--- title: "H Is for Hawk" year: 2025 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/h-is-for-hawk" fi1m_id: "h-is-for-hawk" imdb_id: "tt10329560" tmdb_id: 1243006 wikidata_id: "Q130979737" fi1m_score: 64 critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:45.557855+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # H Is for Hawk (2025) Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe · 2h 00m · MPA PG-13 · Drama ## Identity H Is for Hawk - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/h-is-for-hawk - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** h-is-for-hawk - **IMDb ID:** tt10329560 - **TMDB ID:** 1243006 - **Wikidata ID:** Q130979737 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10329560/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1243006, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130979737 **Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 66 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* Claire Foy and a goshawk out-glare each other for two hours; the humans in between barely register > Claire Foy and the bird are worth the evening, and Brendan Gleeson gets to us in about four scenes. Around them Philippa Lowthorpe has made a careful, tasteful film about grief that runs half an hour long and is too polite to hurt. ## Synopsis Helen is an academic whose father dies without warning. Rather than talk to the people who love her, she drives to a breeder, buys a young goshawk, brings it back to her flat and shuts the curtains. Training the bird, which she names Mabel, becomes the whole of her days, and the friends and falconers around her have to decide how long to leave her to it. Claire Foy plays Helen, Brendan Gleeson her father in flashback and Lindsay Duncan her mother. Philippa Lowthorpe directs from Emma Donoghue’s script, adapted from Helen Macdonald’s memoir. It runs 120 minutes and carries a 12A certificate. ## Review Helen Macdonald’s memoir has been filmed by Philippa Lowthorpe from a script by Emma Donoghue, and it keeps the two things everyone remembers from the book: a woman undone by her father’s sudden death, and the goshawk she buys instead of grieving. Claire Foy plays Helen. A bird plays Mabel. Between them they hold up a film that runs 120 minutes and would have been better at ninety, and that treats mourning with a good manners the book never had. It is decent. Foy is a good deal more than that. The setup is quick. Helen, a Cambridge academic, loses her father (Brendan Gleeson) with no warning and no chance to say anything. She goes to a breeder (Sean Kearns) and comes home with a young goshawk, moves it into her flat, and stops answering the door. The idea, the book’s and the film’s, is that teaching a wild animal to trust one person is a way of not having to trust anyone else. Donoghue pares the memoir down to that single line and follows it. Foy handles the bird herself and it shows. Her arm is steady, her voice drops to a murmur, and when the hawk bates off the glove she lets it hang and waits without a flicker of the actor wanting to look competent. She plays Helen as short-tempered and not asking for sympathy; the grief does not come out as tears but as a hardness around the mouth and a habit of leaving rooms. The scenes with Mabel are the best in the film because nobody in them is explaining anything, and there are a lot of scenes in this film where somebody is explaining something. Charlotte Bruus Christensen shoots the outdoors in the flat grey light of an English autumn, hedgerows the colour of wet cardboard and the bird’s eye the one bright thing in the frame. Indoors she lets the flat go darker week by week as the curtains stay shut. Sarah Finlay fills that flat with the kit of hawking, perch and scales and glove, while the washing-up piles round it, and Amy Roberts keeps Foy in the same jumper for what feels like a month. Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch’s score is mostly low strings and it has the sense to keep out of the bird’s way. Here is what got us. The film cuts back to Helen as a child (Eden Hamilton) out with her father, and Gleeson plays him as a patient, unhurried man who takes a small girl’s questions seriously. One of these scenes, the two of them standing still in a field waiting for something to show itself, moved us more than we expected, and it is because Gleeson does almost nothing and Lowthorpe lets him. Then the flashbacks come round again. And again. Nico Leunen cuts back to them so regularly that they stop being memory and become punctuation, and the fourth time we felt our own response being managed. The other trouble is the living. Christina (Denise Gough), the falconers Stuart and Mandy (Sam Spruell and Emma Cunniffe), James (Josh Dylan) and Amar (Arty Froushan) are written as reasons for Helen to leave the flat and say a line about how she is coping. Lindsay Duncan has two or three scenes as her mother and is wasted in all of them. A scene with the Master (William Chubb) shows us Helen being rude to the wrong people and then moves on. Somewhere around the ninety-minute mark we were restless, and we do not think we were meant to be; the film had made its point and was making it again, more gently. The memoir is angry, funny and odd, and it lets grief make its author unpleasant company. The film keeps the oddness and files off the anger. Lowthorpe, whose *Misbehaviour* had the same clean, considerate surface, directs with taste, and taste is the one thing this story did not need. It needed a woman with a dead bird in her freezer and no interest in being liked. See it for Foy, for the hawk, and for Gleeson’s four scenes. Anyone who has read the book should go in knowing this is a quieter, kinder thing than the one on their shelf. It is a 12A and it runs two hours, and the second one drags. *Fi1m score 64, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics agree on Claire Foy and on little else. Her performance as Helen, dry, irritable and physically convincing with the goshawk, is praised in nearly every review, and several single out her handling of the bird as the film’s surest element. The wildlife photography draws steady admiration too. The reservations gather in two places. One is length: a good share of the reviews find the film slow and repetitive, with a third act that drifts and blunts the ending. The other is the adaptation itself, with a run of critics arguing that Philippa Lowthorpe smooths away the memoir’s grit and interior complexity and leaves something tidier than the book. The i Paper goes furthest, calling the result bloodless and closer to a children’s wildlife documentary, and IndieWire finds the book’s essence lost in translation. The spread is wide, from warm raves to outright dismissal, with most settling on cautious approval. ## Straight answers **Is H Is for Hawk worth watching?