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Articles by Leoni Horton
A moment that changed me: I was devastated by a breakup – and saved by a sweaty moshpit
Nobody warned me that heartbreak would ruin my relationship with Beyoncé. I had always associated music with the happiest times in my life: going to Glastonbury, seeing Madonna play at Madison Square Garden, singing along to Kylie Minogue's greatest hits on a road trip across Australia. Just over a year ago, after my first real relationship ended unexpectedly, things changed.
A moment that changed me: I was devastated by a breakup – and saved by a sweaty moshpit
On the mend … Leoni Horton in HMV holding the Pop Culture EP by Knocked Loose. Photograph: Courtesy of Leoni Horton Nobody warned me that heartbreak would ruin my relationship with Beyoncé. I had always associated music with the happiest times in my life: going to Glastonbury, seeing Madonna play at Madison Square Garden, singing along to Kylie Minogue’s greatest hits on a road trip across Australia. Just over a year ago, after my first real relationship ended unexpectedly, things changed.
A Long Winter Review (London Film Festival 2026)
Under your parents’ roof, and under the weight of their expectations, it’s difficult to envision who you might become in the future. This struggle is at the heart of Andrew Haigh’s (All of Us Strangers) newest mystery film, A Long Winter. Set against the breathtaking landscape of the Rocky Mountains, the film follows Mikey (Fred Hechinger – Gladiator 2, Thelma) over three long winter months, as the comfortable family life he’s grown used to begins to change.
Misty Green (2026 London Film Festival)
Known for his smart, provocative humour, comedian Chris Rock seems like an unusual candidate to deliver a complex portrait of womanhood. Yet, that’s exactly what he achieves with his newest film, Misty Green. The film follows the life of the titular character Misty Green (Rosalind Eleazar, Slow Horses) over the course of seven days, as she attempts to get her life back on track following her eviction from her former lover’s apartment by his unsympathetic widow.
Everest: The Other Side Review (2026 London Film Festival)
There ain’t no mountain high enough for Jim Morrison, the subject of the latest project from Free Solo’s co-directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi (Nyadd, Love +War). Everest: The Other Side follows Jim and his late wife Hilaree Nelson, as they attempt to climb and ski down Mount Everest from the less-frequented and more dangerous North side.
Faces of Death Review
In 1978, the horror exploitation film Faces of Death satisfied a perverse craving for modern audiences: the desire to see horror so shocking that it might actually be real. Presented as a documentary, the film blurred the border between fact and fiction, splicing together footage of death, violence and grim accidents with staged scenes designed to look disturbingly authentic.
The Last Viking Review
Few contemporary filmmakers blend absurdity and melancholy as well as Anders Thomas Jensen. With The Last Viking (Den sidste viking), Jenson once again returns to the strange emotional territory that has defined his previous films: Adam’s Apples and Riders of Justice. The result is a darkly funny, bizarrely moving film that explores trauma, identity and brotherhood. The story follows Anker (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), who is released from prison after serving a long sentence for armed robbery.
Rebuilding Review (2026 Manchester Film Festival)
Josh O’ Connor can always be found at the scene of the crime, when that crime is a devastatingly beautiful movie. Rebuilding, Max Walker-Silverman’s sophomore feature, is a film asking what can rise from the ashes of loss. Dusty (O’ Connor) is a stoic Colorado cowboy living in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire that has cost him not only the ranch and land which has been in his family for generations, but his entire identity as a man who works the land.
Our Hero, Balthazar (2026 Manchester Film Festival)
If ever there was a movie for our time, it is Our Hero, Balthazar. The film, directed by longtime Safdie Brothers collaborator Oscar Boyson, takes a look at the spectrum of the male loneliness epidemic and revels in the toxicity of social media, gun culture and right-wing grifting. We follow Balthazar (Jaeden Martell, Knives Out), a spoiled New York City rich kid and his social media-addled brain.
Chatlines Review (2026 Manchester Film Festival)
You won’t be able to stop crying your heart out for Chatlines, the newest feature film from Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and Neil Ely. Shot in just five days on a shoestring budget, the Manchester-based film is a queer love story with science fiction pumping through its veins. The film follows two terminally ill men who form an unexpected connection via ‘Chatlines’, an Omegle-style website that pairs strangers for video chats.
Erupcja Review (2026 Manchester Film Festival)
It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl. One woman trying to make sense of the female experience is pop superstar Charli XCX. She made waves after collaborating with her perceived rival Lorde. Their song ‘Girl, so confusing’ allowed the two musicians to work through their differences and examine the industry comparisons, insecurities, and jealousy behind their decade-long feud.
