Nicole Kidman has captivated crowds at the Cannes Film Festival with a series of glamorous red carpet appearances, despite getting a frosty reception from critics who attended the premiere of her latest film.

The actress stole headlines with a very public display of affection for her husband, Keith Urban, at the premiere of her divisive new movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Kidman and Urban, who have been married for 11 years, embraced and kissed for the cameras at the movie’s May 22 screening.

Their loved-up red carpet moment managed to distract from the somewhat negative reaction to an early screening of the film, where audience members booed despite several critics praising the “chilling suburban horror”.

“Predictable booing after The Killing of a Sacred Deer from critics who somehow resent being challenged or chafed at Cannes. It’s magnificent,” Variety critic Guy Lodge posted on Twitter.

Nicole Kidman and her husband of 11 years, Keith Urban, weren’t shy about showing off their mutual admiration for the cameras. Photo: Getty

Earlier in the day, Kidman, 49, stunned with her youthful appearance at a photo call for the movie, posing for selfies with fans and showing off her statuesque frame in a dress by Dior.

After a brief hiatus from the spotlight, Kidman is experiencing a career resurgence thanks to a starring role in the hit HBO series Big Little Lies alongside Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern.

The Australian actress has a whopping four films in contention this year, earning herself the title of the undisputed ‘Queen of Cannes’.

She also stars in alien movie How to Talk to Girls at Parties, the Jane Campion-directed TV series Top of the Lake: China Girl and Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled.

Nicole Kidman wears Dior to a photo call for The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Photo: Getty

How to Talk to Girls at Parties director John Cameron Mitchell told Fairfax he cast Kidman as an ageing punk rocker because, “she’s cool again”.

For the film’s May 21 screening, Kidman lived up to Mitchell’s description by walking the red carpet alongside co-star Elle Fanning, with the two women showing off a close bond despite their 30-year age gap.

Snuggling up together for photos, Kidman and the 19-year-old actress looked more like sisters than members of different generations.

Despite their 30-year age gap, Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning looked strikingly similar. Photo: Getty

It wasn’t just Kidman’s looks that seemed youthful – it was her mindset.

“I’m at that stage in my life where I still try to act as if I’m 21 and starting my career,” she told media.

Kidman’s appearance was virtually unchanged from her first visit to Cannes 25 years ago, for the Ron Howard film Far and Away.

However, back in 1992, Urban was nowhere to be seen and she attended with her then-husband, Tom Cruise.

She’s been a regular fixture at the festival ever since, even nabbing a spot on the prestigious Cannes jury in 2013.

Nicole Kidman with her now ex-husband, Tom Cruise, at Cannes in 1992. Photo: Getty