New 'Les Misérables' Film Swings for Epic, Lands on Empty Spectacle

Here's the thing about reaching for greatness: sometimes you end up with a beautiful-looking nothing.

Fred Cavayé's new "Les Misérables" adaptation is the latest swing at Victor Hugo's sprawling novel, and it's bringing serious resources to the table—a reported $37 million budget, a lineup of heavyweight French talent, and nearly three hours of runtime. But according to early reviews, all that money and starpower doesn't translate to something that actually moves. The film ditches the musical format entirely (no rousing numbers here), yet that's not the problem. The real issue? It feels hollow. Big stars locked into archetypal roles, lavish production design that impresses without connecting—it's the kind of prestige project that looks expensive without feeling essential.

There's a difference between adapting a masterpiece and truly inhabiting one. You can have all the visual polish in the world, but if the emotional core isn't there, audiences feel it. Whether this lands depends on what you're looking for—pure spectacle or something that actually grabs you. Either way, the film's already generating conversation, which means people will show up to decide for themselves.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/les-miserables-review-1236871999/