The Thing with Feathers, the “powerful” British drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is now available to watch in the UK. Released in cinemas today, the film stars Cumberbatch as a father who is left to raise his two sons following the death of his wife.
Adapted from Max Porter’s debut novel Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, the film sees Cumberbatch star alongside David Thewlis. They are joined in the cast by Vinette Robinson, Sam Spruell, Jessie Cave, Leo Bill, Tim Plester, Adam Basil and Garry Cooper.
Written and directed by Dylan Southern, who had previously worked mainly in the documentary genre, The Thing with Feathers is described as “a lyrical exploration of love, loss and the strange ways we heal”.
The synopsis reads: “Following the death of his wife, a young father’s hold on reality crumbles and a strange presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two young sons.
“A man-like crow (voiced by Thewlis), seemingly brought to life from the father’s work as an illustrator, is about to become a very real part of all of their lives, ultimately guiding them towards the new shape their family must take.”
Anthony Dickenson/ Courtesy of Sundance Institute
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Despite its interesting premise, the film has received mixed reviews from critics and currently has an approval rating of just 56% on Rotten Tomatoes from 41 reviews, with critics praising Cumberbatch’s performance while noting the film’s lack of plot.
“The film hangs on Cumberbatch giving good anguish and he does give top, five-star anguish but it’s not sufficient to sustain a film that otherwise has barely any plot,” penned The Spectator.
The Daily Telegraph wrote: “[Cumberbatch] is doing everything he can to keep the film in touch with reality. But the problems are insurmountable. The material is just so ill-suited to this unpoetic quasi-horror approach.”
“Cumberbatch’s haggardly expressive face could tell the story alone, but Southern keeps resorting to jump-scares and cage-match fracases with the crow,” opined The Financial Times.
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Screen International said of the film: “There’s much that is brilliant here, although the loss of nuance in translation from page to screen reduces a potent brew of emotions to more literally-depicted stages and consequences of pure, overwhelming, overwrought grief.”
Deadline called the film “a powerful portrayal of grief”, writing: “As a work of art, The Thing with Feathers is something special, a fantastic calling card for an auteur in waiting. As a movie, however, it won’t (and maybe can’t) be for everyone.”
The Thing with Feathers is out now in cinemas in the UK and Ireland.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.Â
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.Â
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.