H is For Hawk (12A)

Claire Foy leads this thoughtful adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s memoir.

Helen is a young academic whose life is upended by the sudden death of her father, a celebrated photojournalist and her closest companion. Struggling to process the loss, she impulsively buys a goshawk, Mabel, retreating from the world to train the bird in the countryside. The demanding routines of falconry, full of risk, discipline, and frustration, become a way for Helen to channel her grief, even as they isolate her further from friends and family.

Grief is turned into something quietly tangible, blending personal loss with an unexpected bond between human and animal. Warm but restrained, it finds meaning not in grand statements but in patient observation.

Claire Foy gives a finely tuned performance, capturing Helen’s inward spiral with sensitivity and control. Her scenes with Brendan Gleeson, seen in affectionate flashbacks, establish a deep emotional foundation that makes the loss keenly felt. The falcon itself becomes a striking presence, filmed with care and respect, neither sentimentalised nor simplified.

While a few scenes lean toward conventional drama, the film is strongest when it embraces uncertainty. Quiet, observant, and occasionally untidy, it reflects grief as something lived through rather than resolved.