A new film explores the profound and unsettling journey of a Cambridge academic who, shattered by the sudden loss of her father, turns to an unlikely source for solace: the training of a goshawk. The story, adapted from a celebrated memoir, follows Helen as she abandons the orderly world of academia for the raw, unpredictable relationship with a bird of prey.
Claire Foy delivers a compelling performance as the grieving scholar, capturing a palpable sense of authenticity in her interactions with the formidable goshawk, Mabel. The portrayal is marked by genuine tension and rare moments of triumph, suggesting the actress undertook significant hands-on training. In one particularly striking scene, the quiet intensity of a car ride with the bird evokes the charged dynamic of a thriller.
Rather than presenting a neat, redemptive arc, the narrative embraces ambiguity. It questions whether this intense immersion in the natural world is a path to healing or a symptom of a deepening crisis. As Helen and Mabel retreat from society into a secluded existence, the film resists easy answers, mirroring the complex and often unresolved nature of real-life grief.
The project joins a lineage of films examining humanity’s fraught and fascinating connections with the animal kingdom. Here, the goshawk’s piercing gaze becomes a mirror for the protagonist’s own inner turmoil, creating a portrait of mourning that is as challenging as it is captivating.
