John Madden’s Onwards and Sideways is a deeply intimate, powerful, poignant, and resonant exploration of the crippling onset of Parkinson’s disease. It’s a must-see triumph of cinema.
Awards season is right around the corner, and the festival circuit is already brimming with heavyweight contenders vying for those coveted golden statues. Wildwood has cemented its status as a rare gem worthy of a place in the Best Animated Feature race, while John Malkovich has staked his claim on the Best Actor category. But with a treasure trove of emotionally charged performances and cinematic delights competing for supremacy, our attention inevitably turns to the race for Best Picture. This week, however, an outside contender has entered the running, and believe me, it deserves our attention.
Arriving in cinemas tomorrow is Onwards and Sideways, a deeply affecting drama directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Madden. Exploring the devastating onset of Parkinson’s disease and the profound toll it takes on those living with the condition, the film promises an intimate and emotionally resonant experience. Led by the stellar pairing of Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, this moving drama has all the ingredients of a potential awards-season gem. But can Madden capture lightning in a bottle and deliver another slice of cinematic brilliance? Or is Onwards and Sideways destined to find itself watching the awards race from the sidelines?
REVIEW
Fear not, film fans, because John Madden’s Onwards and Sideways is a deeply intimate, powerful, and profoundly moving exploration of the devastating onset of Parkinson’s disease. Armed with a witty yet emotionally weighted screenplay, a magnificent score, and a collection of stellar performances, this is a must-see triumph of cinema. If the film is overlooked come awards season, it would be nothing short of criminal. This is a rare cinematic gem, boasting an emotional hook that grips you from the opening moments and refuses to let go. Led by the extraordinary pairing of Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, and bolstered by wonderful support from Rory Kinnear, this modestly budgeted production soars far beyond the sum of its parts.
Steeped in realism and unapologetically raw in its execution, Onwards and Sideways refuses to shy away from the brutal realities of Parkinson’s disease. Instead, it drags them into the open, exposing the crippling physical and emotional toll with unflinching honesty. This is bold, compassionate filmmaking that confronts a formidable medical adversary while finding hope and solace in the beauty of human connection. What emerges is a profoundly moving story about love, resilience, tenderness, and togetherness in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. It’s the kind of filmmaking that stays with you long after the credits roll.
CHARACTERS
A film of this emotional depth demands actors of the highest caliber to bring its layered characters to life, and John Madden has pulled a rabbit out of the hat here. In Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans, he has found two exceptional performers willing to go the extra mile, and the film feels all the more resonant for it. Beyond their considerable dramatic abilities, both actors possess a wonderful sense of comic timing, delivering Paul Mayhew-Archer’s razor-sharp screenplay with impeccable precision. Given the nature of the material, I certainly wasn’t expecting the film to be as funny as it is. In fact, it has no right to be quite so hilarious, but that’s precisely where the brilliance of Mayhew-Archer’s writing shines through.
Surprisingly, the comedy works entirely in the film’s favor, particularly as the devastating effects of Parkinson’s disease begin to take their toll on its leading characters. Even in the face of such crippling adversity, there is still room for laughter, often found in the absurdity and sheer frustration of losing control of one’s faculties. Yet the film handles these increasingly difficult hurdles with remarkable grace, making the emotional moments all the more powerful. Those living with the condition will recognize much of the reality reflected on screen, while audiences are offered a valuable window into its challenges. Linney and Ifans embrace the harshness of their characters’ predicament without allowing it to overwhelm the lighter moments. They keep the material wonderfully warm and breezy, finding humor wherever they can, until the moment arrives to take the gloves off and confront the devastating reality head-on. It’s a beautifully judged balancing act.
STORY
Paul Mayhew-Archer’s razor-sharp screenplay draws the audience into the story at the moment of diagnosis, with Linney’s Emma and Ifans’ Tony first crossing paths in a hospital waiting room. Both are given five good years before the disease begins to overwhelm them, prompting them to go their separate ways as they wrestle with the symptoms and struggle to come to terms with their new reality. Once again, the story refuses to shy away from life’s complexities. Emma turns to gambling and excessive drinking as coping mechanisms, while Tony retreats into denial, choosing to keep his diagnosis a secret from the outside world.
Mayhew-Archer’s brilliant screenplay follows their individual journeys as they twist and turn before eventually bringing them together at a crossroads. Their reunion proves to be a blessing, paving the way for some truly wonderful and uplifting moments. Yet the disease continues to cast a long shadow, with its devastating pitfalls pushing them towards a decline that is often difficult to watch. Both are forced into a head-on collision with reality, and while we know the road ahead will be heartbreaking, we’re fully invested in their journeys, desperately willing them to find some solace amid the seemingly endless gloom.
What emerges is a deeply profound character study that tugs at the heartstrings while raising awareness of the realities of Parkinson’s disease. And that’s the mark of brilliant filmmaking. If a film can make you feel this emotionally invested in its characters and their journeys, it has done its job impeccably. Onwards and Sideways pulls it off in spades.
VERDICT
Overall, Onwards and Sideways is a wonderful, uplifting, and utterly heartbreaking cinematic triumph. Armed with a sharp, hilarious screenplay, brilliantly nuanced performances from its cast, and an equally magnificent score from the great Thomas Newman, this is a breath of fresh air that will leave you emotionally wrung out. John Madden has crafted another exceptional piece of filmmaking, shining a light on a crippling disease and its many devastating symptoms without ever losing sight of the deeply human story at its heart. This is powerful cinema at its very best, taking us to the depths of despair before lifting our spirits with the resilience of the human spirit, the power of love, and the importance of togetherness. And in this cruel old world, we could all use a little more of that. Parkinson’s disease, not so much!
So, book a ticket and let yourself be swept away by this beautiful, heartbreaking story. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away with some valuable lessons about life. Just be sure to bring tissues and someone to hold close on the journey home.
John Madden, I salute you!
Onwards and Sideways brings the poignant storyline to cinemas from tomorrow.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
