Best Films to Watch in London This Week

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 a documentary about one of mankind's greatest achievements or a Spielberg classic back on the big screen, Walloh has you well and truly covered. No need to thank us.

 

Apollo 11

Just when you thought we'd said all there was to say about the moon landing, along comes the best documentary ever made on the subject. Assembled entirely from gloriously-resorted archive footage (and fifty years in the making), Apollo 11 is proof that docs needn’t be overly stylised or padded out with endless talking heads: it succeeds entirely on the sole brilliance of the mostly unseen, awe-inspiring footage gathered here, resulting in what now feels like the definitive account of the landmark mission. Gripping and refreshing in its simplicity, Apollo 11 is required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in space travel – and that goes doubly for any landing conspiracy theorists out there.

Get Apollo 11 showtimes in London.

 

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 3 did the seemingly impossible when it hit cinemas back in 2010, capping off a beloved series in a way that felt both definitive and perfect. News that Toy Story 4 was in the works only served to send Pixar fans into a state of shock, though: how could you improve upon perfection, after all? Quell your fears: Toy Story 4 is here and – against the odds – it's actually good, somehow managing to improve the ending of its predecessor whilst also existing as arguably the strangest movie the studio have ever produced. As Woody, Buzz, and the gang head out to rescue new “toy” Forky, Toy Story 4 deals with everything from existentialism to the nature of consciousness. Who said this was a franchise for kids?

Get Toy Story 4 showtimes in London or read our full review here.

 

Support the Girls

This comedy stars the always sensational Regina Hall in an almost insanely likeable performance as boss of a Hooters-esque restaurant chain called “Double Whammies” (geddit?). Set over the course of a single day, Support the Girls rallies its audience to do exactly that – even as the film’s customers strive to do the opposite. If director Andrew Bujalski misses the chance to truly dissect fast food joints that actively invite men to ogle women as they chow down on cheeseburgers, Support the Girls remains an authentic and unpredictable portrait of female friendship that also sets a new standard for the oft-wonky workplace comedy. Did we mention how good Hall is? Because she’s really good.

Get Support the Girls showtimes in London.

 

Yesterday

It’s hard to deny the appeal of Yesterday’s elevator pitch-perfect premise: what if everyone in the world – save one guy – forgot the Beatles existed? It’s with this West End musical-inclined idea that genre-shifting director Danny Boyle and sentimental scribe Richard Curtis conjure up a crowd-pleasing tale about a lowly songwriter who wakes up to find he is that one guy. Though drawn in very broad strokes, Yesterday succeeds as an entertaining “what if?” yarn, and features likeable performances from leading man Himesh Patel and a somewhat unbelievably friend-zoned Lily James. Beatles fans might cringe at its unashamed ploughing of the band’s back catalogue, but it’s hard to feel truly bitter when the songs – more than 20 here – are so darn good.

Get Yesterday showtimes in London.

 

Mari

Real-life dancer Bobbi Jene Smith gives a raw and committed performance in Mari, a dance-infused drama in which she plays a very troubled and very pregnant woman in her thirties. Written and directed by first-timer Georgia Parris, Mari makes up for its low budget with high levels of ambition. The story concerns both birth and death: Charlotte is pregnant, but her grandmother is also dying. Mari explores the extent to which these milestones shape and change both Charlotte and her family dynamic, whilst she uses dance as a means of solace. It's the sort of confident debut that mark Parris as a British filmmaker to keep an eye on.

Get Mari showtimes in London.

 

In Fabric

British writer and director Peter Strickland has long been a proprietor of films as fever dreams, and In Fabric – which chronicles the misadventures of a cursed dress as it’s passed from person to person – is another mind-bending work cut from the same cloth. As with previous effort Berberian Sound Studio, In Fabric’s aesthetics are firmly rooted in the past. As that film channelled a giallo vibe, this one, too, unravels as a playful homage to ‘70s Euro trash. Is it a comedy? Is it a horror film? Does it matter? “Washing machine went bananas,” deadpans Marianne Jean-Baptise’s divorcee, Shelia, after the malevolent dress blows the device apart. There is something oddly mesmerising about the juxtaposition of psychedelic colours and working class English accents that Strickland conjures here.

Get In Fabric showtimes in London.

 

Diego Maradona

The third in Asif Kapadia's trilogy “about child geniuses and fame,” it's hard to imagine a better subject than Diego Maradona. As one of the most beloved footballers of all time, his skill with a ball, coupled with the endless off-the-pitch antics, made him a true icon. But there's no denying just how strange Maradona was, and this documentary – though certainly empathetic – attempts to grapple with just that. Constructed in the same style as Kapadia's previous docs, Senna and Amy, using archive footage intercut with modern day interviews, Diego Maradona covers the epic rise and turbulent fall, his early childhood through to that infamous “Hand of God” moment in 1986. It's fascinating and gripping – though for our money, Kapadia should have just called it Maradona. This guy doesn't need a first name.

Get Diego Maradona showtimes in London.

 

Jaws

You do have to feel a bit sorry for those who insist on judging Jaws on how “fake” the shark looks, as if that somehow correlates to its strength as a film. What these folk have forgotten is how meticulously-designed every aspect of this Spielberg masterpiece is. From its editing to its iconic score, Jaws offers a masterclass in suspense, with unforgettable turns from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw as the shark hunters. Adapted from Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel about a summer community plagued by a killer fish, naysayers would later claim the film – arguably the first ever “blockbuster” – ruined Hollywood. If only the blockbusters after Jaws had followed suit, though, echoing its complex characters, perfect pacing, and uncynical, adventurous spirt. Nobody would have complained then.

Get Jaws showtimes in London.

 

Outdoor Screenings

It's summertime, which means it's time to make the most of what London has to offer in terms of outdoor fun. And you won't believe what the capital has to offer this year in the way of unique and innovative screenings of the outdoor kind. Rooftops (Rooftop Film Club), boats (Movies on the River), beautiful parks and iconic landmarks (The Luna Cinema)… if you're searching for a truly memorable location to catch one of your favourite films, you're bound to find it. Speaking of films, the selection this year is about as diverse as you can imagine: from Baby Driver to A Star is Born, London caters to everyone.

For a list of all the outdoor screenings in London just head to our dedicated page.