What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 8th October 2026.

The 70th annual British Film Institute London Film Festival this year runs for twelve days from Wednesday 7th October through until Sunday 18th October, in the English capital city of London. Founded in 1957 the festival runs for two weeks every October, and showcases over 240 feature length films and 150 shorts films across various sections, multiple strands, and a number of competitions. The festival presents the opportunity to view the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling, and the chance to delight in the undiscovered, as all feature films and series are being shown in the UK for the first (and sometimes the only) time. Films are screened at various venues around London including BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall and the Institute of Contemporary Arts. 

This years Opening Night Gala film presentation is 'Elsinor' from the UK and this biographical drama film is Directed by Simon Stone. Andrew Scott is a towering presence in this singular account of Scottish Actor Ian Charleson’s life, capturing the moment when he faced his own mortality as he prepared to play Hamlet at the Royal National Theatre in the final months of his life, and the odds he faced in preparing for and performing the role while seriously ill from AIDS. Also starring Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Mullan and Luke Thompson. The Closing Night Gala film screening is 'The Debut' from the USA and this musical comedy film is Written Co-Produced, Directed and also stars Jesse Eisenberg. It also stars Julianne Moore as as shy and retiring New Jersey housewife Mona Friedman, who auditions for a part in a fictional musical ('Nosy Neighbours') run by the strong-willed and enigmatic Director Jerry Blankenbuehler (Paul Giamatti). Also starring Halle Bailey.

The BFI London Film Festival Awards are a celebration of the most innovative new films and showcase an incredible range of talent from across the world. There are four competitive sections - the Official Competition for the Best Film Award recognising inspiring, inventive and distinctive filmmaking; the First Feature Competition for the Sutherland Award recognising the most original and imaginative Directorial debut; the Documentary Competition for the Grierson Award recognising feature length documentaries with integrity, originality and social or cultural significance; and the Short Film Competition recognising short-form works with a unique cinematic voice. Vying for the Best Film Award under the Official Competition heading, are the following titles, summarised in brief as below :-

* '7 Miles Out' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Carol Morley, and is an adaption of her semi-autobiographical eponymous novel of the same name. The film follows Anne Westbourne (Lucy Halliday), who, after losing her father in tragic circumstances, finds solace and trouble in the Manchester music scene of the 1970's and '80's. Also starring Aidan Gillen, Gemma Whelan and Clare Grogan. World Premiere.

* 'Act 3' - from Ireland and the UK and Written and Directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor. Molloy and Lawlor engage in a witty and moving conversation that explores family history and their latest project, a film about groundbreaking artists Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. As they analyse this decades-long relationship, they identify parallels between these two artists and their own lives.

* 'The Difficult Bride' - from France, Bangladesh, Portugal, Norway and Germany, and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rubaiyat Hossain. Zaineen (Zaineen Chowdhury Karim) is very excited about her upcoming wedding. But she soon bristles under the many planned makeovers intended to make her thinner, fairer, sleeker and more bride-like. Resistance takes root in her body and she experiences strange changes and omens.

* 'Glaxo' - from Brazil and Argentina and Co-Written and Directed by Benjamin Naishtat. Four young men in the provincial Argentine city of Chivilcoy find their lives disrupted when a retired Police Officer and his glamorous young wife move into the area. Add two visiting American Mormons into the mix, along with a volatile political situation, and tensions soon escalate.

* 'The Idiot(s)' - from Germany and Poland and Co-Written and Directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, and is based on the novel 'The Gambler Wife : A True Story of Love, Risk and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky' by Andrew D. Kaufman. Anna Dostoevsky (Aimee Lou Wood) loves her husband Fyodor (Johnny Flynn). Fyodor loves his wife, but he also loves gambling and booze. Living in self-imposed exile in Germany, Fyodor’s biggest obstacle to creative progress is himself. Anna tries desperately to rid him of his procrastination so he can deliver a new novel and they can avoid destitution. Also starring Vicky Krieps. 

* 'Imperium' - from Germany, France, Italy and Lithuania and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Sergei Loznitsa. The film follows a visual journey across the Soviet Union, built entirely from archival footage shot between 1970 and 1973, and shifts into territories where different traits, beliefs and ethnographic features emerge, revealing the powerful grip of an empire over its people.

* 'Kettice' - from Italy, and Written and Directed by Giovanni Tortorici. Giulio (Salvatore Gallina), a dissatisfied sixteen-year-old, drifts through life with no enthusiasm for his education or his future, much to his family’s dismay, particularly his endlessly frustrated mother (Monica Bellucci).

