On Falling

On Falling
Film poster
Directed byLaura Carreira
Written byLaura Carreira
Produced by
  • Jack Thomas-O'Brien
  • Mário Patrocínio
StarringJoana Santos
CinematographyKarl Kürten
Edited byHelle Le Fevre
Music byJoshua Sabin
Production
companies
  • Sixteen Films
  • Bro Cinema
Distributed by
  • Conic (uk)
  • NOS Audiovisuais (pt)
Release dates
  • 6 September 2024 (2024-09-06) (TIFF)
  • 7 March 2025 (2025-03-07) (United Kingdom)
  • 27 March 2025 (2025-03-27) (Portugal)
Running time
104 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • Portugal
Languages
  • English
  • Portuguese
Box office$181,376

On Falling is a 2024 social realist drama film, written and directed by Laura Carreira [pt] and starring Joana Santos. A British-Portuguese co-production, the film is Carreira's debut feature.

It had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, also screening at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival, where Carreira won the Silver Shell for Best Director. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom and Portugal, respectively on 7 March 2025 and 27 March 2025. Santos won the Sophia Award for Best Actress for her leading role in the film.

Plot

Set in Scotland, the plot follows the plight of Portuguese immigrant and warehouse worker Aurora, trapped in a life governed by wage slavery and social isolation and its repercussions, leading to her emotional breakdown.

Cast

Production

The film is a British-Portuguese co-production by Sixteen Films and Bro Cinema, and it had support from BFI, BBC Film, Screen Scotland and ICA [pt]. It was the feature film debut for Carreira, previously known for her shorts The Shift and Red Hill.

Release

On Falling had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival as part of its Discovery programme. It was presented at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on 24 September 2024, in competition for the Golden Shell; Carreira took the award for Best Director (ex-aequo) at the festival. It featured in the First Feature Competition of the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. where it was awarded the Sutherland prize for Best First Feature.

Conic acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights, and released it theatrically on 7 March 2025. It opened in Portuguese theatres on 27 March 2025. It also landed a distributor in the Benelux (Vedette), former Yugoslavia (MCF), Greece (Cinobo), Middle East (Teleview), Spain (Vértigo, which scheduled a 19 September 2025 theatrical release date), and Switzerland (Frenetic).

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a very impressive debut".

Matthew Joseph Jenner of International Cinephile Society rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, writing that it "conveys a very clear message and delivers it with genuine affection and attention to detail, which is important for a story that carries such resonance".

Fionnuala Halligan of ScreenDaily pointed out how the film grows to become "an intense, enveloping experience".

Sophie Monks Kaufman of IndieWire gave the film an 'A-' rating, deeming it to be "far better than anything living-political-legend Loach made during the final innings of his career".

David Katz of Cineuropa declared the film "laudably a protest film clamouring for a better way of life, but it still evokes a story's first act mistaken for a whole feature".

Accolades

Team of On Falling attending the 40th Goya Awards.
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
San Sebastián International Film Festival 28 September 2024 Golden Shell On Falling Nominated
RTVE-Another Look Award – Special Mention Won
Silver Shell for Best Director Laura Carreira Won
BFI London Film Festival 20 October 2024 Sutherland Award for Best First Feature On Falling Won
BAFTA Scotland Awards 16 November 2025 Best Feature FilmWon
Best Writer (Film/Television)Laura CarreiraWon
British Independent Film Awards 30 November 2025 Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) Nominated
Best Debut Screenwriter Nominated
European Film Awards 17 January 2026 European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI On Falling Won
Goya Awards 28 February 2026 Best European FilmNominated
Sophia Awards 15 May 2026 Best FilmOn FallingNominated
Best DirectorLaura CarreiraNominated
Best Original ScreenplayLaura CarreiraNominated
Best ActressJoana SantosWon
Best EditingHelle Le FevreNominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "On Falling". TIFF. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  2. ↑ "On Falling". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Katz, David (11 September 2024). "Review: On Falling". Cineuropa.
  4. ↑ Tabbara, Mona (14 February 2024). "Goodfellas adds Laura Carreira's 'On Falling' To EFM line-up (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
  5. ↑ Ntim, Zac (5 September 2024). "Laura Carreira & Jack Thomas-O'Brien On The Strong Collaboration Behind Their Political TIFF Debut 'On Falling'". Deadline Hollywood.
  6. ↑ "La directora portuguesa Laura Carreira presenta 'On Falling': "¿Cuál es el coste de vivir de esta manera?"". Europa Press. 24 September 2024.
  7. ↑ Szalai, Georg (4 September 2024). "London Film Fest Unveils Full Program, Including Doc and First Feature Competition Lineups, Series". The Hollywood Reporter.
  8. 1 2 Dalton, Ben (17 October 2024). "Laura Carreira's 'On Falling' sells to key territories including UK-Ireland (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
  9. ↑ Billington, Alex (17 February 2025). "New Trailer for 'On Falling' Film - About Loneliness in the Gig Economy | FirstShowing.net". www.firstshowing.net. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  10. ↑ Antunes, Nuno (11 December 2025). ""On Falling", de Laura Carreira, na lista dos melhores filmes do ano da revista Sight & Sound". Sapo (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Partearroyo, Daniel de (17 September 2025). "Crítica de 'On Falling': Laura Carreira retrata con naturalidad a una generación destinada a caer". Cinemanía.
  12. ↑ "On Falling". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (24 September 2024). "On Falling review – the strip mining of an online warehouse worker's sanity". The Guardian.
  14. ↑ "Toronto 2024 review: On Falling (Laura Carreira)". International Cinephile Society. 9 September 2024.
  15. ↑ Halligan, Fionnuala (23 September 2024). "'On Falling': San Sebastian Review". ScreenDaily.
  16. ↑ Kaufman, Sophie Monks (6 September 2024). "'On Falling' Review: A Quietly Devastating Debut Introduces an Emotionally Sophisticated New Master of Social Realism". IndieWire.
  17. ↑ Lodge, Guy (28 September 2024). "San Sebastián Film Festival Award Winners (Updating Live)". Variety.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Nick. "San Sebastián Announces Their Competition Slate!". The Film Experience. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Todos los ganadores del Festival de San Sebastián 2024". Escribiendo Cine. 28 September 2024.
  20. ↑ Bakare, Lanre (20 October 2024). "'Emotionally resonant' animation wins top prize at London film festival". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  22. ↑ Parfitt, Orlando (17 November 2025). "'The Outrun', 'On Falling' lead winners at 2025 Bafta Scotland awards". ScreenDaily.
  23. ↑ Ritman, Alex (30 November 2025). "British Independent Film Awards: BDSM Romance 'Pillion' Claims Top Honor, 'My Father's Shadow' Wins Best Director". Variety. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  24. ↑ Pond, Steve (17 January 2026). "'Sentimental Value' Dominates European Film Awards". The Wrap.
  25. ↑ Cabeza, Elisabet (13 January 2026). "'Sundays', 'Sirât' lead 40th Goya Awards nominations". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Teixeira, Bruno (16 May 2026). "Os vencedores dos Prémios Sophia 2026". Magazine HD (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 7 June 2026.