After another turbulent and disruptive year in 2023 for a film industry in constant flux, cinema returned with a vengeance in 2024, once again taking over an autumnal “Big Smoke” and UK cinemas beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI), as the 68th edition of one of the world’s most accessible major film […]

Review 120min Genre:       Drama, Thriller, War Director:     Steve McQueen Cast:         Saoirse Ronan, Elliott Heffernan, Paul Weller…and more Writers:     Steve McQueen -Synopsis- In the midst of the Nazi bombings of the British capital, a young East End mother struggles to track down the son she sent to the country for safety, but who decided to return […]

2024’s award season railway made its customary penultimate major stop in the “Big Smoke” on Sunday evening for the biggest night in the British film calendar, as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gathered the great and the good of global cinema and headed south of the river for the second year […]

Review 105min Genre:       Drama, Fantasy, Romance Director:     Andrew Haigh Cast:         Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy…and more Writers:     Andrew Haigh and Taichi Yamada -Synopsis- A lonely gay screenwriter begins to develop a bond with an enigmatic neighbour in London while some visits back to his childhood home spark an unexpected reunion with his long-deceased parents, […]

Review 221min Genre:       Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-fi Director:     Yorgos Lanthimos Cast:         Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo…and more Writers:     Tony McNamara and Alasdair Gray -Synopsis- In a surrealist Victorian Britain, a tragically deceased young woman is re-born and given a second shot at life when she’s re-animated by an eccentric mad scientist, as her […]

Review 127min Genre:       Comedy, Drama, Thriller Director:     Emerald Fennell Cast:         Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike…and more Writers:     Emerald Fennell -Synopsis- A young outsider from humble origins studying at Oxford University becomes drawn into high society when he befriends a charming aristocratic fellow student, and is invited to spend a fateful summer at his eccentric […]

In the midst of yet another turbulent and disruptive year for the film industry, cinema once again took over “The Big Smoke” and UK cinemas beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI), as the 67th edition of the London Film Festival (LFF)—one of the world’s most accessible major film festivals—gathered global cinema players […]

The award season railway made its penultimate major stop in the “Big Smoke” on Sunday for the biggest night in the British film calendar, as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gathered the great and the good of global cinema and headed south of the river for the first time, congregating on […]

After two of the most disruptive years in the history of a film industry still in flux and the success of a streamlined hybrid event last year, cinema once again returned en force to “The Big Smoke” and beyond, courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI) in the form of the 66th London Film […]

Review 117min Genre:       Comedy, Family, Musical Director:     Matthew Warchus Cast:         Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Emma Thompson…and more Writers:     Dennis Kelly and Roald Dahl -Synopsis- Sent by her spiteful neglectful parents to a notorious school run by a monstrous headmistress with an iron fist, a young English girl genius is nurtured by a loving teacher and […]

After a majorly disrupted two years for the film industry and a hybrid, largely virtual 2021 awards season, global cinema returns in full force to the “Big Smoke” as the golden statue express made its penultimate major stop in London this weekend for the biggest night in the British film calendar, as the British Academy […]

After eighteen of the most disruptive months in the history of the film industry and a year after a hybrid, mostly virtual and streamlined 64th version of the festival, cinema returns to “The Big Smoke” in force courtesy of the the British Film Institute (BFI) in the form of the 65th London Film Festival (LFF)—one […]

Review 97min Genre:       Drama Director:     Florian Zeller Cast:         Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell…and more Writers:     Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton -Synopsis- When an elderly British man refuses to let his cognitive condition control his life and denies help from his worried daughter, his deteriorating mind begins to cast doubt over his loved ones as […]

With a global pandemic disrupting but not derailing the year’s awards season railway, the golden statue express made its delayed penultimate major stop in London this weekend for the biggest night(s) in the British film calendar, as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gathered the great and the good of British and […]

Review 93min Genre:       Drama, Romance Director:     Harry Macqueen Cast:         Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood…and more Writers:     Harry Macqueen -Synopsis- A RV road trip home to rural England for a middle-age artist/intellectual long-term gay couple is made all the more precious and definitive when the one suffering with dementia begins to steadily decline, while the […]

Towards the bitter end of one of the most disruptive years in recent human history, in the middle of a global pandemic and during some of the most uncertain times in the century-old history of the global film industry, cinema returns to “The Big Smoke” and appreciative London cinephiles courtesy of the the British Film […]

