Onwards and Sideways review: Linney and Ifans praised in The Hollywood Reporter

Review

THR: Performances and script lift a familiar premise

In its review, The Hollywood Reporter observed that Onwards and Sideways navigates the familiar dramatic territory of progressive illness without becoming overly formulaic. The outlet credited Paul Mayhew-Archer’s script—described as autobiographical and informed by his own experience of Parkinson’s since 2011—with supplying ‘‘irreverence and vitality,’’ and said that Linney and Ifans bring depth to their roles in ways that keep the story engaging even when its arc is predictable. The publication highlighted the film’s balance of humour and darker moments, crediting the leads for making the emotional weight of the material resonate.

Performances

Ifans and Linney named standouts in portrayal of two very different responses to diagnosis

The Hollywood Reporter details the characters the two leads play: Rhys Ifans plays Tony, a widowed primary school teacher whose symptoms first show as a drooping right hand; Laura Linney plays Emma, an American composer who meets him at the clinic after receiving the same diagnosis. Ifans’s performance was described as ‘‘achingly thoughtful’’ as the character’s realisation of his condition registers subtly, while Linney’s Emma is portrayed as outgoing and defiant — introducing herself jokingly as ‘‘Emma with the tremma’’ — but also confronting worsening capability and an impulse-control issue linked to medication. The review also notes supporting turns from Rory Kinnear and Monica Dolan.

Creative team

Madden’s light touch and Mayhew-Archer’s lived experience shape the film

The Hollywood Reporter praised director John Madden for an unforced approach that lets performances and character moments breathe, saying the film ‘‘never permits the disease to hijack the life of the film.’’ The review points to Mayhew-Archer’s firsthand perspective as a valuable influence on the tone; THR notes he also appears in the film as a sardonic member of a Parkinson’s ballet class and hosts the podcast Movers and Shakers. The outlet did flag one reservation: an over-reliance on composer Thomas Newman’s score in places where the reviewer felt the material already carried sufficient emotion.

Festival and release

World premiere at Toronto; UK date set, North American distribution still to be secured

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Onwards and Sideways premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The publication reports the British film is scheduled for release in the UK on Nov. 6 and is currently seeking a North American distributor. The review highlights several specific sequences, including harrowing night-terror scenes that depict a recognised symptom of Parkinson’s in which sufferers may act out dreams, as examples of the film’s willingness to confront unsettling aspects alongside its humour.