Best Films to Watch in London This Week
All the movies worth catching in the capital, from an electrifying musical to a new coming-of-age classic...
Out and about this weekend? Fancy a film but can’t make your mind up what to see? Look no further: we’ve assembled the best of what’s on in London and gathered them here to make choosing a great movie as easy as possible. Whether it’s an outrageous musical biopic about one of the biggest stars on the planet or a coming-of-age comedy that’s equal parts smart and funny, Walloh has you covered. Enjoy!
Rocketman
Less than a year’s gone by and already Rocketman makes Bohemian Rhapsody seem old-fashioned by comparison, a result of director Dexter Fletcher’s decision to avoid an overtly literal interpretation: instead Rocketman unfolds as told by a rock-bottom Elton John (a perfect Taron Egerton, embodying the singer entirely without ever resorting to impression), who – attending an AA meeting – decides to look back on his career with a degree of self-awareness often lacking in authorised biopics. Given this is Elton’s telling, then, it’s easy to forgive the dreamy tone, the inaccuracies, the songs staged and sung long before they were actually written. The overall effect is that of a West End show on film: broad enough to please the masses; weird enough so that it never quite feels like a by the numbers biopic.
Get Rocketman showtimes in London.
Too Late to Die Young
Too Late to Die Young is already being touted as the new Call Me by Your Name, given that they share producers. But whereas the latter featured privileged characters in idyllic 80s Italy, this is a more rustic affair set in a changing Chile at a time of political unrest. What the films do share, aside from sumptuous romance, dreamy pacing, and sun-drenched locales, is a captivating lead, this time in Demian Hernández’s teenager Sofia. It’s Sofia – along with her two siblings – who must live with her parents’ Mosquito Coast-esque decision to live off-grid after the fall of the Pinochet dictatorship. But this is not an overtly political film; instead it’s one that thrives on its intoxicating atmosphere.
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Booksmart
As an actor, Olivia Wilde has spent years lighting up the screen in films as varied as Tron: Legacy and Drinking Buddies. Guess what? She’s a talented filmmaker, too, as proven by Booksmart, a riotous coming-of-age comedy she wrote and directed that’s sure to join the pantheon of great (and awkward) teen romps like Superbad. And given it’s about two friends across a single night and stars Jonah Hill’s sister, Superbad is an easy comparison. But Wilde’s approach feels fresh and intelligent, whilst lead actors Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein – playing two teens who spent their high school years swatting up and decide to go wild – are inspired. Of course, these kind of films work best when the comedy matches the heart, and boy does it. What’s that? Better than Superbad, you say? Yup.
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Beats
Given Beats is set in 90s Scotland, the Trainspotting comparisons are inevitable, so here we go: Beats is sort of like Trainspotting. Really, though, it’s a film marching to the (ahem) beat of its own drum; a joyous, energetic ride though the rave culture that came to define an era, shot in a crisp black-and-white that somehow feels timely. The plot here focuses on two pals, played with great chemistry by Cristian Ortega and Lorn Macdonald, as they head out to an illegal warehouse rave. Drugs, music, the liberation of being young – it’s all here, deftly explored, though Beats earns bonus points because it gets us to invest in its likeable characters between the memorable tracks (of which there are lots). Just like the best kind of night out, it’ll stay with you long afterwards. And no hangover.
Get Beats showtimes in London.
Walkabout
Mad Max withstanding, Walkabout is still probably the most famous film to come from Down Under. Mere mention of its title is sure to fill your head with landscapes bathed in orange light. The title refers to the “rite of passage” undertaken by aboriginal children, and – in the film’s case – the queasy, sweat-inducing quest that befalls teen Jenny Agutter and her brother – played by Luc Roeg – after their father goes mad and abandons them in the outback. Helmed by British legend Nic Roeg, Walkabout feels like a film cut from nature itself: the heat is palpable, the beasts and critters are real, the locations breathtaking and terrifying in equal measure. Just don’t forget to bring a bottle of water along with you.
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Birds of Passage
Ciro Guerra made a deep, visceral mark with 2015’s Embrace of the Serpent, an elusive, hallucinogenic film that confirmed him as a director of unique vision. His follow-up, Birds of Passage, feels like a natural progression, so brimming with bold ideas and unforgettable images, and touched with elements of magical realism that made Embrace so memorable. Set over two decades, Birds explores the rise of the Columbian marijuana trade across five distinct chapters, with a focus on those people entangled in the mechanism that cinema usually ignores. Essentially it asks what happens when ancient cultures are infected with modernity, semi-channeling the vibe of a Godfather-esque crime thriller. “Dreamlike” is a word that is easily tossed about these days, but here’s a film that truly qualifies.
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John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Books, knives, dogs, horses: there’s nothing Keanu Reeves’ stoic assassin won’t utilise as a weapon in the excessively titled John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the third – and best – film in the wildly successful action franchise. It has to be said: the first half hour of this film consists of some of the most intense, awesomely creative action sequences in recent memory, and arguably cinema’s best ever knife fight. That’s not to say that the rest of the film isn’t greatly entertaining, though an emphasis on an overwritten story sucks out a little of the fun. Still, you’d be lucky to find another third instalment that delivers on the promise of its predecessors in so many ways. And trust us when we say you’ve never seen a man kill somebody with a book like this.
Get John Wick 3: Parabellum showtimes in London.
Back to the Future Part II
How do you live-up to a film like Back to the Future, a perfect synthesis of romance, sci-fi, and adventure that should never have worked in the first place? You go back to the original, of course, and set part of your sequel inside it. What we got with Part II, then, was a follow-up in three clear acts: the future (with its self-lacing Nike trainers and hover-boards); an alternate 1985 ruled by a tyrannical Biff; and 1955 all over again, where Marty (Michael J. Fox) and Doc must avoid their counterparts whilst navigating a bunch of iconic scenes from the original. It was a risky move on filmmaker Robert Zemeckis’ part, and whilst the writing isn’t quite as sharp, the creative energy is undeniable. It’s the film that Avengers: Endgame nicked its meta-tastic premise from for a reason, you know.
Get Back to the Future Part II showtimes in London.
John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
Bad-tempered. Good at tennis. All these years later, you’re probably wondering what else there is left to say about John McEnroe. But this unconventional doc from Julien Faraut avoids your basic biopic offerings, in the sense that it isn’t entirely about John McEnroe. Instead it’s a deconstruction of the documentary medium in general, a look at the ways sport and film intersect, as footage of McEnroe’s iconic mid-80s match against Ivan Lendl at the French Open is analysed by way of a voiceover that feels almost ironic. Ultimately In the Realm of Perfection comes off as a brilliant curio, and one certain to generate lots of discussion – a playful mid-point between sports doc and experimental art film.
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