Which films will you watch at the BFI London Film Festival 2024? We made a list of our recommendations, with 30 movies to watch at the festival!
The 2024 BFI London Film Festival is about to begin, which means it’s time to look at the movies to watch this year! The 68th edition of LFF will take place on 9 – 20 October, 2024 in London and around the UK, with gala screenings, various strands, a VR section, and events. This year’s World Premieres include Steve McQueen’s Blitz, Ben Taylor’s Joy, Darren Thornton’s Four Mothers, Steven Knight’s A Thousand Blows, Sophie Compton and Daisy-May Hudson’s Holloway, and documentary Endurance.
2024 is the year right after the SAG strikes, so it’s understandable that more movies than usual are films that have already been screened at other festivals, but most of them are fantastic watches. Sean Baker’s Anora, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Pablo Larraín’s Maria should all be on your watchlist, and so should many more films that will soon be screened at LFF. To help you decide what to watch at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival, we made a list of 30 movies, recommended by the Loud and Clear Reviews writers! Find them all below in alphabetical order, and don’t forget to follow us on our socials:
1. ALL SHALL BE WELL
LOVE
Director: Ray Yeung
Country: Hong Kong
All Shall Be Well follows a happy and wealthy lesbian couple: Angie (Patra Au) and Pat (Maggie Li Lin Lin). They are surrounded by the love of their friends and family members, and everything seems to be perfect in their lives. Until Pat unexpectedly passes away and Angie is left alone in dealing not only with her grief but also with the consequences of her death, including disputes over Pat’s funeral and over the home she shared with Angie.
All Shall Be Well is a devastating film that made me cry – and laugh at times – for the entirety of its runtime. Its exploration of grief is delicate and yet very fierce at the same time, accompanied by an impressive cinematography and beautiful acting by the main characters. With its poignant reflection on love and loss, it is a film that many in the audience will be able to relate to and feel seen by when watching it. (Clotilde Chinnici)
2. ANORA
HEADLINE GALA
Director: Sean Baker
Countries: United Kingdom, United States
This year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner is Sean Baker‘s (The Florida Project, Red Rocket) best film to date. The director has a knack for telling stories of people who live at the margins of society. His characters are underdogs who lead ordinary lives, yet there’s so much humanity in everything they do that we can’t help but fall in love with them despite their flaws. Anora is no exception. The film starts with a meet-cute between a young stripper named Anora (Mikey Madison) and an even younger Russian boy named Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), which leads to them falling in love despite having met in unusual circumstances.
Ani and Ivan are actually perfect for each other, the former motivated by money and the latter by sex, and each finds exactly that in their better half. But they soon realize that they also have feelings for each other, which soon sees them both on their way to Vegas, dreaming of a Disney World honeymoon. However, their fairy tale is soon interrupted by Ivan’s parents, who had a different future in mind for their son. Hilarity and chaos ensue in a story that has many surprises in store for you. (Serena Seghedoni)
3. THE BALCONETTES
CULT
Director: Noémie Merlant
Country: France
The Balconettes is a female driven black comedy which guarantees both a fun and gory time. Noémie Merlant acts as both director and writer, as well as taking the lead. Merlant plays Élise, an attentive yet anxious actress, who shows up to her friends Nicole (Sanda Codreanu) and Ruby’s (Souheila Yacoub) apartment during a heatwave in Marseille to escape her autocratic husband. The three are enjoying their time together when things take a turn for the worst, leaving them at the scene of a crime.
Merlant co-wrote the script for The Balconettes with the sensational Céline Sciamma and marks their second collaboration after Merlant starred in Sciamma’s widely loved Portrait of a Lady on Fire. If you’re looking for something liberating, witty, and with a hint of fantasy, The Balconettes is a must see. (Bethany Lola)
4. BIRD
HEADLINE GALA
Director: Andrea Arnold
Countries: United Kingdom, USA, France, Germany
The director of Fish Tank and American Honey is back with a story that’s just as unconventional, empathetic, and original as her previous movies. Bird is a coming of age tale revolving around two characters who are at different stages of growing up: the 12-years-old Bailey (Nykiya Adams), who lives in a squat in North Kent with her neglectful single father (Barry Keoghan’s Bug), and the older Bird (Franz Rogowski), an eccentric stranger whom Bailey meets during one of her walks. Though the two characters would initially appear to have nothing in common, they find themselves inexplicably connected to one another, the girl processing to the news that her dad is about to marry a woman he’s just met, and the young man searching for his long-lost family.
