From Rock Legends to Modern Westerns: Cannes Shines with Bono and Aster Premieres

The Cannes Film Festival was ablaze with energy this weekend as two major premieres drew massive crowds and A-list celebrities to the iconic red carpet. On Friday night, U2 frontman Bono received a rapturous seven-minute standing ovation following the world premiere of Bono: Stories of Surrender, his deeply personal Apple TV+ documentary. Just across the Croisette, indie director Ari Aster’s politically charged thriller Eddington made its debut, attracting Hollywood heavyweights like Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Pedro Pascal, and Joaquin Phoenix, whose intense performances anchored the film’s gritty portrayal of small-town America in 2020.

Bono, visibly moved by the audience’s reaction, thanked his bandmates, longtime collaborators, and Stories of Surrender director Andrew Dominik, while teasing fans with a promise to learn French by next year. His film blends memoir, live performance, and unseen footage to explore themes of faith, fame, and family. Meanwhile, Aster’s Eddington earned critical buzz for reimagining the American Western through a modern sociopolitical lens. Set in New Mexico, the film pits Pascal’s mayor against Phoenix’s sheriff during a turbulent election season marked by mask mandates and Black Lives Matter protests. IndieWire hailed it as “the first truly modern American Western,” while the BBC called it “deranged” and unforgettable.

Both premieres underscored the festival’s balance between raw intimacy and grand spectacle. Bono’s return to Cannes — where U2 famously performed in 2007 — reaffirmed his legacy as a cultural icon unafraid to bare his soul. Aster, known for Hereditary and Midsommar, continued his collaboration with A24 and Phoenix following 2023’s Beau Is Afraid. Bono: Stories of Surrender will debut on Apple TV+ on May 30, while Eddington hits U.S. theaters July 18, promising to keep Cannes’ glow burning long after the red carpet is rolled away.