Onwards and Sideways (2026) Trailer

Humour and tenderness go hand in hand in the trailer for 'Onwards and Sideways', a British romantic comedy that places Parkinson's disease at the heart of its story without sacrificing the laughs. The preview opens with a drama class dressed as pirates and quickly strings together exchanges about brain tumours, adapted ballet lessons, and the side effects of certain medications — among them hypersexual behaviour, a mention that sparks one of the trailer's most direct gags. The tone shifts between the absurd and the emotional, and the line "when the dark clouds come, keep going" sets the register the film aims to sustain.

The story follows two patients who meet in hospital after receiving the same diagnosis: he is an English teacher; she is an American composer. Rhys Ifans plays Tony Evans and Laura Linney portrays Emma Dretzin. Monica Dolan completes the central trio as Liz, with Rory Kinnear and Sorcha Cusack appearing in supporting roles. The screenplay is the work of Paul Mayhew-Archer, a comedy writer well known in the UK for series such as 'The Vicar of Dibley', who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2011 and has since worked as an advocate for research into and awareness of the condition.

John Madden directs the film. The British filmmaker's back catalogue includes titles such as 'Shakespeare in Love', which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, as well as 'Proof' and 'The Debt'. With 'Onwards and Sideways', he returns to the Toronto International Film Festival sixteen years after presenting 'The Debt' there, this time with a screening in the TIFF 2026 Gala Presentations strand, where the film had its world premiere.

The production is handled by Hilltop Screen with the backing of BBC Films, and UK distribution is managed by Icon Film Distribution. The film is set to open in British cinemas on 6 November 2026, with a subsequent broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. No confirmed release date for Spain was available at the time this trailer was published.