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What an experience it was watching Full Phil after midnight with a wild audience at the Cannes Film Festival. To set the scene, clearly we are not all fans of some production companies and/or distributors, so the audience lets everyone know. Boos in the opening credits, there might have been a few cheers. Cheers of course, when the cast appear on the screen. But then, we get into the movie and one wonders what is to come.
In all honesty, the title says it all. Strangely enough, in Quentin Dupieux’s latest comedy, the level of the genre and farce within might not be for everyone. But in a warm, comforting way, I completely understood that silly father-daughter relationship and nuisance Full Phil’s two protagonists had together. Dupieux surely creates a strange environment as this takes place mainly in the room of a hotel, but it is the father and daughter who give the audience most of what they may be looking for.
Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart’s Deadpan Chemistry Is the Beating Heart of Dupieux’s Full Phil
Philip Doom (Woody Harrelson) is a distance father and a wealthy American industrialist, so we get the feeling he was never there for her. Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) is free spirited and certainly feels disdain towards her father for the lack of love she received as a child and even into adulthood. Attempting to restore their relationship, Philip takes Madeleine on a luxurious trip to Paris. Fancy hotels, all the food and drink she can consume, and a father trying to console her daughter. Though she might be enjoying herself, witnessing her father at what he would call bending head over heels to reconcile with her, Philip does not find the re-connect so successful. The French cuisine, a 1950s horror film Madeleine spends over half her time watching, and the intrusive hotel employee, Lucie (Charlotte Le Bon), interrupt this smooth stay he dreamed of.
Admittedly, I have yet to see another Dupieux film. Therefore I cannot comment on what I have heard be the absurdity of his works. There is no waiting, however, on Dupieux’s part. He is ready to get the ball rolling and bring us into the story. Strange and confusing, we see Emma Mackey in black and white being chased by a swamp creature. So confused, I wondered just where we were being placed. When we quickly are taken out of this to a hotel room, seeing Madeleine eating a plate full of hotel room service, ah, simple placement. A need to constantly eat, for hunger or just to annoy her father, something we never find out. But that being said, we still quickly get brought into the consistency of Madeleine as the hotel attendant Lucie arrives with more food.
From here on out, it is a wild 78-minute ride. Yes, it might get a bit over the top, or disgusting, for some. But if you just let yourself witness the mastery of Harrelson and Stewart’s deadpan delivery of their lines, you can see where they took the chaos into their own hands. The world knows Woody Harrelson as a slapstick and quick comedic actor, also with serious roles in his background for sure. So to see the beginnings of the film here, you can only expect the laughable moments to be there. Stewart however, we have a different idea of what to expect. Able to deliver stupendously, I truly believe without Harrelson and Stewart’s banter as their characters, along with the line delivery, gave the film the quality it needed to not just simply fail off the bat.
Needed for the tension between father and daughter, Harrelson continues to play into his character’s fullness. Feeling the impact his reunion with his daughter has caused. Is it metaphorical? I wish I knew, but the more she eats and drinks, the more he suffers. Stewart on the other hand, as Madeleine she is a child. It is so funny to watch her steal the show. Almost babyish, she throws tantrums, whines and tells her dad to calm down, and bonds with Lucie. Madeleine also has some strange obsession with this 1950s movie we constantly have to watch with her. Stewart has both tenderness in her portrayal but also pure insanity, making sure to keep Harrelson, and in turn his character, on his toes.
Fast paced and messy, Dupieux most definitely wants to bring us into the journey with the characters. I felt as though the camera was pulling us along for the ride. If we pictured it enough, we could have been the ones holding the camera. It does become a bit uneasy with running through the streets and a sickening shake at times, it is easy to understand where Full Phil loses its viewers. As Stewart stuffs her character’s face, I could not help but wonder just how far she will take it. There is also the typical human thought of “how can someone eat so much food without exploding?” And yet somehow, that feels like that underlying question is part of Dupieux’s dubiousness with Full Phil.
Film festivals always have mixed results when it comes to what they pick for their midnight screenings (should the festival have those). Cannes this year has also been dicey so it seems. Another film with mixed feelings, the atmosphere in the room cannot be denied to have been almost as insane as the film. With its premiere at the midnight screenings on May 16, 2026, Full Phil fulfils that typical festival trope for midnights. Weird, whacky and a mess. Thank you Stewart and Harrelson for your efforts, Mackey too. But, not every film is made for us all.
Grade: C+
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Full Phil
Philip Doom, a wealthy American industrialist who attempts to reconnect with his daughter Madeleine during a luxurious trip to Paris. Unfortunately, French cuisine, a 1950s horror film and an intrusive hotel employee disrupt the smooth running of their stay.
Release Date: May 17, 2026
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Cast: Woody Harrelson , Kristen Stewart , Emma Mackey