Bird is a story about finding one’s sense of belonging, even if it comes from a family that’s not the one we were born into, and even if turns us into completely different people. With a sensitive screenplay, gorgeous cinematography, and fantastic acting from everyone involved, this liberating, haunting film invites us to be exactly who we want to be at any given moment. Don’t miss it! (Serena Seghedoni)
5. BLITZ
OPENING NIGHT GALA
Director: Steve McQueen
Countries: United Kingdom, United States
It’s safe to say that Blitz is one of the most anticipated films of LFF 2024, where it will have its world premiere. Steve McQueen’s latest film is set in London during WWII. Worried about the constant bombings in the city, Rita (Saoirse Ronan) decides to evacuate her nine-year-old son George (newcomer Elliott Heffernan) to the countryside to protect him. But George escapes the train, determined to return to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller). As he begins his dangerous journey home to the East End, Rita searches for her missing son. McQueen’s outstanding reputation has been well-earned since his debut feature Hunger, and his new film (billed by programmers as a “tapestry of British life”) is a perfect way to kick off the festival. (Daniel Allen)
6. BRING THEM DOWN
2024 BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL: IN COMPETITION
Director: Christopher Andrews
Countries: Ireland, Belgium
Set in rural Ireland, Bring Them Down marks the feature debut of writer-director Christopher Andrews. Christopher Abbott (Sanctuary) plays Michael, a man who is helping to run his family’s sheep farm after his father (Colm Meaney) falls ill. However, that leads to him getting entangled in a bitter feud with a nearby farm, and the son of his ex-partner, Jack (Barry Keoghan, also at LFF with Bird). With neither side willing to give up ground, this tension will lead to tragedy. With its split perspective drawing comparisons to Kurosawa’s Rashomon, Andrews’ drama looks set to be a tense drama about a generational cycle of violence and the two men caught in the middle of it. (Daniel Allen)
7. CAUGHT BY THE TIDES
DARE
Director: Jia Zhangke
Country: China
/ BFI London Film Festival)
The tenth film from Jia Zhangke (Still Life), one of the leading figures of modern Chinese cinema, plays in the Dare strand of the London Film Festival 2024. Caught by the Tides, which features one of Jia’s regular collaborators Zhao Tao, continues the filmmaker’s absorbing and challenging depiction of modern China. Blending documentary, previous Jia features, and musical numbers, Caught by the Tides seems to be a genre-swapping film of infinite possibility, one which certainly fits comfortably into the Dare section it finds itself playing in.
The story of Caught by the Tides is vague, and if the synopsis is anything to go by, few concrete answers will be provided in the most obvious sense. But where clarity might be missing, Caught by the Tides promises to make up for in alluring mystery and timely commentary on societal themes. (William Stottor)
8. CHAIN REACTIONS
CULT
Director & Writer: Alexandre O. Philippe
Country: United States
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fans, this is your moment! Swiss filmmaker Alexandre O.Philippe has returned, this time with a deep-dive into Tobe Hooper’s beloved 1974 masterpiece, with never before seen behind the scenes footage. Horror icons Stephen King and Takashi Miike also feature, telling stories of how important the horror genre is, and how influential The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has become, even fifty years later. Chain Reactions is an ode to fans and filmmakers alike, exploring why people love such gruesome tales. (Bethany Lola)
9. CONCLAVE
HEADLINE GALA
Director: Edward Berger
Countries: United Kindgom, United States
Conclave couldn’t feel more prestigious if it tried. Adapted from a Robert Harris novel by the co-writer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, this tale of a potential conspiracy around the election of the new Pope is an ambitious follow-up by director Edward Berger to All Quiet On The Western Front. As candidates for the Papacy jostle for influence, secrets creep out and paranoia sets in. With an acclaimed cast as clergy (Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini), led by a brilliant Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal in charge of the conclave, Conclave promises political intrigue and top-notch actors screaming at each other in the opulent settings of the Vatican, before an explosive finale. To have this at LFF, we are blessed. (Philip Bagnall)
10. EEPHUS
JOURNEY
Director: Carson Lund
Countries: United States, France
A baseball diamond in a small Massachusetts town is about to be closed down, and two local teams gather for one last game. That simple setup leads to frequent hilarity as these aging, bumbling players (played by a wonderful cast of mostly unknowns) wonder why they keep playing this frustrating game. Meanwhile, debut writer-director Carson Lund laces proceedings with a subtly mournful tone, creating a reflection on the passing of tradition, and questioning the wisdom of the sacrifices we make on the altar of modernity. Eephus is a film full of heart, simultaneously chuckling at and embracing the eccentricities of small-town Americana. A charming little indie to cherish. (Philip Bagnall)
11. THE END
JOURNEY
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Countries: Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden
