THE ELECTRIC KISS (Cannes 2026) – Review by Diane Carson
The Electric Kiss entertains with a sweet love story
Tunisian born, French writer/director Pierre Salvadori served up an entertaining, sweet bon-bon for the opening night of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. With humor, romance, and a few ideas on its mind, the film is appropriately set in a 1920s Parisian circus world where Suzanne (Anaïs Demoustier), billed as Venus Electrificata, lures men on stage to receive a high-voltage kiss. Off stage and behind the scenes, an assistant provides the requisite shocks that seal the gullible volunteer’s lips to hers. Such fakery infuses the plot with other sleight of hand games and, more seriously for the subjects, seance sessions with a medium. That leads to the central, potentially pathetic drama, for Antoine (Pio Marmaï) suffers grievously from the loss of his beloved wife Irène (Vimala Pons).
Mistaken for the medium though resourcefully quick to further the Antoine’s error, Suzanne becomes involved in a hoax duping Antoine into believing she channels Irène. Motivated by monetary gain and the hope of escape her current unpleasant, demanding performance boss Titus (Gustave Kervern), Suzanne joins forces with Antoine’s art dealer Armand (Gilles Lellouche). For his part, Armand’s income has plummeted since Antoine has ceased painting after Irène’s death. In fact, it was Irène who became Antoine’s muse as his model years ago. Believing Irène now directs his reinvigorated artistic efforts, Antoine takes up his brush again with renewed vigor in his impressive home. Unsurprisingly, the actual monetary payouts remain delicately unexplored so as not to distract from the romantic appeal. Also predictably, the good-hearted essence of the narrative harbors conflicted emotional involvement that will resolve slowly but surely into real affection. For his part, Antoine relishes his reclaimed immersion in his wife’s presence, such as itis in his life. As night follows day, along with a few twists and turns, the fantasy crashes. The pleasure of The Electric Kiss resides in the opportunity to spend two hours with engaging, all-in actors who never wink-wink at the unbelievable situation. This is, after all, fantasy.
With the numerous entrances and exits of these players in Antoine’s home and at the circus, with present and past interwoven, the elaborate plot unfolds rather like a closet drama, its characters and locations not always elegantly integrated. Nevertheless, the actors embody an appealing energy whatever the collisions of space and time. Julien Poupard’s cinematography keeps colors bright and editor Anne-Sophie Bion keeps the pace quick leaving little time to question developments. Too long for what it delivers, it does offer a pleasant diversion from reality with Shocking Blue’s peppy song Venus fittingly plays over end credits, sending viewers dancing out of the venue. As the opening night selection, The Electric Kiss introduced the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on an upbeat note.
