In a couple of weeks time, the Dutch city of Leiden will play host for the 21st edition of the Leiden International Film Festival (LIFF). With more than 100 movies playing over eleven days, it’s one of the key dates in the Benelux film calendar, and this year’s programme is perhaps its strongest to date. Between 8 and 18 October, some of this year’s most anticipated new releases will receive their Dutch premieres at LIFF, including Primetime and Wild Horse Nine, both of which are heavily tipped for success at the Academy Awards next year. The rest of the film line-up is incredibly eclectic, from indie shorts and foreign language features to promising mid-budget films and…Wile E. Coyote? Today we’ve picked out five movies we can’t wait to see at LIFF this year. Head here to get your tickets.
PRIMETIME
It’s safe to say that Primetime is the most anticipated film of the year, starring shapeshifter Robert Pattinson as the infamous Chris Hansen. Back in the mid-2000s, Hansen hosted the programme To Catch a Predator, setting up stings to entrap pedophiles before handing them over to the police. It was one of the biggest shows of its time, but it came under fire for a multitude of reasons, muddying the waters of morality by doing a good thing (catching pedophiles) but turning it into entertainment. It all came to a head when one man killed himself, and it’s the story of this man which served as the basis for Primetime. Early reviews have described it as the best film of 2026, and Robert Pattinson’s strongest performance to date. It’s surreal, it’s intense and it’s visceral. You see how this looks, right?
THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK
It’s been a busy few years for John Turturro, having seen something of a career resurgence following his appearance in hit show Severance. While the world waits with baited breath for its third season, Turturro has gone on to star as pickpocket Harry Lehman, a veteran petty thief who struggles to adapt to modern technology. As he steals and subsequently loses a valuable item belonging to a member of the mafia, Harry has to use his old school skills to solve new world problems, and the result has been described as both thrilling and endearing. There’s an all-star cast involved, with Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi and Jamie Lee Curtis all featuring.
COYOTE VS ACME
Remember when we said that Wile E. Coyote would feature at LIFF? We weren’t joking. Leiden will give Coyote vs Acme its Dutch premiere next month, ahead of a cinematic release later this year. It’s a film that almost didn’t get made after Warner tried to shelve it in 2023 for tax write-off purposes. The ensuing public backlash helped get the movie back on the table, and has since been hailed as one of the funniest films of the year. It stars the famous Wile E. Coyote as he attempts to sue ACME for a constant stream of the faulty – and dangerous – products used by himself and other Looney Tunes characters. He hires a personal injury lawyer (Will Forte) to help him fight his case, and the result is nothing short of hilarious. It’s a mix of animation and live action, and within its first month it’s already made back its entire budget, and then some.
CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN’
The true story behind California Schemin’ is one hell of a ride, so it’s fantastic to see it be turned into a feature film for James McAvoy’s directorial debut. It tells the story of rap duo Silibil N’ Brains, a pair of Scottish lads who successfully duped the music industry into thinking they were from the United States so that people would take them seriously. California Schemin’ shows us the lengths the pair went to in order to “make it”, as well as the emotional and physical toll it had on them as they worked harder and harder to conceal their secret. It’s set to be an exhilarating watch, with Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross in the lead roles.
WILD HORSE NINE
If you’ve been to the cinema in the last few months, chances are you’ve probably seen the trailer for Wild Horse Nine, the new film from Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges, Three Billboards). Two CIA operatives in Chile are sent to Easter Island, where their personal and professional relationships are put to the test in more ways than one as they become entangled in a situation neither wants to be in. John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell are our lead pair in this film, which has been described as one of McDonagh’s best and also seen Malkovich tipped for a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars. Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey and Tom Waits also feature in this action packed black comedy thriller.
