‘The Thing With Feathers’: Sundance Review

Dir/scr: Dylan Southern. UK. 2025. 98 minutes.

‘Hope is the factor with feathers’ is a poem by Emily Dickinson; ‘Grief Is The Factor With Feathers’ is a flighty, great novella by Max Porter, strewn with drawings, dialogue and poetry. The Factor With Feathers is a nobly-intentioned adaptation of Porter’s fragile memoir concerning the aftermath of the sudden dying of his spouse. Directed by Dylan Southern (Meet Me In The Toilet), it’s remarkably well-acted, by Benedict Cumberbatch and the 2 younger leads, brothers Henry and Richard Boxall, though the idea that soared in Porter’s ebook has its wings clipped by cinematic requirements. There’s a lot that’s sensible right here, though the lack of nuance in translation from web page to display reduces a potent brew of feelings to extra literally-depicted levels and penalties of pure, overwhelming, overwrought grief.

Cumberbatch’s full-throttle efficiency is one of the best he has been in years

Going from the web page to big-screen could not appear to be a discount, however it’s – the very foundation of the titular feathers, for the large Crow who manifests to taunt grieving widower Dad (Cumberbatch), has been reduce, for instance. Dad/Max was, because the thousands and thousands of followers of the supply materials will know, writing a ebook concerning the poet Ted Hughes, known as ’The Crow On The Sofa’, when he summoned the fowl into existence in his tormented anguish. Poet laureate Ted has exited the movie stage left; leaving a single-minded and really darkish trawl via one man’s grief, and the benign however distressing neglect of his kids within the course of. And a crow, after all, voiced by David Thewlis with the terrorising visceral spittle that characterised his Bare efficiency. Eric Lampaert performs its swooping bodily manifestation (within the stage model of this, Cillian Murphy performed each man and fowl).

The axing of mental foundations, the darkness and laser-like deal with one man in extreme ache could curtail the business fortunes of The Factor With Feathers after its Sundance bow (in Premieres) and European premiere on the Berlinale (in Berlinale Particular). Grief often is the factor with feathers, however it’s additionally a course of individuals wish to keep away from – until they must, or it’s indirectly cathartic to their private course of. Luring them in will probably be Cumberbatch’s full-throttle efficiency — that is one of the best he has been in years – and the physicality of the piece, from his physique’s oddly avian contortions to the summoning of the crow itself.

The reason for Dad’s grief, the sudden dying of his adored spouse, is a truth solely briefly glimpsed in flashback – we by no means see her face. Maybe he was all the time uxorious, however in his grief he has canonised his associate and the mom of his two forlorn younger boys. The viewer can’t assist however suspect guilt is contributing to those enormous, paralysing feelings – did he neglect her? He appears to have been a reasonably hands-off dad as nicely, so maybe there’s some remorse at play apart from the crippling void of the loss.

Cumberbatch’s enormous, black-eyed despair performs bigger on the display than the phrases on a web page and it dwarfs the whole lot – even the crow, who ultimately arrives after some suspenseful Hitchcockian beating of wings to chop Max’s self-pity right down to measurement. Expertly designed by Nicola Hicks, this crow is the violently mocking a part of Dad who is aware of he might have been, ought to be, and in the end will be, a greater man.

The always-good Suzie Davies, on design, and DoP Ben Fordesman do a terrific job with Max’s extraordinarily insular life: the London condo which falls to items in his neglect is sort of a participant within the piece. They often shoot into the sunshine supply with Dad and the boys in aid. At different occasions, the shabby, earthy furnishings and carpets are lit by daylight which additionally conveys a life lived in a heat cloak of haziness. A boxy side ration is a portal into this cave of almost-comfortable despair the place Dad, predictably susceptible to hitting the booze, suffers waking nightmares.

Music decisions will be actually on the nostril. Taking part in The Treatment’s ’With out You’ is supposed paradoxically, however not a full-choral rendition of ’In The Bleak Mid-Winter’ — a spot the viewer is already nicely conscious they’re visiting with out a musical immediate. Zebedee Budworth’s rating, although, is apt and delicate.

Just like the ebook, the movie is cut up into chapters between Dad, the boys and Crow, with the addition of a monster. Between that, and the characters of Max’s brother and writer, The Factor With Feathers may be very male-orientated — Vinette Robinson (under-used) performs a childhood good friend of the couple in a movie which might’t assist however service the sainted lifeless spouse trope; an individual who typically appears to be missed via the dust of uncared for home chores. These, although, are components which stand out in increased aid in entrance of a krieg gentle – on the web page, they will float across the peripherals. 

Though some will keep away from, there are various, particularly those that have suffered a devastating loss, who might discover frequent floor right here, with Cumberbatch’s advantageous efficiency as an individual coming to phrases with all he has misplaced. Above all, Feathers is a real tribute to that course of.