Cannes 2025: Death Does Not Exist
2025 Cannes Film Festival
No matter what side one stands on, it is undeniable that society is at a point of political upheaval. As sides grow more divided and frustrated, largely led by social media and corrupt algorithms, which seek to widen this divide and promote extremist viewpoints, more and more are asking what they can do to shape the world in their vision, and are taking action to fight for their side. Screening as part of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Félix Dufour-Laperrière's Death Does Not Exist meditates on the commitment individuals feel to both their own political beliefs and to those around them, challenging the strength behind the ideals of those who take drastic action in their quest to right the wrongs of the modern world.
The animated film centers on a young woman named Hélène (Zeneb Blanchet) who, alongside a group of her friends who share a common outlook on the world, seeks to launch a violent assault on a wealthy party to disrupt the system and cause what they believe to be a needed shakeup. During the bloody attack, which goes badly for the attackers, Hélène runs away and leaves her friends to die. Hélène escapes into the forest and is hit with a wave of guilt and disappointment that she failed to stand with her friends and cause. However, thanks to the work of a spirit, Hélène is given a second chance. After going through a couple days' journey of fantasy, memory, and ideological debate, Hélène gets a second chance at this event and must choose if she will once again flee or if she will instead stand for what she believes in.
Death Does Not Exist is a film walking a dangerous tightrope. While an examination of modern political belief is a rewarding basis, and the concept of debating the personal beliefs of those who wage violent attacks could be beyond poignant on a variety of levels, the film also threatens to downplay and invalidate the weight of these actions by suggesting that those behind them are not truly committed to what they are doing and are simply misguided. There is no singular or simplistic answer to the questions the film is proposing, yet the film ambitiously seeks to find something in the form of answers with a quick 72-minute runtime.
The results of this conversation feel mixed. The film leads every conversation with empathy and an acceptance of the inherent humanity of every individual involved, regardless of which side they are on. The film works to identify and showcase the emotions rooted in these violent actions, including fear, sadness, and justified frustration. On the other side, the film gives a humanity to those being attacked, showing that even with great wealth, people can still be imperfect and lost. The film doesn't try to take sides, playing more of a both-sides argument than anything else, but it is clear that the director finds himself at odds with those who are willing to take these violent actions. While this take is not invalid, the shortcomings of perspective feel noticeable throughout the film.
By giving almost no context to the actual incident central to the film, the feature attempts to create a universal narrative that can be projected onto the various real-world events of a similar nature, but this wastes and destroys the nuances that can be found in these situations. Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, wasn't randomly targeted because he was wealthy, but because he was the one directly leading a toxic and evil system that has led to lives being ruined and ended. The countless protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza are not random, they are directed and pointed at an ongoing and definable injustice. While it isn't important that the film ultimately voices support for these movements or the actions by those involved, to rid the conversation of nuance by diving deeper into the context of the situation being examined feels like a wasted opportunity.
Worst of all, it feels inauthentic. The film does not present the truth of what is going on through these individuals' minds, but rather a projection and assumption by the screenwriter. If the film wants to truly create an investigation into the hearts, brains, and souls of those involved, it feels misguided not to actually bring in those experiences, as natural nuance and emotional poignance are found through that type of expression. The actual takeaways within Death Does Not Exist feel childish compared to a film like Atsushi Sakahara's Me and the Cult Leader, where Atsushi Sakahara, a victim of Tokyo's 1995 sarin gas attack, meets with a leader of the group responsible for those tragic events. Naturally, the two share stories and trade perspectives, finding empathy for one another and reaching a deeper, more mature level of human interaction that cannot be projected or assumed.
While it is inherently unfair to compare a fictional animated film to a documentary, the point still stands that the film is only able to work at a great distance from the conversation it is trying to have, never hitting the nail on the head or producing work as moving and relevant as it is trying to be. With that said, it must be noted that the film still plays on the outside as being quite strong in a multitude of ways.
The animation throughout the feature is truly a work of art. With an incredibly unique yet effective take on the use of color, often painting the entire frame in only a handful of colors and allowing for striking moments like blood gushing from a wound to stand out as a neon color against a darker frame. For an animated film made on this level of production, it is mindblowing at times how smooth and inspired the film feels, creating truly memorable iconography and visual beauty.
The actual story itself is also one that plays well. For those who are not trying to engage the film on that deeper level, and especially those on the outside who do not understand or connect with the nuances of the topic at hand, the film is undoubtedly emotionally rewarding and carries itself with a great weight of being wise. When the film focuses on the concept of the commitment one feels to their friends and those around them, the difference is immediately felt as the film embraces a more authentic core with emotions the filmmaker can relate to. It also should be said that while flawed, the film's commitment to creating empathy for all parties does hold itself together enough to never vilainize a side or do lasting damage to a single point of view. While one can say the film is disappointing in its voice, one cannot claim that it is evil or outwardly problematic.
Especially as one sits with Death Does Not Exist and truly digests the feature, conflicting emotions are found. It is clear that when it comes to direction, Félix Dufour-Laperrière is a master of the animated art form and is a voice that needs to be followed and supported. Multiple sequences within the film are guaranteed to be some of the most effective and impressive animated scenes of the entire year. It is also worth celebrating the ambition of the film to tackle such a complex and heated topic.
Many filmmakers and films would never dare to touch something this relevant and try to handle the conversation so honestly and purely. However, it is clear that the film simply doesn't have the substance required to dive into this topic in a way that is truly meaningful or reflective of the realistic struggles found within this conversation. It is a film that dives too deep, getting in over its own head. The film is not a disaster and has so much value, but it just isn't able to reach that next level and needs more foundational work to build a thesis and point of view to reach that intended point.
