What to see at Glasgow Film Festival 2024

Glasgow Film Festival returns from 28^th February to 10^th March 2024 for what’s set to be another exciting edition. Moreover, this year’s festivities mark a special occasion for the festival: not only is it the 20^th anniversary, but 2024 is likewise the 50^th birthday of host venue Glasgow Film Theatre. Festival goers can therefore expect to celebrate GFF24 in style, with 12 days packed with exciting premieres from upcoming filmmakers, special screenings of classic films and star-studded special guests in attendance.

Featuring films from 44 countries, with a special focus on films from the Czech Republic, 11 world and international premieres and the return of FrightFest, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste in this year’s line-up. With so many films to choose from, here is a selection of our top picks at GFF24.

Love Lies Bleeding 

This year’s festival opens with Love Lies Bleeding. The second feature film from British filmmaker Rose Glass, following the critically acclaimed thriller Saint Maud, sees Kristen Stewart star as gym manager Lou who falls for bodybuilder Jackie (Katie O’Brien). The pair strike up a romance, but their relationship is put in danger when the pair get caught up in the criminal activities of Lou’s family. Also featuring Ed Harris as Lou’s menacing father, Love Lies Bleeding is set to be a stylish and hard-hitting thriller set in small-town America.

La Chimera 

The Crown’s Josh O’Connor plays Arthur, a dishevelled former archaeologist scholar adrift in Tuscany. While mourning a lost love, Arthur’s supernatural talent for graverobbing sees him join a gang of thieves in search of rare relics. Helmed by Alice Rohrwacher, La Chimera is a daring and joyous film that blends adventure, romance, magical realism and fourth-wall-breaking humour into a delightful concoction, which tenderly examines themes of loss. Complete with superb performances from O’Connor and the rest of the cast, La Chimera is one of the festival’s unmissable additions.

The Teachers’ Lounge

Germany’s Academy Award entry for Best International Feature film, lker Çatak’s The Teachers’ Lounge is a nail-biting drama that centres around idealistic teacher Carla (Leonie Benesch). When a young child is unfairly targeted following some school thefts, Carla takes it upon herself to find the real thief. However, her unconventional detective methods and the complicated nature of the situation she finds herself in lead to heated confrontations with both colleagues and parents. With the tension never letting up, Çatak’s uncompromising drama will leave viewers on the edge of their seats throughout.

Tummy Monster 

The feature debut from Glasgow-based filmmaker Ciaran Lyon comes Tummy Monster. A darkly comedic psychological thriller, this film stars Lorn MacDonald (Beats) as an egotistical tattoo artist who wants to prove that he’s a big deal. He gets his opportunity when a pop star (Orlando Norman) arrives at his shop one night. However, when his request for a selfie with the singer is declined, the pair find themselves in a battle of wills with each other. Described as a bizarre and hallucinogenic dark comedy, Tummy Monster is a delightfully strange offering from remarkable Scottish talent.

The Dead Don’t Hurt 

Written and directed by and starring screen legend Viggo Mortensen, The Dead Don’t Hurt is an epic romantic Western that had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival. The plot sees the strongly independent Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) fall in love with Danish immigrant Holger (Mortensen). After moving to Nevada as the Civil War hangs overhead, Holger decides to fight for the Union and Vivienne is left with to deal with threats back home. Driven by powerhouse performances from Krieps and Mortensen, The Dead Don’t Hurt is an elegant and refreshing take on the Western genre.

Woken 

Erin Kellyman (Solo: A Star Wars Story) plays a pregnant woman named Anna who wakes up on an island with no memory of anyone she’s living with in the UK premiere of sci-fi thriller Woken. Set in the near future, the stakes are further raised in Alan Friel’s gripping thriller when new arrivals on the island spark violence. Anna begins to question everything she thinks she knows while fighting for the survival of both her and her unborn baby.

Riddle of Fire

 A charming childhood adventure reminiscent of The Goonies, Weston Razooli’s Riddle of Fire is a nostalgic throwback that sees three kids embark on an epic adventure. After the trio’s plans to play a video game are derailed, they strike a deal with their sickly mother that sees them head into the forest in a quest to find a speckled egg. What follows is a playful, fairy tale-like outing that sees the children get up to mischief and find themselves in perilous situations, one of which involves them taking on an antagonistic group known as The Enchanted Blade Gang.

Edge of Summer

One of the selection of films to get their world premiere at GFF, Edge of Summer is the feature debut of award-winning British filmmaker Lucy Cohen. The film sees youngster Evie (newcomer Flora Hylton) travel to Cornwall with her mother (Josie Walker). She soon befriends a local boy named Adam (fellow newcomer Joel Sefton-Iongi). However, things take a sudden dark turn when the pair make a shocking discovery while exploring a tin mine. What they discover changes everything as they start to question everything their parents have been telling them.

All You Need is Death 

Glasgow Film Festival wouldn’t be complete without the fan favourite FrightFrest strand. Featuring a handful of carefully selected horror flicks from around the world for a terrifying weekend. One of the notable picks this year is All You Need is Death. A bone-chilling folk horror that takes a page from the early works of Ben Wheatley, this film (written and directed by Irish filmmaker Paul Duane) sees a couple (Simone Collins and Charlie Maher) join forces with a music professor as they search for a mysterious song that hasn’t been heard before. However, this ballad may hold the key to truths that should have stayed forgotten.

Mother, Couch 

Ewan McGregor stars alongside Ellen Burstyn and Rhys Ifans in Niclas Larsson’s mind-bending surreal comedy Mother, Couch. McGregor plays David, a family man who has a terrible day when he enters a furniture shop with his mum (Burstyn). However, when she sits on a couch and refuses to get back up his day only becomes increasingly more absurd. Channelling elements of Charlie Kaufman and combining the bonkers premise with a touching emotional core (made all the better by strong performances), Mother, Couch is one of this year’s hidden gems.

Andrew Murray

Glasgow Film Festival takes place from 28^th February to 10^th March 2024. For more information, visit their website here.