by Alex Billington
May 17, 2026
Who would’ve thought that a truck drivers gay romance film would end up being one of my favorites at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival? You never know which films will be any good until see them and they win you over. At last year’s Cannes, Norwegian director Joachim Trier (director of Sentimental Value) proclaimed that “tenderness is the new punk.” This slogan took off big time and cinema lovers the world over have been repeating it as a reminder that being tender and earnest and vulnerable and loving is actually a (really) good thing. And we need more cinema that is tender and embraces tenderness instead of all the ugliness out there right now. Flesh and Fuel is a beautiful new film that continues this “tenderness” trend and carries that humble belief into 2026 in the best of ways. Made by French filmmaker Pierre Le Gall, it’s the story of two middle-aged truck drivers who fall in love on the road but struggle to keep their romance going as they drive around Europe far away from each other. So sweet and adorable and heartfelt – feel good cinema at its best.
The original French title of the film is Du Fioul dans les artères (which translates directly to Fuel Oil in the Arteries instead) which is a bit more powerfully romantic considering the story at the heart of this film. Flesh and Fuel is directed by French filmmaker Pierre Le Gall, making his first feature. The screenplay is co-written by Pierre Le Gall, Camille Perton, and Martin Drouot. With intimate handheld cinematography by DP Antoine Cormier. It’s a very French film, but this is also why it’s such a romantic film, and a film that anyone will be able to connect with because of its tender love story. All that matters is their feelings for each other. The film follows Étienne, played by Alexis Manenti, a very shy, quiet French truck driver who is a diligent, hard-working, trucker veteran. One night at a truck stop while in a cruising spot, he meets another driver – a scruff, goofy Polish man named Bartosz, played by Julian Świeżewski (who just so happens to also speak French). Slowly they start to develop strong feelings for each other, chatting all the time via their phones as they drive to and fro all over Europe. Their hope is that their delivery routes will cross paths and they can meet up at a truck stop or anywhere along the way for a quick encounter and sweaty reconnection.
It’s always a joy to encounter unashamedly sincere films that are so emotionally uplifting in their depiction of pure love and pure human connection. Considering there have been many superb LGBTQ romance films at the Cannes Film Festival over the years, including Pillion and Portrait of the Lady on the Fire and Carol and Viet and Nam and The Blue Caftan and Joyland, I’m delighted that this one joins the ranks as another exceptional gay romance worth discovering. There’s an amazing scene in the middle when the two truckers are driving over a bridge together hoping they’ll cross the top at the right time and it’s so beautiful I wanted to stand up and cheer. Bravo, Étienne & Bartosz, you’re so adorable! The whole story made me emotional, it’s the kind of beautiful love that we need to see more of on screen. And it never dips into any dangerous, cynical, or upsetting territory either. There’s no worry that someone will find out about them and get upset. The only real worry is if they can figure out how to align their lives together while on the road and make sure that fiery petrol-fueled passion between them keeps burning bright. And that’s the drama that keeps the film gripping, that keeps the film moving as we follow them on their journey of intimacy & love along highways.
Above all, I’m so happy that we get to see this kind of love portrayed on film. Two middle-aged, scruffy truck drivers who just so happen to find each other on the crossroads of life. And while they may struggle to say how they really feel about each other, the warmth they have for each other is the kind that ignite real lasting romance outside of the cinema. And we’re lucky to be invited to witness their intimate story of romance, too.
Alex’s Cannes 2026 Rating: 9 out of 10
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