I love London. I was born and bred in this city, but sometimes it gets on my last nerve. The noise, the smell, the constant delays, the people who for some reason can’t understand the concept of moving down the tube carriage. But there are days when the city catches the light in a certain way, and you remember why you fell in love with it. If you’ve lost that feeling, these six films will help you find it again.
Rye Lane (2023)
via YouTube
A love letter to South London, Rye Lane follows Dom and Yas as they wander through Peckham and Brixton after messy breakups. It’s full of colour, laughter and the kind of awkward romance that makes you want to text your ex (don’t). Director Raine Allen-Miller captures London as it really looks and sounds. The markets, the food stalls, the chaos of it all. Rye Lane is proof that the city can still feel alive and unexpected, even when you think you’ve seen it all.
Attack the Block (2011)
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Before John Boyega was saving galaxies in Star Wars, he was defending South London from aliens. Attack the Block turns a Brixton estate into a war zone, mixing sharp humour with social commentary and sci-fi madness. It’s loud, funny and rough around the edges, just like the city it celebrates. Beneath the chaos, it’s about community and how people protect each other when everything falls apart. It might not be a polished, postcard depiction of London, but it’s one of the most real.
Notting Hill (1999)
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It’s impossible to make a list of London films without mentioning Notting Hill. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy. No, no one can actually afford a bookshop on Portobello Road. But there’s something about it that still works. Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts make falling in love in West London look easy. The pastel houses, rainy streets and awkward dinner parties make you believe the city has a softer side. It’s comfort viewing at its best, a reminder that London can still be romantic, even if it’s just in fiction.
About a Boy (2002)
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North London has never looked as quietly beautiful as it does in About a Boy. Will Freeman (Hugh Grant, again) lives alone in a perfectly decorated flat until he meets Marcus, a lonely schoolboy who upends his carefully isolated life. It’s funny, gentle and occasionally sad. About a Boy shows how connection sneaks up on you in this city, sometimes from the people you least expect. It captures London in winter, all grey skies and cosy cafes, and reminds you that even in a city of millions, finding your people can still change everything.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
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No one does London chaos quite like Bridget Jones. Between her flat in Borough Market, her disastrous love life and her constant attempts to get her act together, she’s basically every Londoner during a bad week. From awkward dinner parties to the iconic snow-covered kiss scene, Bridget Jones’s Diary is full of charm and humour. It’s messy, relatable and weirdly comforting. Watching Bridget stumble through it all makes living in this city feel a bit more manageable.
Mary Poppins (1964)
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Before high-speed trains and glass skyscrapers, there was Mary Poppins. It’s a nostalgic version of London, all chimney sweeps, cobbled streets and impossible optimism. But under the magic, there’s something honest, a belief that the city can still surprise you. Rewatching it now feels like stepping into another era. The songs still work, the skyline still charms and the message still lands: London might exhaust you, but it’s also full of wonder if you know where to look.
When London starts to feel like too much, these films are a reminder of why we stay. Despite the smell and the incompetent people, there’s still a city worth loving, one that keeps showing up on screen because it’s impossible to forget.
Featured image via Unsplash/YouTube