After his documentary double gut-punch of The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, director Joshua Oppenheimer returns with the only possible competition for Emilia Pérez for the title of ‘Most Bizarre Musical Of The Year’. As a wealthy family and their staff cling to their luxury in an underground mine in a post-apocalyptic world, the arrival of new faces threatens to upend all their plans. Oppenheimer takes the unorthodox methods of his documentary work, and uses them to create a crafty commentary, while a game cast (including Tilda Swinton, George MacKay and Michael Shannon) belt out the tunes with gusto. The End is not going to be to everyone’s taste, but those willing to give it a try will find it’s very much a piece with the director’s other work, delivering its message in memorably confounding ways. (Philip Bagnall)
12. FAMILIES LIKE OURS
DEBATE
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Countries: Denmark, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Belgium, Norway, Germany
What if Denmark was about to go underwater due to climate change, and six million Danes suddenly became asylum seekers? Thomas Vinterberg’s (Another Round) new series starts from a simple premise, but the story itself is the opposite of that. Families Like Ours is about Laura (Amaryllis August), who has a crush on Elias (Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt); both are about to graduate. Laura’s mother, Fanny (Paprika Steen), doesn’t work anymore due to stress; her architect father, Jacob (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), lives with his second wife Amalie (Helene Reingaard Neumann), with whom she has a son. And then there’s Amalie’s brother, Nikolaj, whose government job makes him and his husband Henrik (Magnus Millang) among the first people to know that Denmark’s about to close down.
As the series unfolds, all of these characters and more come to face impossible choices that will ultimately determine who they are as humans. Families Like Ours is the best series I’ve seen in a long time, and it’s also a show that will surprise you till the very end, delivering tension, emotion, heart, tragedy, and even humor throughout its seven episodes, often at the same time. It’s an incredibly gripping, immersive watch that you won’t be able to stop thinking about after you’ve seen it, and another hit from Thomas Vinterberg. The only bad thing about it is that only two episodes will be screened at LFF, as we guarantee you’ll want to watch the rest too. (Serena Seghedoni)
13. GOOD ONE
JOURNEY
Director: India Donaldson
Country: United States
Newcomer India Donaldson’s Good One is a soft yet potent exploration of a parent child dynamic set over a three day backpacking trip. Sam (Lily Collias) has always been the good kid at home, but as she’s nearing adulthood, she wants independence and to break out of her old habits. Whilst out in the wilderness, Sam’s dad Chris (James Le Gros) reveals his inability to process emotions, especially as he sucks up to his friend Matt (Danny McCarthy) who is also on the trip. With the two men siding against her, this leaves Sam frustrated and feeling more isolated than ever.
Sam and Chris’ dynamics are similar to those that Donaldon has had in real life growing up, making Good One an intensely personal story. With the most gorgeous woodland visuals, Good One is a quiet, important journey that many make as they exit their youth. (Bethany Lola)
14. GRAND TOUR
LOVE
Director: Miguel Gomes
Countries: Portugal, Italy, France
Miguel Gomes won Best Director at Cannes for a film that mixes romantic longing in black-and-white and contemporary documentary footage in colour. All within a travelogue-style film that follows two English lovers across East Asia, told in a weaving, freeform manner by Gomes. In 1910s Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon in Myanmar), diplomat Edward (Gonçalo Waddington) is engaged to marry Molly (Crista Alfaiate) but is afraid of commitment. So instead of meeting his fiancée, he escapes on a boat to Singapore and beyond whilst she gives chase. (Daniel Allen)
15. HARD TRUTHS
BFI PATRONS’ GALA
Director: Mike Leigh
Countries: United Kingdom, Spain
Mike Leigh returns with his first film in six years (after the underwhelming Peterloo), and reunites with Secrets and Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste for a tale of modern life in all its post-Covid complexity. Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman so worn down by life that she’s turned into a frustrated Karen, taking her frustrations out on shop clerks, strangers, and even her own family. A mix of talents old and new (Michele Austin, Tuwaine Barrett, David Webber) fill the supporting roles nicely, while Jean-Baptiste turns in a performance that’s both aggressive and finely nuanced. Leigh delivers a moving and honest portrait of depression and its effects, and he does so in London suburbia, which has always proved fertile storytelling ground for the writer-director (Life Is Sweet, All Or Nothing, Happy-Go-Lucky). (Philip Bagnall)
16. I’M STILL HERE (AINDA ESTOU AQUI)
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Director: Walter Salles
Country: Brazil
Legendary Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles returns with his first feature film in 12 years, I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui), which was one of our favourites from this year’s Venice Film Festival. After successes with Central Station and The Motorcycles Diaries, Salles focusses on a female activist (Fernanda Torres/Fernanda Montenegro) searching for her missing husband in 1971 during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice, whilst Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay.
