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Festival coverage

London Film Festival

7 October – 18 October 2020

Festival opener Mangrove
Festival opener Mangrove

This year's London Film Festival ran from October 7 to 18. Due to the pandemic, it was a hybrid edition, which, for the first time, will screen a number of films widely across the UK. It opened with Steve McQueen's Mangrove and closed with Francis Lee's Ammonite.

Other years (21)

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Latest reviews

  • Herself
    Review preview for Herself

    Yes, Herself is first and foremost a film about a woman's journey. It is also, in a smaller way, about another journey, from selfishness to community spirit.

    Jane Fae · 4 out of 5
    A domestic abuse survivor tries to build a new life - and home - for her kids.
  • Supernova
    Review preview for Supernova

    With eloquent, understated performances from both leads and a willingness to take its time, Supernova explores not merely the issues they face but the life they share.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Old friends Sam and Tusker go on a road trip to make the most of their time together two years after Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
  • Zanka Contact
    Review preview for Zanka Contact

    The barest hooks of a narrative are here but stitched together with a lot of energy and stylish flourishes from cinematographer Benjamin Rufi.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    In hellish Casablanca, a car-crash sets ablaze a burning, passionate love story between has-been rocker Larsen and the streetwise Rajae.
  • Soul
    Review preview for Soul

    With its fragmented narrative, it feels almost like a shorts collection jazz riff on the theme of existence and metaphysics.

    Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
    A music teacher finds himself in The Great Before, an incredible place where new souls are born.
  • Farewell Amor
    Review preview for Farewell Amor

    Jah is superb.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    Reunited after a 17-year separation, Walter, an Angolan immigrant, is joined in the US by his wife and teenage daughter. Now absolute strangers sharing a one-bedroom apartment, they discover a shared love of dance that may help overcome the emotional distance between them.
  • Time
    Review preview for Time

    Bradley’s direction emphasises the beauty of the Rich family’s resilience and humanity, with shots that carry the panoramic vistas of French New Wave and the hypnotic tones of underground cinema.

    Stephanie Brown · 4 out of 5
    Fox Rich fights for her husband’s release from jail, after he is sentenced to 60 years of incarceration for a bank robbery, a crime she also served time for in the Nineties.
  • Wolfwalkers
    Review preview for Wolfwalkers

    The seamless, flowing quality of the animation is what will capture older viewers' attention first - and hold it.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Animation set in the Ireland of the Cromwell period, when a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland to wipe out the last pack... only to discover the magical world of the wolfwalkers.
  • The Reason I Jump
    Review preview for The Reason I Jump

    This is a film that is all about connection, not just between parent and child but aiming to bridge the gap between the way those with nonspeaking autism perceive the world and the way that they, in turn, are perceived by the neurotypical.

    Amber Wilkinson · 5 out of 5
    Based on the book by Naoki Higashida this immersive film explores the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people around the world.
  • Another Round
    Review preview for Another Round

    Shot with a loose but observant style that captures energy and thoughtfulness in all the right places.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    Martin and three of his friends, all weary high school teachers, embark on an experiment to maintain a constant level of intoxication throughout the workday.
  • David Byrne's American Utopia
    Review preview for David Byrne's American Utopia

    Lee is inventive in his shooting - particularly in his use of an aerial camera above the stage and another that lurks at the back at barefoot level, both capturing elements of the performance that an audience on the night would not be able to see.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A film of Byrne's acclaimed Broadway show.

A–Z of London Film Festival 2020 reviews

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