Cannes—the time for a new year's awards selection had arrived once again.
Among the films in competition, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly NightWalker by Ethan.
As Ethan's first crime film in several years, it garnered significant attention from both audiences and judges as soon as it was announced.
On the day of the screening, chairman George Miller sat in the screening room with other jury members, casually chatting while waiting for the film to start.
Sitting beside George Miller were Kirsten Dunst and Mads Mikkelsen.
One was a well-known actress who had starred in Interview with the Vampire and played Mary Jane in Spider-Man, while the other was affectionately called "Uncle Mads" by fans, known for his role as Hannibal, with numerous film clips circulating on short video platforms.
When they saw Ethan's name on the film list, both were quite interested.
"What kind of film is Ethan's this time?" Kirsten Dunst asked. She had never worked with Ethan or met him frequently, so her understanding of him came mainly from interviews and his movies.
Mads Mikkelsen, though not particularly following Ethan's work, had seen a few of his films.
"I'm not sure. I heard it's a crime film."
"A crime film? Like No Country for Old Men?" Mads Mikkelsen was a big fan of that movie.
George Miller shook his head. "I think it's different from No Country for Old Men."
"That makes me even more interested," Mads Mikkelsen said.
"Stay objective. We have a mission today," George Miller chuckled.
Mads Mikkelsen nodded. "Of course, Mr. Chairman."
"Then let's begin. Is the equipment ready?"
Soon, the lights in the screening room dimmed, and the first film started playing.
As Cannes jury members, watching films was no simple task. They had to watch at least four films a day and rate them.
To avoid external influence, they were also required to stay at designated locations and minimize contact with outsiders.
Because of this, most jury members only took on the role once—after experiencing the workload, they rarely wanted to do it again.
After three days of continuous screenings, on the fourth day, Mads Mikkelsen and the others finally got to see Ethan's NightWalker.
The film opened with a young Black boy running through the streets. As gunshots and police sirens blared, he weaved through the alleys, trying to evade capture.
Just when he was about to be caught, a young white boy helped him, and the two escaped the chaotic streets together, avoiding arrest.
The scene then transitioned to twenty years later—the Black boy, now an adult, had retired from the military and returned home.
But what awaited him was a complete mess—his mother, who constantly chased new thrills, was onto her 25th husband; his drug-addicted sister spent her days meeting different men; and his younger brother, who had been violent since childhood, frequently came home covered in injuries.
The entire family was a disaster—except for Franklin.
Amidst the chaos, Franklin worked tirelessly to earn money, hoping to pull his family out of their struggles. But his efforts were futile—his sister stole his money, his earnings went to treating his brother's broken bones, and he was constantly drained with nothing to show for it.
One day, at his breaking point, his mother enraged her 25th husband, leading to a brutal beating.
Seeing this, Franklin threw a few punches at the man, thinking it was over. But his brother had other plans—he pulled out a hidden gun from his room and shot the man dead.
Franklin was stunned. His mother and sister were also in shock. To protect her son, their mother planned to take the fall for the murder.
However, the police had their own agenda. After a careless investigation, they hastily pinned the crime on Franklin. The prosecutor just as carelessly confirmed the charge, and the white judge in charge of the case made an even more arbitrary decision—he sentenced Franklin on the spot.
Just like that, Franklin was thrown into prison, where he met a hitman named William.
Meanwhile, the white boy from earlier—Mike—was also having a rough time. Never interested in academics, he had joined a local gang and worked for his godfather.
During this time, he fell for a girl named Britta—a drug addict whose greatest joy was tinkering with her little chemical experiments in the bathroom.
Mike was helpless about her addiction but refused to leave her. To support her habits, he worked even harder to make money.
But human desires know no bounds. During a gang shootout, Mike intercepted a batch of drugs from a rival gang. His godfather, a strict man who never touched drugs and raised him with the same principles, would never approve.
But Mike decided to keep the stash for himself.
What he didn't expect was that the rival gang, furious over their missing drugs, hired two assassins to take out his godfather.
And these assassins? None other than Franklin and William, who had been released from prison.
Though Franklin wasn't making much money after getting out, he had met a good woman—unlike the ones in his chaotic family. She was pure, kind, and bisexual, but Franklin didn't mind.
To give her and his family a better life, he partnered with William for a series of crimes.
But everything changed on the night they were assigned to kill Mike's godfather.
After taking out the target, they discovered a survivor—Mike.
William wanted to eliminate him to tie up loose ends, but Franklin hesitated. In a moment of moral conflict, he turned on his partner and killed him instead.
His reason? Because Mike had once saved him as a child.
But while Franklin thought he was doing the right thing, Mike didn't see it that way. To him, his childhood friend had just murdered the man who had always taken care of him.
The two, once friends, had now become silent enemies.
As their complex relationship unfolded, Franklin finally began earning money. He improved his life, and it seemed like things were looking up.
But Mike suddenly decided to kill him.
With his godfather gone, Mike had gained more power within the gang. He started dealing drugs and enjoyed the profits.
As his ambitions grew, he saw eliminating Franklin as a stepping stone to taking full control. He orchestrated a manhunt against his former friend, using it to solidify his position.
Meanwhile, Franklin's girlfriend and Mike's girlfriend had gotten involved with each other.
Ethan didn't dwell too much on this subplot—the main focus remained on Franklin and Mike.
Mike rose through the ranks, crushed his rivals, and expanded his drug empire.
Franklin, on the other hand, found himself hunted by his childhood friend. His girlfriend and Mike's girlfriend were caught in the crossfire, constantly on the run.
Eventually, Franklin survived the assassination attempts and finally confronted Mike.
The two former friends, now on opposite sides, faced each other and fired their guns.
Mike was killed. Franklin survived.
But Mike's girlfriend soon arrived, aiming to finish Franklin off.
Before she could shoot, Franklin's girlfriend intervened.
In the end, both women died.
Only Franklin remained.
He returned to his chaotic home—just like countless other Black men, trapped in an endless, tragic cycle.