Best Films to Watch in London and Stream This Week

From cinema releases to streaming gems, including a remake of a Hitchcock classic and a glowing documentary about K-Pop

Fancy a film but can't make your mind up what to see? Look no further: we’ve assembled the best of what's showing in London, plus the latest streaming releases, and gathered them here to make choosing a great movie as easy as possible. Whatever you're in the mood for, out in the world or in the comfort of your own home, WeLoveCinema has you well and truly covered…

 

New Releases

Time

Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video

This deeply moving and timely documentary explores the failings of the prison-industrial complex, seen through the experience of one woman – Sibil Fox Richardson – as she waits for her husband's release. After he's sentenced to sixty years behind bars for an attempted bank robbery, Garrett Bradley’s affecting film follows Sibil's tireless efforts to secure her husband's freedom, poising questions about the US justice system, relationships, and the very notion of time itself (read our full review).

 

Rebecca

Where to watch it: Get London showtimes

Did experimental British filmmaker Ben Wheatley need to remake Rebecca, one of Alfred Hitchcock's most beloved classics? Of course not… and yet he's found something interesting in this new reimagining of the Daphne du Maurier classic, which stars Armie Hammer as the dashing – but enigmatic – widower who begin a romance in the shadow of his wife's death. If it doesn't come close to the heights of the original, this Rebecca is, at least, a lush and gorgeously rendered counterpart… and you can't deny the appeal of Hammer's fantastic mustard suit (read our full review).

 

Being a Human Person

Where to watch it: Get London showtimes or watch on Curzon Home Cinema

The acclaimed Swedish director Roy Andersson is celebrated in this documentary about the making of his final film, About Endlessness, which was unveiled last year to critical acclaim. As directed by Frederick Scott, this intimate profile attempts to uncover the processes behind Andersson's unique filmmaking style, which relies heavily on elaborately designed tableaux, and also the mysterious filmmaker himself as he battles alcoholism. 

 

Clouds

Where to watch it: Disney+

This musical-drama follows the real life story of singer-songwriter Zach Sobiech, who died tragically at age 18 from bone cancer and became known for his song “Clouds,” which has since racked up 12 million views on YouTube. This is a somewhat saccharine attempt at telling his tale, though it successfully transcends its tear-jerker status in order to stand as a genuinely moving tribute to a star gone too soon.

 

Blackpink: Light up the Sky

Where to watch it: Netflix

Anyone keen to gain a better understanding of the seemingly impenetrable world of K-Pop could do worse than this endearing documentary profile of Blackpink, the high-charting female K-Pop band in history. Tracking the band's rise to fame all the way to their landmark appearance at Coachella, it makes an effort to define the girls (Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé) as individuals and provides an enlightening look behind-the-scenes of this dizzying musical landscape (read our full review).

 

The Other Lamb

Where to watch it: MUBI

Deep in a remote woodland lies an all-female cult, led by a single man. Raffey Cassidy plays the young woman who begins to question her existence and the practices she has held to her entire life. Making her English language debut, Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska helms this strange and eerie blend of folk horror and coming-of-age drama, anchored by Cassidy's fine lead performance.

 

I Am Greta

Where to watch it: Get London showtimes

The story of Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg powers this slickly produced documentary feature, which highlights her achievements, her agenda, and her status as a symbol of hope. In production ever since she made her first stand against global warming back in 2015 when she was just 15-years-old, it offers an accessible window into Thunberg's remarkable story so far.

 

Still in Cinemas and Streaming…

Saint Maud

Where to watch it: Get London showtimes

Morfydd Clark gives a mesmerising lead performance in Saint Maud, writer-director Rose Glass' terrifying, sensual debut – a horror movie that has been deemed The Exorcist for a new generation. Fusing aspects of both the psychological and the poetic, it finds its story in the titular Maud, a devout Christian and nurse living in a seaside town whose new assignment – a former dancer played by Jennifer Ehle – spins wildly out of control. Unpredictable, fascinating, nightmarish, Saint Maud is guaranteed to burrow under your skin… and stay there (read our full review).

 

Akira

Where to watch it: Get London showtimes

Perhaps the most famous anime movie of all-time returns to the big screen with a stunning 4K restoration. Set in 2019 (!), Akira takes place in a futuristic version of Tokyo – a vast and neon-drenched megacity made up of waring bike gangs, endless skyscrapers, and evil corporations that like to carry out strange experiments on kids. It's densely written and stunningly animated: more than three decades after its first release, Akira has lost none of its power to explode minds (read our full review).

 

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Where to watch it: Netflix

The Social Network's acclaimed scribe Aaron Sorkin writes and directs this take on the true life story of the Chicago Seven and once again reaffirms his talent for witty one-liners and political grandstanding. Set in 1968, his Trial of the Chicago 7 follows the infamous group charged with government conspiracy and for inciting anti-Vietnam War protests – Despite its period setting, this is a timely story for these troubled times. Sasha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, Jeremy Strong, Michael Keaton, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt round out an all-star cast (read our full review).

Other Features

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Reviews

The Innocent review – 60s-inspired heist movie with an existential twist

In his fourth feature film, writer-director Louis Garrel explores with wit and tenderness the risk and worth of second chances

Baato review – Nepal’s past and future collide in an immersive, fraught documentary

A mountain trek intertwines with a road-building project, granting incisive, if underpowered, insight into a much underseen world

The Beanie Bubble review – a grim new low for the “corporate biopic” genre

With none of the saving graces of Tetris, Air, or Barbie, this ambition-free look at the Beanie Baby craze is pure mediocrity

Everybody Loves Jeanne review – thoroughly modern fable of grief, romantic confusion, and climate anxiety

Celine Deveaux's French-Portuguese debut can be too quirky for its own good, but a fantastically written lead character keeps it afloat