The BFI London Film Festival took place over the last week and a half, one of many festivals in the industry that tend to signpost what films will be getting plenty of attention come awards season.
Known as the LFF for short, we’ve rounded up the most buzzed about titles that we expect to be making lots of noise come the Oscars in early 2026, including some new releases that are showing at Cineworld in the coming weeks.
After the Hunt (17th October)
The BFI are calling Luca Guardagino’s After the Hunt Julia Roberts’ career-best performance. If that wasn’t enough of an indication this movie is heading to the awards, Roberts has an incredible supporting cast, including Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri.
Making headlines for the uncomfortable and confronting conversations it imposes on its audience, After the Hunt explores unsavoury power dynamics in academia, set in the thick of #MeToo in 2019.
Bugonia (31st October)
Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos have joined forces once again for this upcoming conspiracy theorist black comedy. Between making headlines for bald free screenings of the film in the States, and Yorgos Lanthimos wishing to skip out on promoting his film, Bugonia had its UK premiere, with a new influx of reviews coming in.
Given the success of Poor Things and The Favourite, both of which Stone and Lanthimos worked on together, Bugonia seems a shoe-in for an Academy Award or two – at the least, a nomination! Sci-Fi Now described the leading roles as “bold and dedicated”. Tickets will be on sale soon, so make sure you bookmark the page below.
Die, My Love (14th November)
Die, My Love had its LFF screening over the weekend, and many have been left spellbound by this story of a mother reaching her limit. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, the two play a young couple who relocate as they enter a new chapter in their lives and become parents.
HeyUGuys’s review said Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love is a “devastating and mesmerising exploration of motherhood, mental illness, and identity,” going on to say that Lawrence “delivers one of the most fearless performances of her career.” It’s certainly a book to screen adaptation we can’t wait to watch.
Sentimental Value (26th December)
Sentimental Value received a 19 minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival in May, but how did it go down at the London Film Festival?
Sisters Nora and Agnes Borg are faced with an emotional reunion with their estranged father, a famous film director, when their mother passes away. Delving into generational trauma and the power of art to understand and heal old wounds, Sentimental Value stars Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as the sisters, Stellan Skarsgård as their father, and Elle Fanning as the leading actress in his new film.
The Metro has predicted this could see Skarsgård’s first ever Oscar nomination, describing his performance as a “powerhouse”, continuing, “Skarsgård enjoys the best role he’s had in years as a charismatic but arrogant and slightly desperate 70-year-old, determined to evoke past glories.”
Hamnet (9th January, 2026)
Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet is perhaps the most buzzy title of LFF so far. With producers Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes joining festivities at the Mayor of London’s Gala, Zhao then led the audience in a meditative breathing exercise before the film began.
Adapted from the book of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, Zhao’s Hamnet has been described as an “enthralling” watch by The Evening Standard, while The Telegraph said it was “sublime” and The Guardian applauded Jessie Buckley’s consuming performance as Agnes, Shakespeare’s wife – and if you’ve read the book, you’ll know she really is the star of this story.
Rental Family (9th January, 2026)
Brendan Fraser is back following huge Oscar success with 2022’s The Whale. In Rental Family, he plays Phillip Vandarploeug, an American actor living in Tokyo, who ends up working for a rental family service where he becomes a stand-in for roles in people’s families.
If you’re after a feel good movie as we enter into awards season, Rental Family might just be the ticket. The Evening Standard described Fraser’s performance as “radiating Tom Hanks levels of warmth and charm.”
Tuner (2026, date TBC)
Tuner, which was released in the States in August, was picked as one of the surprise premieres at London Film Festival, starring Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall. Woodall plays piano tuner apprentice Niki, whose auditory condition lends itself well to being able to crack safes. Endeavouring to help Hoffman out of a financial bind, he uses this gift to varying degrees of success.
A UK release date is still unconfirmed for Tuner, though it’s expected in early 2026. Given its special attention at the LFF, hopefully distributors will be keen to snatch this one up.
It’s getting plenty of buzz, too, with Variety describing it as “a laid-back rom-com crossed with a low-key crime thriller, combined with something more serious.” Don’t let the premise put you off, there’s certainly a hidden gem to be found here.
Book on and watch all these movies when they're releases with a Cineworld Unlimited membership, costing the equivalent of just two cinema tickets per month.
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