Director Léa Mysius marks her Cannes competition debut with “The Birthday Party,” an atmospheric home invasion thriller adapted from Laurent Mauvignier’s 2023 novel.
Hafsia Herzi stars as a woman who comes home to one hell of a surprise when Benoît Magimel and his two brothers crash her birthday. Also featuring Monica Bellucci and Bastien Bouillon, the film opens on a note of high tension and never lets up.
“I loved the birthday party aspect from the book,” says Mysius. “Despite everything, they still end up having a party. Then suddenly everything accelerates. There’s something very true-to-life about the eruption of violence. You’re having a drink, people are talking, and suddenly they start hitting each other. Everything spirals out of control.”
Alongside her own films, Mysius also co-wrote “Emilia Perez” for Jacques Audiard, “The Stars at Noon” for Claire Denis, and “Ismael’s Ghosts” for Arnaud Desplechin. She plans to continue that work.
Variety spoke with Mysius ahead of her film’s world premiere in Cannes.