Review 124min Genre:       Drama, Fact-Based Director:     Steve McQueen Cast:         Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby…and more Writers:     Steve McQueen and Alastair Siddons -Synopsis- Tired of unprovoked police harassment and a legal system which treats them as second class visitors, the West-Indian community in West London clashes with the local cops after unwarranted raids on a […]

The biggest night in the British film calendar came early this year when the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gathered the great and the good of British and global cinema in London town in the second day of February, converging on the legendary Royal Albert Hall to recognise their achievements in film […]

Review 119min Genre:     Drama, Thriller, War Director:  Sam Mendes Cast:       George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Colin Firth…and more Writers:   Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns -Synopsis- In the trenches and frontlines of the first world war, two young British soldiers are given a deadly mission—venture deep behind enemy lines to deliver a message and stop a doomed […]

Review 113min Genre:     Action, Crime, Comedy Director:  Guy Ritchie Cast:       Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant…more Writers:   Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies -Synopsis- When an American drug kingpin in London looks to cash out of the business, a whole cast of the city’s gangsters converge on an opportunity, triggering a turf war as […]

Review 105min Genre:       Crime, Drama Director:    Mirrah Foulkes Cast:         Mia Wasikowska, Damon Herriman, Benedict Hardie…more Writers:     Mirrah Foulkes -Synopsis- In puritanical 17th century England, an irresponsible father and manipulative self-centred puppeteer takes out his shortcomings and alcoholism on his wife and baby, only to face a reckoning when she returns with new purpose as an […]

Heading into the meatier season for releases, and rounding off the year’s major film festival circuit before we head towards the award season railway, October as always brought international film to the ‘Big Smoke’ and treated Londoners to the best global cinema has to offer, as the British public were joined by the world’s media, […]

Review 108min Genre:     Fact-based, Comedy, Drama Director:  Stephen Merchant Cast:       Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Dwayne Johnson…and more Writer:    Stephen Merchant -Synopsis- A girl from a wrestling family in unassuming East England dreams of making it in the world of global wrestling entertainment, and has her dreams turned into a reality when the WWE rolls into […]

February once again saw the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gather the great and the good of British and global cinema in London town, as they converged on the legendary Royal Albert Hall to recognise their achievements in film over the last twelve months at the 72nd British Academy Film Awards. As Joanna […]

Review 130min Genre:       Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical Director:    Rob Marshall Cast:         Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw…and more Writers:     David Magee, Rob Marshall, P.L. Travers… and more -Synopsis- With young ‘Jane’ and ‘Michael Banks’ now grown and raising their own family in depression-era London, the world’s most iconic nanny returns to help the family in […]

As we head towards year’s end into the meatier season for film releases, and the frenzy of awards season which follows, October as always  signalled the return of the world’s most accessible major film festival (and one of the year’s final global film events), as filmmakers and media from across the globe gathered in the […]

Review 108min Genre:       Fact-based, Crime, Drama Director:    James Marsh Cast:         Michael Caine, Charlie Cox, Jim Broadbent…and more Writers:     Joe Penhall and Mark Seal -Synopsis- Wallowing in the tranquillity and dullness of their twilight years, a geriatric group of retired London crooks reunite to form a crew and pull off one of the biggest jewellery heists […]

Review 110min Genre:       Drama, Romance Director:    Dominic Cooke Cast:         Saoirse Ronan, Billy Howle, Anne-Marie Duff…and more Writer:      Ian McEwan -Synopsis- Stuck in the confines of a new marriage and a British coastal honeymoon in the early 1960s, a young couple’s idyllic romance gives way to a struggle for physical connection in emotional silence, as they […]

Review 107min Genre:       Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance Director:    Michael Pearce Cast:         Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Geraldine James…and more Writer:      Michael Pearce -Synopsis- When a repressed young woman meets a mysterious stranger in an isolated island community, she becomes caught between duty towards her oppressive family and an infatuation with a man suspected of multiple murders […]

Mid-February once again meant the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) gathering the great and the good of British and global cinema in the ‘Big Smoke’, converging on the Royal Albert Hall for the second year in a row to recognise achievements in film at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. In keeping […]

Review 92min Genre:       Drama Director:    Paddy Considine Cast:         Paddy Considine, Jodie Whittaker, Tony Pitts…and more Writer:      Paddy Considine -Synopsis- When British boxing veteran and middleweight champion ‘Matty Burton’ suffers a catastrophic brain injury during a fight, he’s forced to effectively re-start his life, with huge emotional implications for his wife and infant daughter . . […]

