8 Films We Can’t Wait To See At The BFI London Film Festival
Us Londoners have spent the last month gazing longingly at Venice and Toronto as films left and right have been premiering. The relentless flow of reviews have been clogging up our social and news feeds and filling us with mild jealousy. But now, finally, it’s our turn: The BFI London Film Festival is here, and with it come some of the best films of the year, from indie darlings to sure-fire awards contenders.
While part of us wants to book the entire two weeks off work and spend it on Southbank catching every film available, this doesn’t feel temporally or financially possible. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of eight films that you should definitely make time for, from Sean Baker‘s Palme d’Or winner to the new wartime drama starring Saoirse Ronan. Tickets are on sale tomorrow at 10am, but be warned; they will sell out fast – especially with me in the queue in front of you. The festival runs from October 9th until the 20th.
Blitz
Saoirse Ronan, the future recipient of Hollywood’s most overdue Oscar, is back for another go with Blitz, the wartime drama helmed by Steve McQueen. Possibly the most anticipated film at the festival, its world premiere is on the opening night. We follow a group of Londoners during one of the most terrifying periods of World War Two, as they band together for survival. Pairing one of this generation’s best directors with one of its best actors, we think this is as nailed-on a hit as it can be.
Anora
Still flying under the radar, Sean Baker might just be the best filmmaker working today, and with Anora he could finally get the mainstream awards recognition he has long deserved. It won the Grand Jury prize at Cannes earlier this year, and is tipped to pick up more accolades throughout awards season.
The set-up is typical of Baker, exploring those on the seedier fringes of society. Anora, played by Mikey Madison, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Expect your prejudices to be challenged and an absolutely stirring turn from Madison that has Oscar potential.
The Nickel Boys
This new adaptation from the acclaimed novel of the same name by Colston Whitehead received rave reviews at Telluride. It tells the story of the infamous reform school in Florida – the Dozier School For Boys, notorious for its abusive treatment – through the eyes of two students, Elwood and Turner.
Equal parts harrowing and necessary, the book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The adaptation is directed by first-timer RaMell Ross and stars Oscar-nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (King Richard) and Jimmie Fails (Last Black Man In San Francisco)
Queer
Writer-Director team Justin Kuritzkes and Luca Guadagnino have already scored one of the buzziest hits of the year in Challengers, and they’ve wasted no time collaborating for a second time. Queer, based on the semi-autobiographical novel by William S. Burroughs, follows an older American expat (Daniel Craig) in Mexico City who becomes infatuated with a younger man (Drew Starkey).
A Real Pain
A Real Pain follows odd cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their late grandmother. As they travel through the country, the mismatched couple’s old tensions resurface against their family history. Any film that makes you laugh and cry is rare, and this looks like it can do that.
Conclave
A drama about a group of high priests in the Vatican doesn’t sound like the sexiest film, but what if I told you it starred Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, and features all manner of conspiracy and murder? We could watch those two spar off each other in just about anything, but this sounds like incredible fun. The Pope is dead, and the process of selecting his successor has begun. Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with leading the Conclave but makes shocking discoveries.
The Room Next Door
Legendary Director Pedro Almodóvar makes his English language debut, and has drafted in the powerhouse team of Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore to star in it. They play former friends who rekindle their bond when one receives a cancer diagnosis. Almodóvar excels at drawing out singular performances from his actors, and you can expect his usual distinctive visual style.
book tickets: www.bfi.org
We Live In Time
I’m taking partial credit for this one. A couple of years ago, I had a dream that Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh starred in a remake of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Fast forward to now, and they’re coming out with their own film about a love story told non-sequentially. You’re welcome. We Live In Time is helmed by Brooklyn director John Crowley, and with that cast, we really don’t care much about the plot.