Hamlet Review
Aneil Kari and Riz Ahmed have formed a partnership to rival Scorsese and De Niro. In 2022, they won the Oscar for their short film “The Long Goodbye,” in which the anxieties of British Asian families become manifest. With Hamlet, they reunite for a feature-length project, boldly reimagining one of the most iconic works in British literature. Their adaptation brings a fresh cultural perspective to Shakespeare’s tragedy, reinforcing the timeless and universal nature of the Bard’s themes.
Pillion Review (2025 BFI London Film Festival)
In the immortal words of Rihanna, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me.” Words that embody Pillion, the bold and unapologetically kinky directorial debut of Harry Lighton. An offbeat romantic comedy, exploring the journey of a young man finding his way into the gay BDSM scene. Adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’s novella Box Hill, the film zeroes in on a specific, often overlooked subculture within the queer community.
London Film Festival 2025 - Anemone ★★★★★
Released: 7 November 2025 Director: Ronan Day-Lewis Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley After an eight-year departure from the screen, Daniel Day-Lewis makes his triumphant return to acting with a movie about leaving. Directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, and co-written by the father-son duo, Anemone is an experimental film that takes an unfiltered and simultaneous look at the dual experiences of being the person to leave and being the person left behind.
Silent Friend Review (2025 BFI London Film Festival)
Silent Friend, the latest film from Ildikó Enyedi, attempts to communicate with unknowable life forms. A vast and intricate web of flora and fauna surrounds us so completely that it often fades into the background of daily life. We take it for granted, forgetting that we are not only immersed in this hidden world but entirely dependent on it for survival.
Hamlet Review (2025 BFI London Film Festival)
Aneil Kari and Riz Ahmed have formed a partnership to rival Scorsese and De Niro. In 2022, they won the Oscar for their short film “The Long Goodbye,” in which the anxieties of British Asian families become manifest. With Hamlet, they reunite for a feature-length project, boldly reimagining one of the most iconic works in British literature. Their adaptation brings a fresh cultural perspective to Shakespeare’s tragedy, reinforcing the timeless and universal nature of the Bard’s themes.
Father Mother Brother Sister Review (2025 London Film Festival)
Jim Jarmusch returns to the screen with Father Mother Sister Brother, a contemplative exploration of the unknowable figures we call our parents. The film marks a return to the anthology structure familiar from Jarmusch staples such as Cigarettes & Coffee, Night on Earth, and Mystery Train, with loosely connected characters linked through shared themes and experiences rather than plot.
Time Travel Is Dangerous Review
You never know what you might find in the belly of a vintage shop. The same premise applies to Time Travel is Dangerous, a film offering a straightforward premise: two vintage shop owners stumble upon a time machine in the form of an old dodgem car, and chaos follows. However, in the hands of director Chris Reading, that simple setup unfolds into a funny, unexpectedly touching mockumentary that’s as much about friendship and legacy as it is about sci-fi antics.
Ellis Park Review
Beautiful people do beautiful things. This statement is true for Warren Ellis, the celebrated musician known for his work with The Dirty Three and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. He is the subject of Ellis Park, the latest film and first documentary from director Justin Kurzel.
Americana Review
Once the colossal tentpole of American cinema, the Western has gradually faded into the background of the cinematic landscape, eclipsed by superhero spectacles, franchises, and an endless barrage of remakes and sequels. With his debut feature, Americana, Tony Tost asks if the Western still has a place in modern cinema.
All The Devils Are Here Review
With his debut feature, All the Devils Are Here, Barnaby Roper crafts a familiar atmospheric thriller that offers sleek and stylish surprises. We comfortably slip into the usual tropes and characters of typical British crime thriller fare: guns, money, violence, and choice language.
The Courageous Review
There are endless routes to explore when it comes to the complex experience of motherhood. With her debut feature, The Courageous, Jasmin Gordon crafts an intimate and emotionally charged portrait of a single mother facing a pivotal moment in her life. Jule (Ophélia Kolb) is a single mother of three. We first meet her as she drops off her children—Claire (Jasmine Kalisz Saurer), Loïc (Paul Besnier), and Sami (Arthur Devaux)— at a local restaurant, assuring them she’ll return in five minutes.
Young Mothers Review
With their latest feature, Young Mothers, the Dardenne Brothers once again demonstrate their trademark empathy and gentle eye for social realism. The film follows an ensemble cast of four young women as they navigate the early, precarious stages of motherhood; each one learning to cope with scarred pasts and troubled relationships, which shape their attempts to tackle the unique experience of motherhood.
