STAFFORD FILM THEATRE: H is for Hawk

Philippa Lowthorpe / UK 2025 / 114 min / Cert 12A

After the sudden loss of her beloved journalist father, Cambridge academic Helen Macdonald retreats into grief — until a wild goshawk named Mabel crashes into her life.

In a bold, haunting adaptation of the acclaimed memoir, Helen’s attempt to tame this fierce creature becomes a raw journey of sorrow, survival and self-rediscovery.

Featuring a brilliantly empathetic and moving performance from Claire Foy as Helen, with Brendan Gleeson as her father, Philippa Lowthorpe’s H Is for Hawk plunges us into the wild heart of loss – and dares to ask whether healing can take flight.

“Foy is terrific in a film which balances bruising candour about mental health issues against arresting wildlife photography and a fervent appreciation of the natural world.” Screen International