The London Film Festival returns with a compelling roster of cinematic highlights, featuring celebrated directors and A-list actors in a diverse range of genres.
The festival opens with the latest installment of a popular detective series. Josh O’Connor portrays a young priest who becomes the prime suspect after his superior is murdered, forcing the eccentric investigator Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to untangle the mystery.
A standout title this year is a Brazilian drama-thriller set during the nation’s 1970s dictatorship. The film follows a dissident scientist, portrayed by Wagner Moura, as he evades government forces. The production is noted for its visual flair and a mood that blends urban intrigue with slow-burning suspense.
From France comes a haunting fairytale about a teenage runaway in the 1960s obsessed with “The Snow Queen.” She infiltrates a film studio where the story is being shot, starring a formidable Marion Cotillard, in a dreamlike and intoxicating narrative.
Jim Jarmusch presents an anthology film that won the top prize in Venice. Featuring a cast including Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, and Tom Waits, the movie presents three separate family scenarios that mysteriously and cosmically echo one another.
Emma Stone reunites with director Yorgos Lanthimos for a bizarre black comedy. Stone plays a cold corporate CEO kidnapped by an unhinged eco-activist, played by Jesse Plemons, who believes she is a malevolent extraterrestrial.
A chilling satire explores erotic obsession among America’s liberal elite. Jessica Chastain stars as a wealthy heiress who becomes dangerously fixated on a star dancer from the ballet school her family finances.
In a bold historical drama, the private life of William Shakespeare is reimagined. Paul Mescal plays the young bard, with Jessie Buckley as his wife, Anne Hathaway, as they navigate the profound grief following the death of their son, Hamnet. Buckley’s performance is already generating awards speculation.
A powerful docufictional work recounts the true story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl, Hind Rajab, who was stranded in a car during a military assault in Gaza. The film uses the real audio of her desperate phone calls for help before she was killed, with actors portraying the aid workers on the other end of the line.
Jennifer Lawrence delivers a powerhouse performance in a gothic-tinged drama from Lynne Ramsay. She plays a woman suffering from postpartum depression, isolated at home with her baby while her husband, played by Robert Pattinson, is largely absent.
An art heist film offers a downbeat take on the genre. Josh O’Connor stars as an art school dropout in the 1960s who orchestrates a clumsy plan to steal paintings from a local gallery, funding the operation with his parents’ money.
Claire Foy headlines an adaptation of a celebrated nature memoir. She plays a woman named Helen who, reeling from her father’s death, finds an unconventional path to healing by training a fierce goshawk.
Finally, an Iranian suspense film, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, delivers a satirical take on state violence and revenge. The story begins when a mechanic realizes the man whose car has just broken down is someone from his past, leading him to plot retribution.
