12 must-see British movies at this year's BFI London Film Festival
From a decades-spanning romance to a new Christmas classic.
The BFI London Film Festival is back next month from October 9 to October 20 at venues in London and across the UK, with tickets on sale now for everybody to get involved.
We totally get that looking at the huge programme, which involves 253 movies, short films, TV series and immersive works, can be a little daunting. So if you are looking to support some homegrown movies this year, we've delved through the programme to pick out the most exciting and most talked-about British movies of this year's festival.
Some of this year's biggest movies have already sold out, but further tickets are being released for some titles on October 3 and during the festival, there's also a standby queue that starts 30 minutes before any screening for last-minute returns.
Don't lose hope, basically.
And while you wait, check out Digital Spy's picks of the must-see British movies at this year's festival in no order of priority other than alphabetical.
Bird
Director: Andrea Arnold
Starring: Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski, Nykiya Adams, James Nelson-Joyce, Jason Buda
Barry Keoghan is presenting two must-see movies at this year's festival, Irish thriller Bring Them Down and British filmmaker Andrea Arnold's critically-acclaimed movie Bird.
Bird, which debuted with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its premiere at Cannes, follows a 12-year-old girl living in a broken home whose life changes when she meets a wannabe drug dealer.
Screenings: Sat 19 Oct, 8.45pm and Sun 20 Oct, 2.30pm
Blitz
Director: Steve McQueen
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Paul Weller, Harris Dickinson, Stephen Graham
One of the most-anticipated world premieres at this year's festival is opening movie Blitz, which marks Steve McQueen's first movie in six years.
He's assembled an excellent cast that includes Saoirse Ronan, Stephen Graham and Paul Weller (yes, that one), as well as talented newcomer Elliott Heffernan to explore life in London during the nightly air raids of World War II.
Screenings: Weds 9 Oct, 7pm, Thurs 10 Oct, 3.20pm, Fri 11 Oct, 2.45pm and Fri 18 Oct, 8.50pm
Conclave
Director: Edward Berger
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
We were already excited to see director Edward Berger's follow-up to All Quiet on the Western Front, and then Conclave debuted to 100% on Rotten Tomatoes to amp up that anticipation.
The adaptation of Robert Harris's novel sees Ralph Fiennes play a cardinal chosen to lead the conclave to select the new Pope, but dark secrets threaten to unravel everything. Intrigue, conspiracy and Stanley Tucci? We're in.
Screenings: Thurs 10 Oct, 8.45pm, Fri 11 Oct, 11.45am and Weds 16 Oct, 3pm
The Extraordinary Miss Flower
Director: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard
Starring: Emilíana Torrini, Caroline Catz
Sure to be one of the most unique movies of this year's festival, The Extraordinary Miss Flower receives its world premiere as part of the Official Competition.
When Geraldine Flower passed away, her family uncovered a secret cache of love letters from around the world. Icelandic singer-songwriter Emilíana Torrini recorded an album inspired by them, which forms the basis of this sure-to-be magical performance movie.
Screenings: Sat 19 Oct, 5.30pm and Sun 20 Oct, 3.45pm
Grand Theft Hamlet
Director: Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane
Starring: Mark Oosterveen, Sam Crane, Pinny Grylls
Lockdown was an interesting time for all of us and for two jobless actors, it ended up with them deciding to stage a performance of Hamlet within the world of Grand Theft Auto.
Yep, you read that right. Grand Theft Hamlet was shot entirely within GTA, and the result has been critically lauded with the documentary landing a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Who said violent video games were bad for you?
Screenings: Tues 15 Oct, 8.55pm/9.10pm and Sun 20 Oct, 11am
Hard Truths
Director: Mike Leigh
Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber
Hard Truths is the new movie from legendary British filmmaker Mike Leigh, so we're not sure you need any more reason to go and see it at LFF.
But if you do, it boasts a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating following its Toronto world premiere. It also marks a reunion for Leigh with Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste as the writer-director delivers another authentic and moving portrayal of humanity.
Screenings: Mon 14 Oct, 6pm, Weds 16 Oct, 2.30pm and Sun 20 Oct 8.30pm
Harvest
Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Harry Melling, Rosy McEwen, Arinzé Kene, Thalissa Teixeira
Caleb Landry Jones and Harry Melling star in Harvest, Athina Rachel Tsangari's haunting allegory about fascism, xenophobia and savage capitalism.
Based on Jim Crace's 2013 book, the story is set in a nameless medieval English village where tradition is disrupted by the arrival of three strangers. The film has been described as a tragicomic take on a Western that explores the trauma of modernity from a nightmarish perspective.
Screenings: Sat 12 Oct, 8.45pm, Sun 13 Oct, 1pm and Sun 20 Oct, 12.45pm
Joy
Director: Ben Taylor
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, Bill Nighy
Another major British world premiere at this year's festival is Ben Taylor's debut movie Joy, which premieres ahead of its Netflix release in November.
It tells the real-life story of how Jean Purdy, Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe worked to develop the first-ever 'test tube baby'. With a talented trio of Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton and Bill Nighy, it's sure to be an inspiring and powerful watch.
Screenings: Tues 15 Oct, 9pm, Weds 16 Oct, 11.30am and Sat 19 Oct, 8.45pm
Layla
Director: Amrou Al-Kadhi
Starring: Bilal Hasna, Louis Greatorex, Safiyya Inga
Amrou Al-Kadhi's directorial debut Layla is a hidden gem in this year's festival, following its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year.
The movie centres on a struggling Arab drag queen who starts an intoxicating romance with a marketing executive, a relationship that messes with Layla’s sense of identity. Rebecca Lucy Taylor (best known as musician Self Esteem) and RuPaul's Drag Race UK contestant Baby are part of the cast.
Screenings: Weds 16 Oct, 8.30pm/8.45pm and Thurs 17 Oct, 8.50pm
That Christmas
Director: Simon Otto
Starring: Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Jodie Whittaker, Bill Nighy, Rhys Darby
We wanted to include a family-friendly option and, sure, it might not be the festive season yet, but that choice had to be Netflix animation That Christmas.
Based on Richard Curtis's children's books, it sees a small town in Suffolk need a miracle to make Christmas right. With British icons like Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Bill Nighy and Jodie Whittaker on the voice cast, it's sure to be a regular addition to your annual Christmas viewing.
Screenings: Sat 19 Oct, 2.30pm
We Live in Time
Director: John Crowley
Starring: Florence Pugh, Andrew Garfield, Douglas Hodge, Adam James
Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield in a romantic comedy-drama. If you're not already seated for We Live in Time, then we have no idea why.
The latest movie from John Crowley is sure to break our hearts and (hopefully) mend them as it charts the highs and lows of a decades-long relationship. Based on first reviews, Pugh and Garfield are on the top of their game, resulting in a funny and moving romance.
Screenings: Thurs 17 Oct, 6pm, Fri 18 Oct, 11.30am and Sun 20 Oct, 9.15pm
Witches
Director: Elizabeth Sankey
Starring: Sophia Di Martino, Catherine Cho, David Emson
Among the many excellent documentaries at this year's festival, Witches offers a fascinating combination of personal testimony, love letter to cinema and feminist essay.
In her follow-up to her also critical documentary Romantic Comedy, Elizabeth Sankey uses clips ranging from The Wizard of Oz to Rosemary's Baby to explore how the cultural representation of witches evidences a wicked perspective on women, motherhood, and mental health.
Screenings: Tues 15 Oct, 8.30pm, Thurs 17 Oct, 6pm and Sun 20 Oct, 8.45pm
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
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