Onwards and Sideways

• Directed by John Madden
• 2026 | 105mins | United Kingdom |

Tony Evans is the deputy head of a local primary school. Emma Dretzin is a pianist, composer and single mother of two daughters. Neither knows the other until a startling encounter changes the course of their lives: on the same morning, they are both confronted with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s.

John Madden’s film tells the sober tale of an English school teacher and an American composer who meet at a hospital after both are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. As they begin their journey of managing the disease, an unexpected friendship unfolds. Movingly told but supported by a sense of wonder and humour, with strong central performances from Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans.