& Sons (15)

Bill Nighy gives a brilliant, scruffy performance in this family drama about a celebrated writer whose troubled relationship with his sons comes back to haunt him.

Reclusive novelist Andrew Dyer (Nighy) lives in a comfortable country manor, drinking heavily and rarely leaving the sofa. When he believes he is dying, he summons his estranged sons Richard (Johnny Flynn) and Jamie (George MacKay), who return with problems of their own. Richard wants to adapt his father’s bestselling novel, while Jamie plans to document his decline through his art. Meanwhile, their teenage half-brother is trying to work out where he fits into this complicated family.

The damage caused by Andrew’s choices is gradually revealed, particularly his abandonment of their mother Isabel (Imelda Staunton). Nighy embraces the character’s messier side, but Staunton provides the film’s strongest emotional anchor, bringing warmth and depth to a woman surrounded by years of resentment.

There’s a very intriguing story here about family patterns and whether we can escape the mistakes of our parents. The drama pushes hard, but the performances and complicated relationships give it grounding plenty to chew on.