Lou Thomas

Lou is Digital Production Editor of bfi.org.uk. He also writes for publications including Sight and Sound, Empire, Time Out and NME, is a member of the London Critics’ Circle and can be found on X as @London_Lou

All articles by Lou Thomas

Interviews

“Friedkin saw American Animals and summoned me to lunch”: Bart Layton on his LA heist thriller Crime 101

Director Bart Layton speaks to us about revisiting LA crime cinema in his tense, atmospheric adaptation of Don Winslow’s Crime 101 – a heist thriller that probes identity, surveillance and the pressures of a city defined by status.

By Lou Thomas

“Friedkin saw American Animals and summoned me to lunch”: Bart Layton on his LA heist thriller Crime 101

Interviews

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

By Lou Thomas

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

Interviews

Nia DaCosta on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: “This whole movie is a tonal tightrope walk”

By Lou Thomas

Nia DaCosta on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple: “This whole movie is a tonal tightrope walk”

Interviews

“This one is a little more gothic horror”: Josh O’Connor and Rian Johnson on Wake Up Dead Man

By Lou Thomas

“This one is a little more gothic horror”: Josh O’Connor and Rian Johnson on Wake Up Dead Man

Interviews

Rob Reiner: how we made This Is Spinal Tap

By Lou Thomas

Rob Reiner: how we made This Is Spinal Tap

Interviews

Jennifer Lawrence on Die My Love: “I found the ferocity and the wildness so exciting”

By Lou Thomas

Jennifer Lawrence on Die My Love: “I found the ferocity and the wildness so exciting”

Interviews

Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac on Frankenstein: “Guillermo has dedicated his entire being to cinema and to dreams”

By Lou Thomas

Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac on Frankenstein: “Guillermo has dedicated his entire being to cinema and to dreams”

Interviews

“We get to dive into humanity’s difficulties like weird soul explorers”: Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield on After the Hunt

By Lou Thomas

“We get to dive into humanity’s difficulties like weird soul explorers”: Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield on After the Hunt

Interviews

Nadia Falls on Brides: “It’s about those ride-or-die best friends that you have as a teenager”

By Lou Thomas

Nadia Falls on Brides: “It’s about those ride-or-die best friends that you have as a teenager”

Interviews

“Stephen King’s work comes from a very wise understanding of the experience of being alive”: Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor on The Life of Chuck

By Lou Thomas

“Stephen King’s work comes from a very wise understanding of the experience of being alive”: Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor on The Life of Chuck

Interviews

“Hollywood has been very timid these days”: Terry Gilliam on his 50-year directing career

By Lou Thomas

“Hollywood has been very timid these days”: Terry Gilliam on his 50-year directing career

Interviews

“You can only truly tell stories if they’re in your skin”: Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Fiona Shaw on Hot Milk

By Lou Thomas

“You can only truly tell stories if they’re in your skin”: Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Fiona Shaw on Hot Milk

Interviews

From Top Gun to F1: Jerry Bruckheimer on 40 years as Hollywood’s blockbuster producer

By Lou Thomas

From Top Gun to F1: Jerry Bruckheimer on 40 years as Hollywood’s blockbuster producer

Discoveries

13 discoveries from Cannes 2025

By John Bleasdale, Thomas Flew and others

13 discoveries from Cannes 2025

Interviews

“We’re recreating the devil’s music”: composer Ludwig Göransson on Sinners

By Lou Thomas

“We’re recreating the devil’s music”: composer Ludwig Göransson on Sinners

Interviews

Night Stage: Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon on their public-sex thriller

By Lou Thomas

Night Stage: Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon on their public-sex thriller

Discoveries

5 discoveries from Berlin Film Festival 2025

By Joseph Fahim, Savina Petkova and others

5 discoveries from Berlin Film Festival 2025

Interviews

Guy Pearce on The Brutalist: “It’s about an artist trying to stay uncompromising”

By Lou Thomas

Guy Pearce on The Brutalist: “It’s about an artist trying to stay uncompromising”

Interviews

Leigh Whannell on Wolf Man: “It’s not just about infection, it’s about feeling like you’re failing at parenting”

By Lou Thomas

Leigh Whannell on Wolf Man: “It’s not just about infection, it’s about feeling like you’re failing at parenting”

Interviews

“Florence gave birth eight times that day”: John Crowley on his multiple timeline romcom We Live in Time

By Lou Thomas

“Florence gave birth eight times that day”: John Crowley on his multiple timeline romcom We Live in Time

Festivals

Best of Baltic at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024

By Lou Thomas

Best of Baltic at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024

Interviews

Bill Nighy on his IVF origin story Joy: “This was an opportunity to put a bomb under the male tendency to bewilderingly underestimate women”

By Lou Thomas

Bill Nighy on his IVF origin story Joy: “This was an opportunity to put a bomb under the male tendency to bewilderingly underestimate women”

One per year

A great action film for every year, 1924 to now

By Henry Barnes, Anton Bitel and others

A great action film for every year, 1924 to now

Interviews

“I went in without any preconceived notions of sex work”: Mikey Madison on Anora

By Lou Thomas

“I went in without any preconceived notions of sex work”: Mikey Madison on Anora

Interviews

Clio Barnard on directing Sherwood series 2: “The thing that television can do is create a national conversation”

By Lou Thomas

Clio Barnard on directing Sherwood series 2: “The thing that television can do is create a national conversation”

Interviews

Lee Isaac Chung on directing Twisters: “I had to pitch to Steven Spielberg to try to get this job”

By Lou Thomas

Lee Isaac Chung on directing Twisters: “I had to pitch to Steven Spielberg to try to get this job”

Interviews

Ti West on MaXXXine: “Part of the charm of the trilogy is to embrace the artifice of Hollywood”

By Lou Thomas

Ti West on MaXXXine: “Part of the charm of the trilogy is to embrace the artifice of Hollywood”

Interviews

”The golden age of motorcycles and that life is now gone”: Jeff Nichols on his biker subculture movie The Bikeriders

By Lou Thomas

”The golden age of motorcycles and that life is now gone”: Jeff Nichols on his biker subculture movie The Bikeriders

Festivals

The Surfer: a compelling addition to the Cage rage canon

By Lou Thomas

The Surfer: a compelling addition to the Cage rage canon

Interviews

“Bollywood and the police are so entwined”: Sandhya Suri on her tense policing thriller Santosh

By Lou Thomas

“Bollywood and the police are so entwined”: Sandhya Suri on her tense policing thriller Santosh