moderate impact, given the heavy recurrence of "hangovers from hell", nights spent staggering home, wiped out memories and professional setbacks) which allows the film to deliver a piercing clinical and educational portrait, only employing melodrama where required. This highly controlled approach towards the definition of identity and the choices which feed into it, does feel a touch artificial in parts (slightly over-egged music to liven up the story, a family subplot which adds even more drama, the obstacle-strewn road to redemption), but it also makes wonderful use of Adèle Exarchopoulos’ freshness and talent in order to fulfil its humanist mission.

Another Day was produced by Chi-Fou-Mi Productions and Trésor Films, in co-production with France 3 Cinéma, alongside Belgium’s Artémis Productions and StudioCanal. The latter firm is also steering world sales.

(Translated from French)

Photogallery 17/05/2026: Cannes 2026 - Another Day

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Jeanne Herry, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Sara Giraudeau
© 2026 Fabrizio de Gennaro for Cineuropa - fadege.it, @fadege.it