Critics slam Ryan Gosling's "Lost River" at Cannes Film Festival

Ryan Gosling's directorial debut has arrived at the Cannes Film Festival -- a stylish, theatrical fable that critics quickly slammed.

The first screening of Gosling's "Lost River" played for one of the festival's most packed crowds Tuesday, who surely got something they weren't expecting. "Lost River" is a baroque fairy tale set in the ruins of Detroit, filmed with bold cinematography and a lurid, David Lynch-like atmosphere.

Immediate reaction from critics was largely negative. Variety's Scott Foundas called it a "first-rate folie de grandeur." The Telegraph's Robbie Collin dubbed it "dumb-foundingly poor."

Warner Bros. has not yet scheduled a release date for "Lost River," which was previously titled "How to Catch a Monster." Its cast includes Christina Hendricks, Saorsie Ronan, former "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith and Gosling's girlfriend, Eva Mendes.