FILM REVIEWS AND NEWS

Organised by the Port of London Authority, this fantastic initiative is designed to empower, enable, and celebrate emerging creative talent across the region, with a particular focus on young directors based around the Thames Estuary. If you are an aspiring filmmaker looking for a platform to showcase your vision, this competition represents an exceptional opportunity to make your mark on the British film landscape.

With a staggering total of screen appearances that easily outpaces his predecessors, the question must be asked: has Tom Holland officially solidified his status as the definitive, indisputable Spider-Man for a generation of filmgoers?

My calendar has conspired against me, keeping me glued to my desk while audiences and critics nationwide rush to cinemas to witness Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: James Ersted and David R. Larson Director: James Ersted Starring: Dylan Nunez, Paul Parducci, Kira Omans, Ari Hader and Alain Mora. What Happened to Suzie? is an absorbing thriller. Written by James Ersted and David R. Larson, and directed by James Ersted, this film is composed as a documentary, in the style of a 'mockumentary', but with a twist, and 100% in the dramatic genre. We meet Andy, played by Dylan Nunez, whose sister Suzie disappeared with

However, all eyes are inevitably fixed on Johnny Depp. The project marks his first major Hollywood studio production in eight years, framing the film as a high-stakes comeback vehicle.

That massive financial investment paid immediate dividends as soon as the film opened to the public. During its opening weekend alone, The Odyssey sailed to a breathtaking $123.5 million in North America.

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Zach Huber Director: Zach Huber Starring: Matt Bergonzine, Katherine Tompkins and Evan Michael Ewing Betrayal is arguably one of the worst feelings that exists, and Deceive to Achieve illustrates this with really precise narrative. Written and directed by Zach Huber, in this 5-minute long short film, we meet Johnny (played by Matt Bergonzine), our main character, an independent film director who is currently struggling. He is working with Connor and

Trying to choose the best Steven Spielberg film is nearly an impossible task. The great man himself has changed the cinematic landscape on multiple occasions creating classic after classic. From creating the modern-day Summer blockbuster with Jaws, to reinventing the sci-fi genre with Close Encounters of the Third Kind to revolutionising CGI and animatronics with Jurassic Park, Spielberg has a fair few films to pick from.

Star rating: 4/5 Created by: Diana Galimzyanova Nothing Happens is an introspective Russian short film, a story told without dialogue, and a great soundtrack. Written and directed by Diana Galimzyanova, this 8 minute long film follows a man, somewhere between his mid -30s and early 40s, who works in a bar that is also a live music venue. This character, who remains nameless, leads a life where different nights and different events seem to blur together. He surrounded by peo

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Steve Meredith Director: Zay Rodriguez Starring: Zuli Rosenow, Ilene Sulivan, and Deborah Tighe. Bonds of Grief is an emotional, open-hearted piece about what loss feels like. As someone who is familiar with grief, I can tell you, dear reader, that this film, from the USA, was incisively truthful (if slightly dramatic). Written by Steve Meredith, this tells the story of Isabela (Zuli Rosenow), who loses her mother to cancer. Soon after the burial, she

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Nathan Grubbs, Chris Sivertson, Jeff Hoffman and Joshua Dietz Director: Nathan Grubbs Starring: Nathan Grubbs, Alexandra Essoe, Marc Senter and Eddie Steeples. Cowboy is a thoughtful cowboy story about redemption, and love arising in the most unlikely of ways. Written by Nathan Grubbs, Chris Sivertson, Jeff Hoffman and Joshua Dietz, Cowboy tells the story of Juno Jackson, a cowboy, and petty criminal in the US South, who goes to prison for a serious

Lesbian Space Princess is an Australian animated science fiction comedy written and directed by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese. The film follows 23-year-old space princess Siara, a socially inept, hopeless-romantic lesbian who lives on the planet Clitopolis with her two mums.

Claudia Dzienny is an Australian writer-director and comedian whose work blends character-driven comedy with emotionally grounded storytelling.