** *H Is for Hawk* is worth an evening for Claire Foy, the goshawk and Brendan Gleeson's handful of scenes, and we scored it 64. Philippa Lowthorpe's film is careful and tasteful about grief where Helen Macdonald's book was angry and odd, and at 120 minutes it runs half an hour long. Readers of the memoir should expect something quieter and kinder. **How long is H Is for Hawk, and what is it rated?** *H Is for Hawk* runs 2h 00m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch H Is for Hawk in the US?** *H Is for Hawk* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is H Is for Hawk, and is it suitable for children?** *H Is for Hawk* is a 12A drama about a woman grieving her father, and there is nothing in it we would call violent or frightening. Its adult content is emotional rather than graphic: a sudden death, a woman shutting herself away, and a wild bird being trained. Young children will find it slow; teenagers who can sit with a quiet film about mourning will be fine. **How does H Is for Hawk compare to Kes?** *H Is for Hawk* and [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) both put a lonely person and a bird of prey at the centre, but Ken Loach's film is rougher, funnier and harder-hitting, while Lowthorpe's is polished and polite. *Kes* is the better film and the one to reach for first. *H Is for Hawk* suits those who want Claire Foy and an adult story about grief rather than a boy's. **What should I watch after H Is for Hawk?** After *H Is for Hawk*, try [*Kes*](https://film.one/film/kes) (1969, Fi1m 88): A Barnsley boy and a kestrel; the bird is the only one who treats him fairly. Then [*Aftersun*](https://film.one/film/aftersun) (2022, Fi1m 85): A daughter sifts holiday video for the father she lost; quieter and sharper. ### Reviews we read (19) - **The New York Times**, Alissa Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The adaptation centers on Claire Foy as Helen, who turns to training a goshawk to process her father's death and finds unexpected solace in nature. The film explores grief's disorienting effects and offers a message of eventual healing. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/movies/h-is-for-hawk-review.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Isaac Feldberg (75/100, inferred): Foy delivers a heartbreaking, restrained performance as the grieving Helen, conveying sorrow beneath a stoic exterior while finding solace in the goshawk. The film is overly long-winded with repetitive scenes that undercut its emotional payoff. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/h-is-for-hawk-claire-foy-movie-review-2026) - **Variety**, Peter Debruge (75/100, inferred): Lowthorpe pares the memoir to focus on Helen's eccentric choice of a goshawk as emotional escapism after her father's death. Foy is compelling as the irritable, anti-social protagonist, and the film movingly depicts cross-species connection and healing. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-1236502594/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (60/100, inferred): The film offers a sensitive portrayal of grief through a woman's bond with a goshawk after her father's death, with strong appreciation for the birds and nature. However, it is hindered by a slow, overlong runtime that dilutes its emotional impact. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-brendan-gleeson-1236357378/) - **Empire**, Miriam Balanescu (55/100, inferred): The film is a graceful but uneven adaptation that fails to fully convey the emotional toll of mourning despite strong performances. It praises the palpable chemistry between Claire Foy and the hawk Mabel while criticizing the script's tweeness and lack of depth in exploring grief. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/h-is-for-hawk/) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (40/100, inferred): Philippa Lowthorpe’s adaptation of the memoir fails to capture the essence of the source material, resulting in a grief story that never fully takes flight despite Claire Foy's performance. The film loses much of what made the book special in its translation to screen. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/h-is-for-hawk-movie-review-claire-foy-1235148609/) - **The i Paper**, Francesca Steele (40/100, inferred): The adaptation is beautiful and elegant with strong performances and cinematography capturing the bond with the hawk, but it fails to convey the memoir's grit and interiority. The result is an anaemic, bloodless film more like a kids' wildlife documentary than a raw exploration of grief. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/h-is-for-hawk-review-memoirs-films-4166004) - **Radio Times**, James Mottram (3 out of 5): Foy leads a unique, tender true-life tale of a grieving academic bonding with a goshawk, with impressively realistic scenes. The third act meanders, preventing the quiet study of grief and father-daughter bonds from fully taking flight. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c6mj9k/h-is-for-hawk/) - **Screen Daily**: Foy is terrific in this sensitive adaptation balancing candour about mental health with arresting wildlife photography and reverence for nature. It captures the book's meditative quality without longueurs after editing for its London screening following the Telluride premiere. