Shadows on the Wall | The Thing With Feathers

The Thing With Feathers

dir-scr Dylan Southern
prd Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Andrea Cornwell
with Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall, Sam Spruell, Leo Bill, Vinette Robinson, Tim Plester, Dwane Walcott, David Thewlis, Eric Lampaert, Kevin Howarth, Adam Basil
release UK 21.Nov.25,
US 28.Nov.25
25/UK Film4 1h38

SUNDANCE FILM FEST
BERLIN FILM FEST

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Grappling with the concept of grief, this riveting film is packed with emotion that is never even slightly sentimentalised. So the film feels intimate and intense as it spirals through moments of humour, warmth, confusion and full-on horror. Writer-director Dylan Southern, adapting Max Porter's acclaimed book, takes the audience on a journey that's both jarring and profoundly moving. And Benedict Cumberbatch digs very deeply indeed in the central role.

After his wife's funeral, an unnamed dad (Cumberbatch) takes his two young sons (Richard and Henry Boxall) home and begins to ponder what he will do next. He turns to his brother (Spruell), therapist (Bill) and agent (Plester) for advice, but knows he's facing this on his own. A comic-strip writer and artist, he sees crows he is drawing lurking around him, developing a voice (Thewlis) and human-sized physicality (Lampaert), taunting him about his inner pain and outer uselessness. It also warns him about the demon (Howarth/Basil) that will come if he gives into despair.

Calling him "sad dad" and "English widower", the crow cajoles this man to confront emotions he is hiding from his sons. But of course they see the crow as well. The way this plays out often feels like a very dark and sometimes violent fantasy, although we are always aware that this flight of fancy is taking place internally for this traumatised family. Using largely practical effects, the film looks amazing, often even Gilliam-esque.

Allowing the audience to see right into this man's soul, Cumberbatch is unflinching in the role. It's a demanding performance that is expressed through his entire physicality. And his chemistry with the young Boxalls is beautiful to watch. Thewlis and Lampaert bring the crow to life in tactile ways that frequently take us aback, so much more powerful than digital animation can manage. The surrounding cast remain largely in the margins, but continually ground the film with real-life observations and interaction.

By shifting between the perspectives of the dad, the boys and the crow, this film is able to find unusual insight into the nature of grief. And it's a minor miracle that the actors and filmmakers never allow the metaphor to become too obvious. This is a beautifully poetic depiction of the intensity of sudden loss, and it finds hope in unexpected places, seeing the power of art and love in everyday life. It also acknowledges that this crow will be a part of this family from now on.

themes, language, violence 4.Sep.25

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