Ira Sachs’ ‘The Man I Love’ Is Cannes 2026's Best Film Still Seeking U.S. Distributor

A few hours ago came the news that Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved,” starring Javier Bardem, had been picked up by Kino Lorber for U.S. release. I was not a fan of this film, which sees Bardem playing an acclaimed director who decides to cast his estranged daughter in his new film.

Regardless, this leaves us with just five Cannes competition titles still seeking U.S. distribution, four of them subpar, all French, including Jeanne Herry’s “Another Day,” Léa Mysius’ “The Birthday Party,” Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet’s “A Woman’s Life,” and László Nemes’ “Moulin.”

The fifth, and easily the best film still without distribution, is Ira Sachs’ “The Man I Love.” I’m not sure why it’s taking this long, but it will surely be acquired this fall, as it’s currently set to screen at Telluride, TIFF, and NYFF.

Sachs returned to Cannes competition with “The Man I Love,” starring Rami Malek as Jimmy George, a gay actor in 1980s New York living with AIDS. Recently near death and recovering from a hospitalization, Jimmy is trying to keep working while his health and mental state deteriorate. He is surrounded by complicated relationships: his partner Dennis (Tom Sturridge), who has become his caretaker, and Vincent (Luther Ford), a younger neighbor with whom Jimmy is having an affair despite the dangers.

Malek gives what’s probably a career-best performance, portraying Jimmy as theatrical, volatile, likable, selfish, and deeply human. The film refuses to turn him into a tragic martyr, instead embracing his contradictions. Music and performance permeate the film, and it all culminates in an unexpectedly moving family scene where Jimmy sings Melanie’s “What Have They Done to My Song Ma.”

Sachs, who debuted with “The Delta” in 1997, found his artistic breakthrough with a run of acclaimed indies—“Keep the Lights On” (2012), “Love Is Strange” (2014), and “Little Men” (2016). After the poorly received “Frankie” (2019), he rebounded strongly with “Passages” (2023), a sultry Paris-set love triangle that became arguably his finest film. “The Man I Love” is one of his best.

So, given the current indie climate, what studio best fits “The Man I Love”? The obvious ones are A24 and Neon, but their slates are currently filled up. Maybe MUBI can take a crack at this one, or even Sony Pictures Classics. There’s a decent case to be made for acquiring it, especially given the strong reviews and a healthy fall festival presence coming up.

For more on the world of acquired cinema, the place to go is CJ Prince’s Substack, which rounds up all the festival titles that have and haven’t sold.