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-soars-in-philippa-lowthorpes-sensitive-adaptation/5209848.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Guy Lodge: The film is a handsome, stouthearted adaptation that treats its source with care but streamlines emotional nuances and simplifies the book's complex articulation of grief. Claire Foy's dry and intense performance anchors the most moving scenes with the goshawk, while interpersonal drama remains a weak spot. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/h-hawk-claire-foy-brings-measured-intensity-this-uneven-grief-drama) - **The Guardian**: The film is an intriguing if slightly precious adaptation that addresses grief through goshawk training but does not deliver a full Hollywood redemption arc. Foy's authentic handling of the bird stands out as a highlight. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/13/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-london-film-festival-helen-macdonald) - **The Observer**, Wendy Ide: Lowthorpe’s film streamlines the book effectively while preserving its emotional depth and candour about bereavement. Foy delivers a terrific, committed central performance that captures the wild intensity of grief and connection with nature. [Read](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/h-is-for-hawk-is-a-soaring-portrait-of-life-after-death) - **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin: This warm yet pensive adaptation captures the crunchily autumnal magic of the memoir through lovely lead performances and the bird’s presence. It contrasts tender flashbacks with the tentative rapport between Helen and her goshawk. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/23/h-is-for-hawk-review/) - **The Times** (★★★★☆): Foy has never been better in this stiff-upper-lip grief story of a woman reconciling with her father’s death through nature and a goshawk. The film admires the protagonist’s search for meaning without strings or wailing. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/h-is-for-hawk-film-review-claire-foy-zmdwbs9zw) - **Time Out**, Christina Newland (3 out of 5): Claire Foy shines in this low-key but moving adaptation of the memoir about grief and training a goshawk. The visual metaphors are striking and nature scenes are bleakly gorgeous, though the running time outstays its welcome. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/h-is-for-hawk-review-2026) - **The Playlist**, Brian Farvour (A): Foy delivers a captivating performance that keeps the grief study from feeling overwhelmingly gloomy, blending pain with moments of connection through the hawk relationship. The film succeeds in its focused, non-dwellling exploration of loss and coping. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-captivates-a-feathered-study-of-grief-20260122/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): The film is a moving true story of grief and healing through the bond with a goshawk, with Claire Foy delivering her best screen work to date as the protagonist. Philippa Lowthorpe’s assured direction and the script resist easy sentimentality while showcasing remarkably beautiful cinematography of the natural world and falconry. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/08/h-is-for-hawk-review-claire-foy-soars-true-drama-telluride-1236501747/) - **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (4/5): The film is a precise, unsettling and quietly devastating portrayal of inhabiting grief through an obsessive, isolating bond with a goshawk, rather than a conventional healing story. Foy's authentic, physical performance is singled out as the greatest strength. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/h-is-for-hawk-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Paul Risker: The critic praises the film's sensitive, patient approach to humanising grief rather than dramatising it, allowing space for the audience to connect with the protagonist's experience. Foy's quietly transformative performance and the emotional world-building through direction, cinematography, and score are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/h-is-for-hawk-2025-film-review-by-paul-risker) ## Details - **Director:** Philippa Lowthorpe - **Director:** Philippa Lowthorpe - **Writer:** Emma Donoghue - **Story:** Helen Macdonald - **Cinematography:** Charlotte Bruus Christensen - **Editor:** Nico Leunen - **Music:** Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch - **Production design:** Sarah Finlay - **Costume design:** Amy Roberts - **Producer:** Lena Headey, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner - **Cast:** Claire Foy as Helen; Brendan Gleeson as Dad; Lindsay Duncan as Mum; Denise Gough as Christina; Sam Spruell as Stuart; Emma Cunniffe as Mandy; Josh Dylan as James; Arty Froushan as Amar - **Runtime:** 2h 00m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 23 January 2026 - **Genres:** Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ29BBXfN64 ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: streaming, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-10.* Also available in: AT, BG, CA, CZ, DE, GB, HR, HU, IE, PL, RO, RS, SI, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Kes* (1969), Fi1m 88: A Barnsley boy and a kestrel; the bird is the only one who treats him fairly — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/kes.md) - *The Rider* (2017): A hurt young man and his horses, shot on the plains with real people - *Kestrel's Eye* (1998): A year with a pair of falcons in a Swedish church tower, no narration - *The Eagle Huntress* (2016): A Kazakh girl trains a golden eagle; the handling is the drama - *Aftersun* (2022), Fi1m 85: A daughter sifts holiday video for the father she lost; quieter and sharper — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/aftersun.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/h-is-for-hawk