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Why David Cronenberg’s new film with Diane Kruger is one of his most personal yet
Nearly a year after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, David Cronenberg’s latest feature film, The Shrouds, is finally making its way to theaters. With a stellar cast including Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger, this film about rebuilding after loss might be one of the director’s most personal works to date.
David Cronenberg’s Return with The Shrouds
Two years after the release of his 2022 film Crimes of the Future, starring Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart, director David Cronenberg is back with a new thriller. The Shrouds (2024), co-produced by Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello and an official selection at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, features French actor Vincent Cassel (recently seen in The Three Musketeers) and German actress Diane Kruger.
Cassel, who previously worked with Cronenberg on Eastern Promises (2007) and A Dangerous Method (2011), takes the lead role in The Shrouds (2025). To mark the occasion, the Cinémathèque Française recently held a retrospective of Cronenberg’s work, which included screenings of both those earlier films.
A stellar cast with Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger
Joining him on screen is Diane Kruger, unforgettable in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2009), alongside British actor Guy Pearce, known for Iron Man 3 (2013) and recently nominated for an Oscar for The Brutalist.
Opening in theaters on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the film tells the story of a widowed businessman, played by Vincent Cassel, who develops a technology called GraveTech, a device that allows communication with the dead, inside a burial shroud.
According to distributor Pyramide Films, this groundbreaking invention quickly sparks troubling consequences. The protagonist, Karsh (Cassel), discovers that several graves, including his wife’s, have been vandalized. Balancing a deeply emotional exploration of grief and recovery with a gripping investigation into the desecration, the film aims to be both profound and ambitious.
The Shrouds draws on elements of Cronenberg’s personal life. The director lost his wife, Carolyn Cronenberg, in 2017 after a long illness. As Diane Kruger recently shared with Numéro: “The Cronenberg film is already shot, but I haven’t seen it yet. It’s one of his most personal. I play several characters, one of whom is inspired by his late wife. Vincent plays a character inspired by David Cronenberg himself. It’s incredibly moving to be part of this project. It’s a dream come true, I’ve been a huge Cronenberg fan for years.”
The Shrouds (2025), directed by David Cronenberg, starring Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger, now playing in theaters.
