In October 2023, Escape Film Club attended BFI's London Film Festival to experience the most exciting upcoming independent and major releases. Here's our ranked list of every film we saw at the 2023 festival and links to our full reviews. List and reviews by Jack Aling.
30) OCCUPIED CITY
A haunting account of past lives, this interactive tour of Amsterdam's WWII past is hard-hitting but loses its impact over its lengthy runtime.
29) FERRARI
A distinguished name and impressive cast cannot save this strenuous biopic resulting in a jarring final product.
28) GIRL
Set to a beautifully harmonic score and drenched in rich purple light this touching drama makes for a powerful debut.
27) TIGER STRIPES
Slowly transforming from a coming of age film to a gleeful body horror, Tiger Stripes goes all in to this playful puberty metaphor.
26) EVIL DOES NOT EXIST
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's methodical drama shows a slower gentle pace of life which ends up becoming the film's greatest strength and most notable weakness.
25) ONE LIFE
An undeniably powerful story matched with effective dual performances, One Life holds onto its emotional core but perhaps too tight as the film feels very safe and conservative.
24) PARADISE IS BURNING
Mika Gustafson's unique coming-of-age film is packed with debut performances whose innocence brings a sense of realism to the central sisterly bond, encapsulating the chaos of youth.
23) EILEEN
A blossoming romance slowly dissolves into something much more sinister as Eileen becomes a film that should be experienced knowing as little as possible.
22) THE BOOK OF SOLUTIONS
Looking at the horrors of war from a chillingly different perspective - what makes this film so horrifying is the very lack of horror itself.
21) THE BIKERIDERS
Boasts an impressive cast yet fails to do anything worthy with them, fizzling out once the novelty of the roaring engines wears off.
20) MAY DECEMBER
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore battle for the spotlight but it's Charles Melton grabs the top spot in this unexpected melodrama.
19) THE NATURE OF LOVE
Monia Chokri's style of filmmaking perfectly pairs with the contained chaos with erratic camerawork, movement and zooms that feel just as energetic and dream-like as Sophia's journey.
18) NYAD
Hitting all of the expected beats of an underdog tale, overflowing with determination, acting as a shining example of how age shouldn't be a barrier to ambition.
17) HOARD
Saura Lightfoot Leon and Joseph Quinn deliver an unrelenting look at the hereditary impact of mental health and grief in a bold debut that tightens its grip on audiences.
16) THE END WE START FROM
It's refreshing to see an independent British production with such an ambitious scale creating a film that builds tension through the fear of the unknown.
15) CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET
An inventive and thrilling adventure with large shoes to fill but its lean towards the modern takes some of the shine out of what made the original so special.
14) MENUS PLAISIRS - LES TROISGROS
Delivers a VIP fly on the wall experience like no other, the only thing missing is world-class food and wine that's price tag will make your eyes water.
13) THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Looking at the horrors of war from a chillingly different perspective - what makes this film so horrifying is the very lack of horror itself.
12) THE BOY AND THE HERON
Hayao Miyazaki makes his grand return for another dose of stunning Ghibli artistry that delivers beautiful animation with an ambitious narrative.
11) PRISCILLA
Cailee Spaeny gives a career-defining performance, attempting to hold on to her innocence as she is swept up in the hurricane of Elvis Presley's life.
10) MAESTRO
The life of Leonard Bernstein is triumphantly brought to the screen by Bradley Cooper, but it's Carey Mulligan who steals the show.
9) THE KILLER
David Fincher returns with a brutal thriller with precise attention to detail that rests on the shoulders of a mesmerising Michael Fassbender.
8) SALTBURN
A dark twisted fantasy, Saltburn sets its sights to shock and appal in this sleek, sophisticated and stylish drama.
7) THE BOOK OF CLARENCE
Lakeith Stanfield leads this remix of the Old Testament with a fantastic soundtrack and distinctive visual style to match.
6) THE HOLDOVERS
Funny and empathetic, The Holdovers could easily become a festive favourite if someone in the UK didn't have the smart idea to release it in mid-January. Bah humbug.
5) KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
A vast story of greed and corruption crafted by one of cinema's masters brings DiCaprio and De Niro together in a colossal undertaking with flawless execution.
4) HOW TO HAVE SEX
One of the strongest debuts in years, crafted with the attention it deserves with a beautifully authentic performance by Mia McKenna-Bruce.
3) POOR THINGS
Underneath the bizarre aesthetic and shocking moments that leave you in disbelief, there is a touching tale that explores acceptance in a world that doesn't make sense.
2) HIT MAN
Reviving the screwball comedy, Hit Man overflows with charm fuelled by a magnetic lead performance by Glen Powell.
1) ALL OF US STRANGERS
A stunning and therapeutic film that is a reflection and exploration of self, grief and sexuality with a gut-wrenching central performance by Andrew Scott.
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