The Beloved, the drama from Rodrigo Sorogoyen in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, will be available on VOD from October 20, 2026. The film brings together Javier Bardem, Victoria Luengo, Raúl Arévalo and Marina Foïs to explore a fraught father-daughter bond after thirteen years apart.
Esteban Martínez, portrayed by Javier Bardem, is a world-renowned director whose personal life bears the scars of violence and excess. Returning to Spain to shoot a new film, he offers the lead role to Emilia, his daughter, an actress whose career has yet to take off.
Emilia seizes the professional opportunity, despite her father’s long absence and her struggle to see him as a father figure. On set, they’re forced to share the same space and rekindle a closeness that has been missing for years. The collaboration gradually brings to light old wounds and the power dynamics each of them had tried to bury.
The trailer frames this clash behind the scenes of a film production, where the dynamic between a director and his actor blurs with that of a father and his daughter.
Rodrigo Sorogoyen shares screenwriting duties with Isabel Peña, his longtime collaborator on several of his previous films. After As Bestas, which premiered in the Cannes Première section in 2022, the Spanish filmmaker returned to the Croisette with The Beloved, selected among the films in competition for the Palme d’Or at the 79th edition of the Festival.
Running 2h15, the film delves as much into family tensions as into the workings of a movie set. Esteban’s position lets him direct his daughter in front of the camera, but it also spills over into the professional sphere, forcing a paternal authority that Emilia has never fully accepted.
The cast also features Mourad Ouani, Raúl Prieto and Melina Matthews. The score is composed by Olivier Arson, with cinematography by Alex de Pablo and editing by Alberto del Campo.
The Beloved, released in French cinemas on May 16, 2026, will be available on VOD starting October 20, 2026. To stay on top of other at‑home releases, check our guide to streaming and VOD releases and our pick What to watch today.
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