The 4th of October this year saw the start of the world’s most accessible major international film festival, as filmmakers and media from across the globe joined the great British public in the West End and beyond for 12 days of film promotion and appreciation at the 61st London Film Festival (LFF), brought to us […]

Review 117min Genre:     Fact-based, Drama, Romance Director:  Andy Serkis Cast:       Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Tom Hollander…and more Writer:    William Nicholson -Synopsis- When adventurous British soul Robin Cavendish is struck down and paralysed by polio while in Africa, he relies on his loyal and determined wife Diana to not only survive but truly live, becoming a […]

Review 141min Genre:       Action, Adventure, Comedy Director:    Matthew Vaughn Cast:         Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore…and more Writers:     Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Mark Millar… and more -Synopsis- After being virtually wiped out by a shadowy organisation, ‘Eggsy’ and the remnants of ‘Kingsman’ join forces with the talented and well-funded folks at their brash American counterpart […]

Review 109min Genre:       Drama, Mystery, Thriller Director:    Juan Carlos Medina Cast:         Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth…and more Writers:     Peter Ackroyd & Jane Goldman -Synopsis- Before ‘Jack the Ripper’ stalked the seedy streets of London, another brutal and mysterious spectre plied its sinister trade in the East end— the infamous and mythical ‘Limehouse Golem’—preying on […]

In an ongoing effort to help aspiring filmmakers and promote independent films, particularly those struggling with distribution and releases, we periodically feature films in our ‘Indie Spotlight’ series for your consideration. The White Room (2017) (English & Spanish Language) 87min Genre:      Drama, Thriller Director:   James Erskine Cast:        Óscar Jaenada, Kae Alexander, Velibor Topic…and more […]

Review 106min Genre:      Drama, Mystery, Romance Director:   Roger Michell Cast:        Sam Claflin, Rachel Weisz, Iain Glen… and more Writers:    Daphne Du Maurier and Roger Michell -Synopsis- When ‘Philip’s’ wealthy cousin and guardian suspiciously dies while abroad after unexpectedly marrying their beautiful distant cousin ‘Rachel’, the young Englishman becomes caught between his suspicions of her involvement […]

Review 89min Genre:       Comedy Director:    Sean Foley Cast:         Julian Barratt, Essie Davis, Andrea Riseborough…and more Writers:     Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby -Synopsis- A washed-up, self-unaware actor takes up a chance for redemption by reprising his popular 1980s TV detective role to help catch a real-life deranged murderer, with hilarious consequences in this British comedy from […]

Review 89min Genre:       Drama Director:    William Oldroyd Cast:         Florence Pugh, Christopher Fairbank, Cosmo Jarvis…and more Writers:     Nikolai Leskov and Alice Birch -Synopsis- Bought and effectively held prisoner by her domineering new older husband and his equally imposing father at their rural English estate, a young bride boldly breaks free of her chains and gives in […]

Review 141min Genre:       Fact-based, Adventure, Drama Director:    James Gray Cast:         Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson…and more Writers:     James Gray and David Grann -Synopsis- Charlie Hunnam stars in an period adventure adapted from David Grann’s book and based on the real life exploits of intrepid British early 20th century explorer Lt. Colonel Percival Fawcett—who mysteriously […]

Review 99min Genre:       Crime, Drama Director:    Adam Smith Cast:         Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson, Lyndsey Marshal… Writer:      Alastair Siddons -Synopsis- Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson star in a gritty British crime drama about an traveller caught between a fierce loyalty to his people and his hopes for a life on the straight and narrow for his […]

Review 88min Genre:      Drama, Sci-fi Director:   Alex Helfrecht and Jörg Tittel Cast:        Lorenzo Allchurch, Agyness Deyn, Jonathan Pryce …and more Writers:    György Dragomán, Alex Helfrecht and Jörg Tittel -Synopsis- Young ‘Djata’ lives a normal idyllic life in a totalitarian state oblivious to the brutal realities around him, but when his father is mysteriously abducted by […]

The Boyos are back in town!; 20 years older but none the wiser, ready to reminisce and settle old scores while misbehaving in a whole new broken world of excess and addiction, as Danny Boyle re-injects his own groundbreaking 90s British classic into a new generation. Directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Robert […]

Review 100min Genre:      Drama Director:   Ken Loach Cast:        Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Sharon Percy…and more Writer:     Paul Laverty -Synopsis- Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winning drama is the story of two disparate working class Brits; one a middle-aged carpenter and the other a young single mom, brought together by hardship and their dependence on a bureaucratic […]