Futra Days Review
When a relationship ends, it’s natural to look back and try to pinpoint the moment everything went wrong. Futra Days, however, takes the opposite approach — exploring whether the ability to move forward in time could save a relationship before it even begins. The film, directed by Ryan David, is a high-concept science fiction tale set against the gentle hues and pulsating mood of Los Angeles. David wastes no time, throwing us into Sean’s world (Brandon Sklenar, It Ends With Us).
Kinda Pregnant Review
Amy Schumer is well known for creating relatable female characters. Her previous films Trainwreck, I Feel Pretty and Snatched dared tread new ground for female-based comedies, starring women and men who broke the traditional romantic comedy stereotypes. Her last movies each featured genuinely relatable women and circled the real struggle of trying to love your body, job, relationship, and Mother.
The Damned Review
Paranoia takes an icy grip on cinema once again in Thordur Palsson’s The Damned. For his first narrative feature, the Icelandic native writer/director harks back to the 19th century, presenting the blood-curling folklore and occult tales ingrained within his country’s rich history. Odessa Young plays Eva, the new centre of a tiny fishing community isolated upon one of Iceland’s vast and beautifully blue shores.
The Piano Lesson Review
Revered for his profound ability to write about the African American experience, August Wilson is often referred to as the poet of Black America. The Piano Lesson is the third play by the late, acclaimed playwright that Denzel Washington brings to the screen.
London Film Festival 2024 - Harvest ★★★
Released: TBC (London Film Festival) Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari Starring: Caleb Landy Jones, Harry Melling Reviewed By: Leoni Horton Cult arthouse filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari returns with her newest film, Harvest. Based on Jim Crase’s novel of the same name, Harvest is a transgressive folk tale set in the Middle Ages that boldly confirms Tsangari’s style and directorial vision. The film is a strange and unearthly endeavour with dirt caked thickly under its fingernails.
Queer Review
The idea of wrangling William S. Burroughs‘s work into a filmable screenplay is a daunting one. Foundation of the Beat Generation, William Burroughs’s manic experimentations with prose and narrative form resulted in his legacy as a trailblazer of the postmodern novel. David Cronenberg’s unique body horror experimentations lifted Burroughs’s esoteric Naked Lunch from the page, but, ultimately, he struggled to combine his auteurship with Burroughs’s transgressive prose.
A Different Man Review
A Different Man tells a universal tale through a unique set of circumstances. We’re all afraid of being different. This fear of otherness runs deeply through our society, making us strive for beauty and perfection. Yet, when we seek this perfection, we only look skin deep. We’re looking for shortcuts, cures, and easy, get-beautiful-quick weight-loss injections, anti-aging creams, or camera filters that will separate us from the monstrousness of being different.
A Different Man Review
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Digital Review - The Almond And The Seahorse (2024) Original
For an audience, seeing an actor tread into new territory and do something unexpected is often an unexpected delight. For well-known comedic performers, taking on a dramatic role can be a gamble. However, when the gamble pays off, we see audiences shake off expectations and boundaries that can stifle an actor’s potential.
Hit Man (2023) Review
There’s an undeniable star quality to Glen Powell; as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick, Finnegan in Everybody Wants Some, and John Glenn in Hidden Figures, Powell presents an assured all-American charm reminiscent of the early work of actors such as George Clooney and Richard Gere. His cocky smile and magnetic screen presence make him an easy actor to trust and spend time with. Although he pops up here and there in supporting roles, Powell is an actor we are collectively ready to see more from.
The Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Review
Is there any greater betrayal than the betrayal of someone who loves you? This is the central question at the heart of Martin Scorsese’s newest epic, The Killers of the Flower Moon. Starring the renowned director’s long-time and dearly loved collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside Lily Gladstone, The Killers of the Flower Moon is an adaptation of David Grann’s explosive book of the same name.
The Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Review
Is there any greater betrayal than the betrayal of someone who loves you? This is the central question at the heart of Martin Scorsese’s newest epic, The Killers of the Flower Moon. Starring the renowned director’s long-time and dearly loved collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, alongside Lily Gladstone, The Killers of the Flower Moon is an adaptation of David Grann’s explosive book of the same name.
How The Super Mario Bros Movie levels up Princess Peach
Princess Peach is one of the most iconic female characters in video game history. Yet, since her first appearance in 1985, she has earned an unfair reputation as a damsel in distress. Within the Nintendo franchise, Peach has appeared countless times as a helpless victim and prisoner of Mario’s nemesis Bowser.
