Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
Joyland
A conservative family in Pakistan is torn apart when a son falls in love with a transgender erotic dancer, in Saim Sadiq’s riveting queer drama.
Director: Saim Sadiq
Overview
Haider (Ali Junejo) is an unemployed married man living in Lahore. Pressured by his fiercely patriarchal father into finding work, he takes a job in an erotic dance theatre, where he encounters Biba (Alina Khan), a dazzling transgender performer. Sadiq’s drama skilfully details the corrosive nature of patriarchy in all aspects of traditional family life, from sons, daughters and wives, and the roles they are expected to play. The result is a distinctive and vibrant visual feast and a deeply moving drama of gender expectations and taboos.
Joyland was the Pakistani entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Academy Awards, and winner at both Cannes and the BFI London Film Festival.
very strong language, strong sex, discrimination, suicideRelated
Les Enfants du paradis Les Enfants du paradis
Drama 1945 190 mins Director: Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné's masterpiece of French cinema portrays the theatrical milieu of Paris' 'Boulevard du Crime'.
A Touch of Zen A Touch of Zen
Action and Adventure 1971 179 mins Director: King Hu
King Hu's epic swordplay saga combines ghost story, martial arts mastery and Buddhist mythology to stunning, hypnotic effect.
Plan 75 Plan 75
Drama 2022 113 mins Director: Chie Hayakawa
Faced with a rapidly ageing population, a government in near-future Japan rolls out an unsettling agenda.
The Edge of the World The Edge of the World
Drama 1937 75 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell's daring, windswept story of the inhabitants of a remote island who find their way of life threatened by a rapidly industrialising world.
Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures
Drama 2023 113 mins Director: Marco Martins and Marco Martins
As Brexit looms on the horizon, hundreds of migrant workers arrive in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth looking for work, in Marco Martins’ damning depiction of immigrant life in a fracturing Britain.
The Night of the 12th The Night of the 12th
Drama 2022 114 mins Director: Dominik Moll
A newly promoted detective is assigned to a young woman’s chilling murder in this deeply arresting crime thriller based on true events.
Ida Ida
Drama 2014 82 mins Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
The Best Film winner at the 2013 BFI London Film Festival is an exquisitely shot, moving drama about a Polish nun exploring her family past, from UK-based director Pawel Pawlikowski.
Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth
Period drama 2017 89 mins Director: William Oldroyd
Florence Pugh shines in this exceptional British debut of a young wife's need for freedom, whatever the cost.
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Drama 2019 109 mins Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
A city-loving teacher struggling for inspiration travels to the most remote school in the world in this quietly majestic Academy Award-nominated drama.
Blue Jean Blue Jean
Drama 2022 97 mins Director: Georgia Oakley
A closeted PE teacher reckons with her identity during Thatcherite Britain in Georgia Oakley’s delicate yet gripping BAFTA-nominated debut.
Leviathan Leviathan
Drama 2014 136 mins Director: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Winner of Best Film at the 2014 London Film Festival, the latest film from Andrey Zvyagintsev (Elena) is a gripping study of corrupt politics in modern Russia.
De Humani Corporis Fabrica De Humani Corporis Fabrica
Documentary 2022 118 mins Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
The psychedelic physicality of this mortal coil – journey into the systems that comprise the human body in this fascinating sensory experience.
Les Enfants du paradis Les Enfants du paradis
Drama 1945 190 mins Director: Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné's masterpiece of French cinema portrays the theatrical milieu of Paris' 'Boulevard du Crime'.
A Touch of Zen A Touch of Zen
Action and Adventure 1971 179 mins Director: King Hu
King Hu's epic swordplay saga combines ghost story, martial arts mastery and Buddhist mythology to stunning, hypnotic effect.
Plan 75 Plan 75
Drama 2022 113 mins Director: Chie Hayakawa
Faced with a rapidly ageing population, a government in near-future Japan rolls out an unsettling agenda.
The Edge of the World The Edge of the World
Drama 1937 75 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell's daring, windswept story of the inhabitants of a remote island who find their way of life threatened by a rapidly industrialising world.
De Humani Corporis Fabrica De Humani Corporis Fabrica
Documentary 2022 118 mins Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
The psychedelic physicality of this mortal coil – journey into the systems that comprise the human body in this fascinating sensory experience.
Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures
Drama 2023 113 mins Director: Marco Martins and Marco Martins
As Brexit looms on the horizon, hundreds of migrant workers arrive in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth looking for work, in Marco Martins’ damning depiction of immigrant life in a fracturing Britain.