Awards aside, I’m Still Here should be an emotionally powerful drama about a family living under an oppressive regime. Playing as a Special Presentation at the London Film Festival 2024, I’m Still Here boasts two of Brazil’s leading actors in Torres and Montenegro, the former of whom has won unanimous praise for her performance in the film. (William Stottor)
17. I’M YOUR VENUS
LOVE
Director: Kimberly Reed
Country: United States
There were many bright sparks in the groundbreaking 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which chronicled the ball culture of New York City in the 80s. One that shone brightest was Venus Xtravaganza, a transgender woman who was murdered at the age of 23 whilst Jennie Livingston’s documentary was being filmed.
I’m Your Venus, which will play in the Love strand of the London Film Festival 2024, centres on Venus, her life, and her unsolved murder, with her brothers uniting with the House of Xtravaganza in the search for justice. Venus’ two families, biological and ballroom, not only seek answers to her murder, but also celebrate her monumental legacy that she left behind. I’m Your Venus promises to be one of the documentary highlights of the London Film Festival this year, and early reviews from Tribeca Film Festival where it recently premiered suggest it will be as timely and as important as Paris Is Burning. (William Stottor)
18. MARIA
HEADLINE GALA
Director: Pablo Larraín
Countries: Germany, USA, United Arab Emirates, Italy
Maria continues Pablo Larraín’s trilogy on some of the most famous women in modern history after Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021). With his latest movie, the director now explores the last few days in the life of Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie), one of the most famous and influential opera singers in recent history. With a masterful use of classical music and an impressive production design, the movie is a fitting tribute to the real-life woman it was inspired by.
For fans of his previous work, Maria will be a welcome addition to Larraìn’s filmography with its beautiful costumes and exploration of the character’s declining mental state as she tragically nears the end of her life. Naturally, Angelina Jolie’s return to the big screen in a leading role also creates a lot of excitement around the film. Jolie delivers one of her best performances as Maria by allowing the audience to get to know Maria on an intimate level by the time the credits roll. (Clotilde Chinnici)
19. MISERICORDIA
THRILL
Director: Alain Guiraudie
Countries: France, Spain, Portugal
The plot of Misericordia might make it sound like writer-director Alain Guiraudie is settling down from the more provocative likes of Stranger By The Lake or Staying Vertical, but his latest has its own brutal power. When a loner returns to his village in rural central France for a funeral, he finds himself unable to escape and avoid others after he commits a violent act. From this setup comes another of Guiraudie’s clever and absorbing tales of desire, guilt and how repressed sexuality causes the two feelings to collide. If Patricia Highsmith had adapted The Trouble With Harry, it might have looked like Misericordia. (Philip Bagnall)
20. NICKEL BOYS
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Director: RaMell Ross
Country: United States
Colson Whitehead’s novel, “The Nickel Boys,” was released in 2019 to critical acclaim, going on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the following year. RaMell Ross’ (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) film adaptation of the same name (the second Whitehead novel to be adapted for the screen after 2021’s TV series The Underground Railroad) promises to be as wildly popular and highly regarded as the novel.
Alternating between 1960s Florida and the present day, Nickel Boys follows the story of two African American boys, Elwood Curtis and Jack Turner, and their experiences in an abusive reform school in the 60s. The present day scenes see Elwood reflect on his life-changing experiences from this time. Playing in the Special Presentation strand of London Film Festival 2024, Nickel Boys is the feature directorial debut of Ross, and looks set to be a bold and formally inventive piece of cinema about a crucial period of American history. (William Stottor)
21. OLIVIA AND THE CLOUDS
FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION
Director: Tomás Pichardo Espaillat
Country: Dominican Republic
The First Feature Competition at the London Film Festival always throws up splendid new ideas and thrusts up-and-coming filmmakers into the spotlight. Olivia & the Clouds could be such a moment for Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, whose experience as an animator and director see him take his debut feature to this year’s LFF.