Aubrey Plaza & Director John Patton Ford Talk Emily The Criminal (The FH Interview)
Cinema’s criminal underbelly is a world typically populated by men. However, writer/director John Patton Ford’s Emily the Criminal challenges this trope, focusing on a young girl backed into crime as she faces looming student loan debts. What’s most remarkable about this perspective is Ford’s characterisation; Emily isn’t a particularly likeable or redeemable character.
Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
FacebookTweetPinLinkedInEmail After a successful journey into English-language cinema, Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths sees Alejandro González Iñárritu return to his Mexican roots for his most experimental and personal piece of work to date. Movies such as Birdman and The Revenant saw Iñárritu experiment with form and perfect his style as a director, earning him Oscar wins and worldwide acclaim.
Interview: Riz Ahmed and Michael Pearce on ‘Encounter’
Leoni Horton talks to Oscar-nominated actor Riz Ahmed and BAFTA-winning filmmaker Michael Pearce about their science-fiction road movie, Encounter. It’s Riz Ahmed’s world, and the rest of us are just living in it.
‘Close Encounter of the Riz kind’ – Encounter (Review)
Blending science-fiction with the classic American road movie, Michael Pearce returns with his sophomore feature, Encounter. Pearce gleaned a wealth of attention from audiences and critics alike following his independent debut feature, Beast, an intense, psychological thriller come romance starring Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn. Encounter is a beast of an entirely different nature: strikingly ambitious and aided by a much bigger budget.
Nitram (2021) LFF Review
Nitram (2021) Director: Justin Kurzel Screenwriter: Shaun Grant Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Anthony LaPaglia, Essie Davis James Baldwin once said: ‘artists are here to disturb the peace.’ If we can say anything of Justin Kurzel as a filmmaker, it is that he lives up to Baldwin’s definition of artistry.
The Power of the Dog (2021 LFF Review)
The Power of the Dog (2021) Director: Jane Campion Screenwriter: Jane Campion Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee What hides under the surface of men? Is masculinity, in the simplistic terms we understand it, equal to power? To answer these questions, Jane Campion takes us to a time when men roamed the earth untamed, the American wild-west.
Spencer (2021) LFF Review
Spencer (2021) Director: Pablo Larraín Screenwriter: Steven Knight Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, Sally Hawkins Following his perversely intricate and dazzlingly innovative tale of America’s favourite first lady Jackie Kennedy, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín delivered Ema, a movie documenting the aftermath of a failed adoption.
Ride the Eagle (2021) Review
Ride the Eagle (2021) Director: Trent O’Donnell Screenwriters: Jake Johnson, Trent O’Donnell Starring: Jake Johnson, Susan Sarandon, D’Arcy Carden, J.K. Simmons Fresh out of the pandemic comes Jake Johnson and Trent O’Donnell’s newest collaboration, Ride The Eagle. The pair, who worked alongside one another on the hit comedy TV series ‘New Girl’ for several years, pieced their project together over the course of lockdown.
REVIEW: We Need to Do Something (2021)
Is there anything more terrifying than being a teenager forced to spend time with your family against your will? With his debut directorial feature, We Need to Do Something, Sean King O’ Grady pushes this idea to the extreme, locking a feuding family of four inside a small, rinky-dink bathroom while a plethora of horrors descends upon the earth just outside of their door.
The Beta Test (2021) EIFF Review
The Beta Test (2021) Directors: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Screenwriters: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Starring: Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcombe, PJ McCabe As a beacon of hope for the independent filmmaking community, there is nobody more suited to the job of exposing Hollywood’s underbelly of odious corporate sucklers than Jim Cummings.
Joel Coen and A24’s "The Tragedy of Macbeth" To Close This Year’s London Film Festival
The 65th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express have announced that this year’s Closing Night Gala will be The Tragedy of Macbeth written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joel Coen, and from Apple Original Films and A24. The film will receive its European Premiere on Sunday 17 October at LFF Gala venue the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with Joel Coen expected to attend.
The Kissing Booth 3 (2021) Review
The Kissing Booth 3 (2021) Director: Vince Marcello Screenwriters: Vince Marcello, Jay S. Arnold Starring: Joey King, Joel Courtney, Jacob Elordi, Stephen Jennings, Molly Ringwald At long last, Vince Marcello’s final instalment of The Kissing Booth trilogy has arrived on Netflix.
"You Want My Soul?" – The Man Who Sold His Skin (EIFF Review)
Not only can your body be a temple, but it can also be a priceless rare artwork. Nominated for Best International Feature alongside the likes of Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round and Jasmila Žbanić’s Quo Vadis, Aida?, The Man Who Sold His Skin by writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania is a provocative look at the Syrian refugee crisis, chocked full of romance, dark humour, political scrutiny, family drama, misery and staggering twists and turns.
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