Twelve standout films explore grief, identity and difficult choices at London festival
The article previews 12 films chosen by a critic as highlights of the 2026 London Film Festival. The selection spans historical drama, social realism, comedy and horror, with stories about illness, grief, identity and the choices people face.
Among the films described are a drama about Ian Charleson taking on Hamlet while gravely ill with Aids, Carol Morley’s autobiographical story set amid Manchester’s music scene, and Clio Barnard’s portrait of young adults in Birmingham. Other picks include a post-war story about Thomas and Erika Mann, a school trip to Pompeii, Andrew Haigh’s adaptation of a Colm Tóibín story, and Isabelle Huppert as a vampire in modern Vienna. The supplied article text ends part-way through its description of another film.
- A critic selects 12 films to watch at the 2026 London Film Festival.
- The picks range from Ian Charleson’s Hamlet to a vampire in Vienna.
- British stories explore music, grief and life choices.
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The London Film Festival is one of Britain's annual cultural events, showcasing films from around the world. A film critic has selected twelve films from this year's festival as highlights, offering recommendations for audiences to explore.
These films explore themes of grief, personal identity and the difficult choices people face in life. The selection spans different genres and storytelling styles, from historical dramas about real people dealing with illness, to contemporary stories of young adults, alongside fantasy and horror. Together they illustrate the range of cinema on offer at the festival.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Hamlet’s goodbye, the last of Leigh, Birmingham blues and a vampire in Vienna: 12 great films at the London film festival”.