With unique animation styles, the intoxicating use of mixed media, and sumptuous, colourful design, Olivia & the Clouds experimentally charts the difficulties a woman, Olivia, experiences after breaking up with boyfriend Ramon. She even keeps his ghost under her bed. Through this delightfully playful style and singular vision, we are guided alongside the memories of this relationship. Espaillat’s animation promises to be not only one of the most creative films on show at this year’s LFF, but perhaps even one of the best. (William Stottor)
22. ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL
2024 BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL: IN COMPETITION
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Country: Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia
After her debut masterpiece, I Am Not a Witch (2017), Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni has returned with her follow-up. It is a tale of abuse, tradition and reckoning with the past that focuses on a Zambian family. Shula (Susan Chardy) is driving home when she discovers her uncle dead on the side of the road. It leads to a days-long funeral ceremony that she has to help prepare. But why is Shula so unfazed by these proceedings? And when troubling secrets are revealed, how will her family react? A drama imbued with Nyoni’s now-typical humour and surrealism, this should be a firm contender for the Official Competition Award. (Daniel Allen)
23. PAVEMENTS
LOVE
Director: Alex Ross Perry
Country: United States
It’s no coincidence that Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements will be screened in the “Love” strand of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. This “Pavement” documentary was clearly conceived, filmed, and put together with love, and the end result is the definitive movie about the titular band. At the beginning of the film, we find out that the self-described “World’s Most Important & Influential Band” – consisting of singer-songwriter-guitarist Stephen Malkmus, guitarist Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, bassist Mark Ibold, drummer Steve West, percussionist Bob Nastanovich, and, initially, drummer Gary Young – broke up in 1999 and then reunited in 2002.
To celebrate this reunion, director Alex Ross Perry decided to to four things: a reunion tour, a Tribeca museum exhibition, a rock biopic, and the “Slanted! Enchanted!” stage musical (if you’re a Pavement fan, you’ll get that reference). Though some of these things were completed, in the end, Pavements takes us behind the scenes of all four, with the addition of some footage of the band. And… Let’s just say that you can’t possibly imagine what you’re about to watch. On paper, Pavements shouldn’t work; thanks to the incredible work that was made in the writing and editing room, however, it ends up being the best way to not only capture, but also embody a band that you either already adore or have never even heard of before. Either way, Pavements should absolutely be on your watchlist.
24. THE PIANO LESSON
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Director: Malcolm Washington
Country: United States
Set in Pittsburg in the aftermath of the Great Depression, The Piano Lesson follows the lives of the Charles family. As they discuss themes of family and legacy, the Charles have to decide what to do with the family piano, an heirloom that has them debate whether they should sell it or keep it as a memory of their shared history.
Some excellent actors star in the film, namely John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, and Samuel L. Jackson, whom the audience will be excited to see on screen and can count on to deliver powerful performances in a film that promises to be an emotional and profound reflection on the values of family and history. With some positive reviews already from the festivals it was presented at, The Piano Lesson seem to be on the right track to become one of the most successful films of the second half of the year, and possibly an award content in the upcoming season too. (Clotilde Chinnici)
25. PIECE BY PIECE
CLOSING NIGHT GALA
Director: Morgan Neville
Country: United States
It was Pharrell Williams’ idea to have the documentary about his life be captured with LEGO bricks and minifigures. In Morgan Neville’s Piece by Piece, which closes the festival this year, that choice makes for a unique film that encapsulates Williams’ openness and creativity. Yet it also allows the musician to give his first-hand accounts of growing up in Virginia Beach, falling in love with music and forming both his band N.E.R.D and influential producing duo The Neptunes with Chad Hugo. Featuring artists like Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani and Kendrick Lamar, Piece by Piece looks to be a really fun and appealing crowd-pleaser. (Daniel Allen)
26. QUEENS OF DRAMA
LOVE
Director: Alexis Langlois
Countries: France and Belgium
Alexis Langlois’ debut feature Queens of Drama is a follow up to his series of shorts all which take place in his aptly named ‘glittercore universe’. Langlois was inspired by Brian de Palma’s Phantom of the Opera, Jaques Demy musicals, and 2000’s pop music, particularly Britney Spears.