* 'Look Back' - from Japan and Written, Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Aspiring manga artist Fujino (Natsuki Deguchi) meets Kymoto (Aju Makita), a shy admirer of her work. Seemingly opposites, they create the perfect team with their shared love of the form. But as their work draws praise and attention, they find themselves confronted with decisions that threaten their artistic collaboration.

* 'My Notes on Mars' - from Hungary and Austria and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lili Horvat. A talented scientist, Margot (Mackenzie Davis) goes missing while hiking with her husband Sam (Rupert Friend). Weeks later, she reappears at the family home, but is not herself; all memories, save for those of her recent research on Mars, have mysteriously disappeared.

* 'Woman Unknown' - from Denmark, Sweden and Latvia, and is Co-Written and Directed by May el-Toukhy. Set in the aftermath of World War II, a young nanny and housemaid, Marie (Mathilde Arcel) prepares to marry her wealthy employer Christian (Carsten Bjornlund), while harbouring a secret.

For the full low down on the other competitive sections being showcased, plus the thematic strands being screened and a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : http://www.whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff

Turning the attention then back on this weeks big screen releases coming to your local Odeon, we launch with a legal thriller in which a Facebook engineer and a Wall Street Journal reporter blow the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets. Then we have a supernatural psychological horror offering where an eight-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity which emerges from her closet. Next up there is a drama film set in rural New Zealand, where a fourteen-year-old girl is caught between her own burgeoning sexual curiosity and acceptance from an older group of girls, and as she delves deeper into rebellion, she starts to leave behind a trail of destruction. This is followed by a documentary in which a filmmaker applies lessons from a Hallmark movie writing workshop to pitch a documentary about concrete. Turning next we have a music concert film from 27th July 1986, where Queen performed at Budapest’s Nepstadion in front of 80,000 ecstatic fans - now beautifully remastered in 4K with a powerful new audio mix. Following on we have a New Zealand documentary that paints a nuanced portrait of Kiwi Tongan rugby union superstar Jonah Lomu, history's youngest All Black, whose legend remains a beacon for Pasifika pride. Then we close out with a pair of animated feature films, the first is a monster fantasy comedy film that follows Stitch Head, a small creature awoken by a Mad Professor in a castle to protect the professor's other creations from the townspeople of Grubbers Nubbin; and then we have a Spanish adventure comedy film that sees Tad, his girlfriend Sara and their three good friends embark on an adventure after Tadeo accidentally unleashes an ancient spell.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the eight latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'THE SOCIAL RECKONING' (Rated M) - this American legal thriller film is Written and Directed by Aaron Sorkin whose prior feature film making credits are 'Molly's Game' in 2017, 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' in 2020, 'Being the Ricardo's' in 2022, as well as being credited as the Writer for such films as 'A Few Good Men', 'The American President', 'The Social Network', 'Moneyball' and 'Steve Jobs'. This film is the sequel to 2010's biographical drama film 'The Social Network' Directed by David Fincher and portrays the founding of the social networking website Facebook, and stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. That film cost US$40M to produce and went on to gross worldwide US$225M.

This film tells the true story of how Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network's most guarded secrets, in his shocking expose 'The Facebook Files'. Also starring Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, Billy Magnussen and Betty Gilpin. The film is released this week too in the US.

'OTHER MOMMY' (Rated MA15+) - is an American supernatural psychological horror film Directed by Rob Savage who made his feature length Directing debut with 'Strings' in 2012, and would follow this up with 'Host' in 2020, 'Dashcam' in 2021 and 'The Boogeyman' in 2023. This film is based on the 2024 novel 'Incidents Around the House' by Josh Malerman. Here, Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) lives in a house with parents experiencing marital stress and starts an unsettling relationship with a paranormal presence coming from her closet. She calls the entity 'Other Mommy' because it looks uncannily like her real mother, Ursula (Jessica Chastain). The entity is not supposed to leave Bela's room, but it eventually breaks that rule, stalks the family, and tries to manipulate Bela into letting it take over her body. Also starring Jay Duplass as Russ, Bela's father and Ursula's husband, and Karen Allen. The film is released Stateside this week too.

'BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY' (Rated MA15+) - this New Zealand drama film is Written and Directed by Paloma Schneideman in her feature film making debut. Set in rural New Zealand in the small beach side town of Omaha in 2006, over one transformative summer, 14 year-old Sid Bookman (Ani Palmer) discovers desire, identity and the internet, as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by. Also starring Noah Taylor and Rain Spencer. The film had its World Premiere screening in the World Dramatic Competition at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. 

'THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE' (Rated M) - is an American documentary film Directed and starring John Wilson in his feature length Directorial debut. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, filmmaker John Wilson attempts to utilise the same commercial formula to create and sell a documentary about the history of concrete. The project evolves into a humorous and philosophical exploration of urbanism, the built environment, and the mundane textures of American life. But his foundation soon begins to crumble, literally and figuratively, as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry. The film had its Premiere showcasing at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, was released Stateside in mid-September, has so far grossed US$1.3M, and has garnered universal critical acclaim.

'QUEEN BUDAPEST' (Rated G) - this concert film is of the performance at the Nepstadion in Budapest, Hungary on 27 July 1986 by the British rock band Queen. It was part of 'The Magic Tour', the band's final tour with their original lead singer Freddie Mercury (who died in late 1991 at the age of 45). Queen were one of the few bands from Western Europe to perform in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, and the film had a limited theatrical release in Eastern Bloc countries in 1987 and 1988. The concert was physically released on VHS and Laserdisc in the UK and Japan in early 1987 under the original title 'Queen Live In Budapest'. The concert was restored in 4K Ultra HD with a new dynamic audio mix in 2026 and will be reissued for its 40th anniversary under the title 'Queen : Budapest'. It is also scheduled for release in cinemas including IMAX on 7th October 2026 followed by 2-CD, DVD, Blu-ray and 3LP Vinyl releases on 30th October.

'LOMU' (Rated PG) - is a New Zealand and UK Co-Produced biographical sports documentary film Directed by Gavin Fitzgerald and Via Mafile'o. Gavin Fitzgerald's previous feature length documentary output are 2017's 'Conor McGregor : Notorious', 2019's 'Liam Gallagher : As It Was' and 2022's 'Million Dollar Pigeons', and Via Mafile'o has Directed her only feature length documentary 'For My Father's Kingdom' in 2019. Here, the Director's offer up an intimate and heartfelt character study about the legendary New Zealand All Black professional rugby union player, Jonah Lomu, tracing his Tongan upbringing, meteoric rise to fame, and the complicated personal and health battles he faced at the pinnacle of world rugby. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in the history of the sport, and as one of the most talented sportsmen of all time. Lomu passed away in late 2015 aged 40 having battled nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disorder that would extinguish his stupendous, record-setting career. The film Premiered on 1st August in Auckland. 

'STITCH HEAD' (Rated PG) - this animated monster fantasy comedy film is an international Co-Production between Germany, Luxembourg, India, and the UK and is Written and Directed by Steve Hudson based on the 2011 graphic novel of the same name by the British author Guy Bass. High above the little town of Grubbers Nubbin looms Castle Grotteskew. Here, in his haphazard laboratory, the maddest of all mad professors (voiced by Rob Brydon) brings his latest monstrous creations to life. Watching, hidden in the shadows, is the professor’s first, long-forgotten creation, Stitch Head (voiced by Asa Butterfield). A tiny, strange-looking fellow made up of bits, pieces, and spare parts, he is quite a sight to behold, with his bald, round head covered in a patchwork of stitches, and mesmerising eyes. Stitch Head splits his time between keeping the castle safe & the other monsters hidden. It is a job he undertakes with care & precision, until one day a tired-looking freak show comes to town, led by its desperate owner Fulbert Freakfinder (voiced by Seth Usdenov). The show is in dire need of a new attraction and when Freakfinder meets humble Stitch Head, he knows he has found his star. The film saw its World Premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in mid-June 2025, was released in the USA in late October last year, in the UK in mid-February this year and only now is it released here in Australia, having garnered mixed or average critical reviews, and so far grossing US$8M from its production budget of US$30M. 

'TAD AND THE MAGIC LAMP' (Rated PG) - is a Spanish animated adventure comedy film that is Directed by Enrique Gato whose previous film making credits in this franchise are the short introductory films 'Tadeo Jones' in 2004 and 'Tadeo Jones and the Basement of Doom' in 2006, which he would follow up with the full length feature films 'Tad, the Lost Explorer' in 2012, then 'Tad the Lost Explorer and the Secret of King Midas' in 2017 and 'Tad the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet' in 2022, with 'Capture the Flag' in between being released in 2015. The plot follows the adventures of Tadeo Jones ([Tad Stones for the English speaking world] and voiced by Oscar Barberan) and Sara (voiced by Michelle Jenner) after they became parents of Oli. They come across the genie in the magic lamp that, upon a wish made by their pal Momia (voiced by Luis Posada), takes them back in time. They are forced to take measures to prevent history from taking a different course and returning home safely. The film was released in its native Spain in late August. 

With eight new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-