The most exciting films at the BFI London Film Festival 2024

The BFI London Film Festival is set to begin, bringing some much needed glamour to the British capital as winter begins to settle in.

Taking place from Wednesday 9 to the Sunday 20 October, the festival will host a number of exciting premieres and present films that have already begun generating a lot of buzz. There are clear awards season contenders like Angelina Jolie's Maria, as well as other films that made a splash at previous festivals like The Apprentice and Bird.

Ahead of the festival's big debut, here is what you need to know about some of the most exciting films that will be shown at the event.

Blitz

The London film festival will start with a bang, so to speak, with the world premiere of Steve McQueen's Blitz, the Oscar-winner presents a thoughtful World War Two drama that follows a young boy on a quest to return to his mother. George (Elliott Heffernan) was evacuated by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) to the countryside to protect him, but he decides to jump off the train and make his way back to her and meets a number of interesting characters along the way.

The film has an exceptional ensemble cast that includes the likes of Stephen Graham, Benjamin Clémentine, and Harris Dickinson. Blitz is the opening film of the festival and will no doubt be an awards show darling, especially for Ronan.

Queer

After its acclaimed premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Queer is set to be shown at the London Film Festival as part of its Special Presentation category. Luca Guadagnino's new drama sees Daniel Craig play a writer finding escape in 1940s Mexico City where he falls deeply for a young man, it is based on William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel.

Disclaimer

Ahead of its premiere on Apple TV+, Alfonso Cuaron's TV series Disclaimer will be screened at the festival. Starring Cate Blanchett, the series is a psychological thriller about an investigative journalist whose life is turned upside down when someone threatens to expose her secrets.

Anora

Anora won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year so its screening at the BFI London Film Festival has come with a lot of buzz around it already. Sean Baker's drama is a modern day Cinderella centred on a Brooklyn sex worker (Mikey Madison) who has a whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, and given its success at Cannes will likely also do well in awards season next year.

Emilia Perez

Another film with awards buzz is Emilia Perez, the Netflix film from French auteur Jacques Audiard which is described as a musical odyssey. The Mexican-set drama stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez, but it is Karla Sofía Gascón who has earned the most acclaim for her performance as the titular Emilia.

Nightbitch

Amy Adams plays a woman who transforms into a dog at night, what's not to love? The film examines the notion of motherhood in society and women's fight to "have it all", as it were. It has been argued that Adams is giving a career best performance, and she too has been tipped to get an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of "Mother" in the film.

We Live in Time

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh star opposite each other in this heart-wrenching drama about a couple who are forced to reassess their own mortality when the cruel reality of it rears its head. The film has already been hailed by critics, and it will no doubt be a tearjerker that fans of both actors will come back to again and again — even if it accidentally became a meme in the process.

Nickel Boys

One film that has garnered a lot of critical praise is Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Jumping between the 1960s and present day, the film centres on Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) who is set to a reformatory school for a crime he didn't commit, there he strikes up a life-changing friendship with Jack Turner (Brandon Wilson) but also faces untold abuse which is revealed in the present.

The BFI London Film Festival takes place between 9 and 20 October