The latest Clash Film column comes from this year’s London Film Festival. While not as illustrious as Cannes or as innovative as Sundance, the capital’s annual festival still draws all the big names and this year’s selection is one of the strongest in recent memory. Here are three picks from the programme to look out for when they come to cinemas later in the year.
// In cinemas from October 29th
stars in the true story of Chris Hansen, the host of the 2000s US reality show To Catch a Predator, where men seeking encounters with underage children are trapped and exposed on air. The film follows Hansen’s insatiable need for ratings as he seeks bigger targets, leading to a devastating confrontation.
The nail-biting opening moments set the tone for a thrilling drama, which looks at the intersection between public service and entertainment spectacle. Pattinson gives a bravura performance as a man obsessed with having his moment, trailed by Skyler Gisondo as a young actor brought in to be the bait to bring the predators in. All of the cast are terrific to watch (as a music publication, we are obligated to mention Phoebe Bridgers makes her acting debut as a fellow decoy), and while Lance Oppenheim’s film may be uneven in its messaging, it’s a fascinating exploration of trash TV history.
8/10
// In cinemas December 4th, on Netflix from December 18th
Brad Bird, the director behind The Incredibles films, makes his return eight years on from his last movie. Ray Gunn is his passion project – a movie set in a retrofuturistic society and follows Ray Gunn (voiced by Sam Rockwell), a private detective determined to get to the truth when a volatile pop star (Scarlett Johansson) is accused of murder.
If there’s a better looking film this year, we’re yet to see it. The animation in Bird’s film is immense, creating something that looks like a cross between Blade Runner and The Maltese Falcon, with plenty of humour but also lots of heart. Every aspect of the movie feels like the culmination of years of artistry, from the snappy dialogue to the little details embedded in every scene. Rockwell and Johansson are perfectly cast in their roles, and for once we have an animated family film that isn’t afraid to be a little grown-up. It’s one of those Netflix releases which has a brief cinema run before coming to streaming, but we strongly recommend you treat yourself and see this on the biggest screen possible.
9/10
La bola negra // In cinemas November 6th
One of the buzziest films around as Oscar season starts in earnest, this Cannes hit is inspired by the unfinished work of the same name by . It follows three stories of queer desire – one following a young man in 1932 whose entry to a private club is rejected due to rumours of his homosexuality; a story set in 1937 where a soldier in the Spanish Civil War falls for his captive; and a 2017 coda that ties all three together.
It’s an utterly gorgeous ode to suppressed love, and how the devastation of conflict can mean so many stories can be left untold. It also addresses the absence of queer history with an audacious attempt at redressing that balance. While it occasionally gets overwhelmed by the enormity of its task, the passionate storytelling, and some classy cameos from the likes of Penelope Cruz and Glenn Close, make for a moving journey through time that will prompt a few tears from anyone who has felt the need to hide who they are.
8/10