Queens of Drama revolves around an intense romance between Mimi Madamour (Louiza Aura) and Billie Kohler (Gio Ventura), two queer singers in the limelight. Both stars must decide whether their love for each other is more important or if reaching for stardom is worth sacrificing their relationship. Featuring a new, vibrant soundtrack, full of heartbreak and fresh pop tunes, handcrafted by composers picked by Langlois. (Bethany Lola)
27. THE ROOM NEXT DOOR
HEADLINE GALA
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Country: Spain
Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature is undoubtedly something to look forward to for those in the audience who love the director’s previous work. The fact that this also marks his collaboration with two of the most exciting actresses working today only adds to the excitement around the movie, as does the Golden Lion it recently won at the Venice Film Festival. Mixed reaction after its screening at Venice may initially leave Almodóvar’s fans unsure about his latest movie, and yet The Room Next Door is a tender and beautiful work that I often find myself reflecting back on after watching it for the first time earlier this month.
The Room Next Door follows two friends, Martha (Tilda Swinton) and Ingrid (Julianne Moore), who reconnect after years apart. The now accomplished writer Ingrid is terrified of death, but may now have to face her fear with Martha, who is considering her options after being diagnosed with cancer. For a film about death, this one has so much life in it, with Martha’s recollection of her life until now, including her relationship with her daughter and her career as a war reporter. (Clotilde Chinnici)
28. THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Countries: Iran, Germany, and France
After watching it at the Cannes Film Festival, The Seed of the Sacred Fig immediately became one of my favourite movies of the entire festival, if not of the whole year. Set in Tehran, the film follows Iman (Mossagh Zareh), who has recently been appointed as an investigating judge for the Revolutionary Court. The new job comes with a promotion and a gun to defend himself in the very tense political atmosphere with protests spreading all over the country. But when the gun goes missing from his home, Iman will fall deeper and deeper into a web of paranoia and mistrust against his own family.
Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a monumental work not only for its content and style, but also for the history of its production, which saw the director almost imprisoned for the crime of making this film alone, before he was able to flee to Europe and escape his sentence of eight years in prison and flogging. This alone speaks to how necessary this film is as a reflection on the current state of the Iranian government. (Clotilde Chinnici)
29. SISTER MIDNIGHT
CULT
Director: Karan Kandhari
Countries: UK, Northern Ireland, India, Sweden
This gem from Cannes’s Quinzaine is one of the quirkiest movies you’ll watch at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. Radhika Apte plays Uma, a young woman who has just gotten married and moved to Mumbai with him only to realize that marriage isn’t what she thought it would be. Her husband (to Ashok Pathak’s Gopal) is just as confused, as his wife doesn’t seem to be behaving like his idea of a “normal” wife. But if the latter keeps following his daily routine, enduring his frustrations and showing no interest for his wife, Uma is determined to remain who she is, without letting society change her. And so, Uma begins to go on walks, on her own, and soon realizes that a new part of herself is starting to emerge.
Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight is a highly original, utterly wild film that will take you to ytuly unexpected places. There’s a supernatural element that reminded me of wild, Ana Lily Amirpour‘s A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, but its unique charm and personality feel entirely its own. (Serena Seghedoni)
30. THE SURFER
CULT
Director: Lorcan Finnegan
Countries: Australia and Ireland
After bringing fear into our homes with Nocebo and Vivarium, director Lorcan Finnegan returns with another psychological thriller, this time with Nicholas Cage taking centre stage. In an ode to Finnegan’s love of New Wave Australian Cinema, The Surfer takes inspiration from George Miller’s original Mad Max as well as secluded beach drama film Long Weekend. Think on the edge of your seat tension with a mystery behind every sand dune.
Cage plays The Surfer, an Australian native returning to Western Australia after many years away. These years have been spent in California and upon his return, he feels like a complete outsider. The Surfer tackles identity, a sense of belonging and rebirth, particularly after repressing childhood trauma and fleeing the place you once called home. Finnegan appropriately describes his feature as ‘beautiful and unsettling’. (Bethany Lola)
MORE FILMS TO WATCH AT THE 2024 BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL:
- 2073
- A Real Pain
- Aicha
- All We Imagine As Light
- Architecton
- The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire
- Blink
- Dahomey
- Emilia Pérez
- Flow
- Fréwaka
- Happyend
- Last Swim
- Queer
- September Says
- Sex
- Shambhala
- Skincare
- The Stimming Pool
- Superboys of Malegaon
- Triumph
- Universal Language
- We Live in Time
- When The Light Breaks (Ljósbrot)
- The Wild Robot
The 2024 BFI London Film Festival will take place on October 9 – 20 in London and in cinemas across the UK. Take a look at the official London Film Festival schedule!