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Jack Holman Director: Sean Leahy Starring: Pierce Joseph, Mary T Lynch, and Denis Kiely Written and shot by Jack Holman, An Unnerving Realisation is a thought-provoking super short Irish film, with a run time of just over 5 minutes long. We meet Nicholas, played by Pierce Joseph, who is around 20, looking at pictures with his family at the dinner table. As they do so, he comes up with a question, simple and direct, which is what leads to the unnervin

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Kayla Sun Director: Kayla Sun Starring: Ling Zhi, Briana Liu and Eon Song Inspired by the life of Masako Wakamiya, who bought her first laptop at 60 years old and became a coding expert, The Code of Family is a heart-warming Chinese-American piece whispering wisdom about learning, family and the boundlessness of age. Written and directed by Kayla Sun, it tells the story of a grandmother, ‘Gran’, who lives with her daughter and granddaughter. While h

Star rating: 5/5 Writer: Ben Lankester Director: Ben Lankester Starring: Rosie Chappel Delivery is a heart wrenching, eye opening short film portraying a night in a maternity ward, inspired by real experiences. Written and directed by Ben Lankester, it is the story of a night in Mary's life, on shift to deliver babies at the hospital she works in, during the Christmas period. As a 30-year-old, newly qualified midwife, she is passionate about her job, completely focused, and

Star rating: 5/5 Writer: Ruben Sanchez Director: Ruben Sanchez Starring: Sara Jimenez Lamento is a tense, hard-hitting Spanish/ Catalan short film about the risks women face simply by existing in public spaces. Written and directed by Ruben Sanchez, this film is a masterful portrayal of the extreme stress women are put under in public spaces, especially spaces made for enjoyment. We meet Ana at a party in a hugely atmospheric truck depot in Barcelona, where it is common to pa

Star rating: 5/5 Writer: Lucinda Royden Director: Coz Greenop Starring: Elin Hall, Jack McEvoy, Melissa Lycey, Harvey Dean. It All Comes with the Cold Water is a thoughtful, intimate romantic drama. Written by Lucinda Royden and directed by Coz Greenop, this Icelandic film is inspired by a phrase from American sportsman Pete Carroll, ‘Each nanosecond of history branches off into an infinite amount of parallel universes’. ‘I’m just annoyed at myself for dreaming of it’, is t

Star rating: 5/5 Writer: Jenna Brady Director: Jenna Brady Starring: Jazmine Cornielle, Riley Whielan, Vikki Martin, and Gracie! A gripping, almost silent horror short. From its opening, Under Control is both visually and sonically compelling. In the horror genre, this is isn’t hard to attempt, but it is hard to do well, which this film absolutely does. Our un-named main character, played by Jazmine Cornielle is a 20 something woman living in what seems to be a big city fla

Star rating: 5/5 Writer: James Nicholas Green Director: James Nicholas Green Starring: Steve Furst, Toto Bruin and Lee Ingleby, Victory to the Mimers is a brilliant satire about power, protest and art. The story of Margaret Thatcher’s destruction of the mining industry and disdain for miners and their communities is well known. The tragedy, struggle and ultimate dignity of those communities an inspired basis for satirising the current state of society and power structures. Vi

View the best movies screening at the 2026 SXSW London Film Festival. A curated list from film critic Chris Olson for UK Film Review.

Star rating: 4/5 Writer: Brock Drury Director: Brock Drury Starring: Roman Jacob- Boylen, Chris Wolfe, Eli Jo, Bradley Shane Harrelson, Scott Oakley, Rebecca Clendaniel. The Sim Racer is a sentimental film portraying life's tapestry of high stakes struggles and the power of human connection. Written by Brock Drury, it tells the story of Luke, a small-town American who in his mid-20s and after some tragedy, and a breakup, is struggling to keep a roof above his head. Passionat

Star rating: 3/5 Writer: Joyce Terveden, Isis Calje and Natasha Schaafsma Director: Milan Swager Starring: Joyce Terveden, Isis Calje and Natasha Schaafsma Helemaal et Heinde, which is a co-written work by Joyce Terveden, Isis Calje and Natasha Schaafsma, is a short action film packed with quirkiness and some violence. In what seems like an apocaliptic setting, three women meet in a story of paranoia, violence and love, told humourously through really skilled performances an

Wild Foxes (or Le Danse de Renards) is a thoughtful, articulate French coming-of-age story. The story is set in semi-rural France in a secondary school where the students get amazing sporting and music education, and high-level performance opportunities.