The Thing with Feathers is in UK cinemas from November 21, courtesy of Vue Lumière.
Synopsis
A father and two sons struggle to cope with the sudden loss of their wife and mother. As they try to move on with their lives, the family also has to face grief, which is depicted as a large crow.
Review
Many films over the years have tackled the subject of grief in a variety of ways. Some have gone for a subtle, more nuanced approach, whereas others have gone headfirst into the ideas that the topic can present. Dylan Southern seems to have opted for the latter with his new film, The Thing With Feathers, an adaptation of the book by Max Porter.
Southern, best known for music documentaries such as Shut Up and Play The Hits and Meet Me in the Bathroom, tries his hand at fiction filmmaking here, and the result is both emotionally rich and visually inventive. He takes a theme that has been done a million times in film and presents it in an incredibly vulnerable manner, whilst also allowing for creative opportunities within the storytelling and cinematography. A lot of the skills he’s learnt from his music documentary back catalogue clearly pay off as he comes out of the gate swinging and adds a level of energy and chaos to the camerawork in this film that some may not initially expect.
This goes hand in hand with the tone, which is relentlessly dark and never lets up until the very end. The film wallows in the suffering these characters have to endure, almost making it feel as if it is deliberately submerging the audience in this darkness and pain until they can’t take any more.
The anguish is reinforced by the film’s personification of grief, which comes in the form of a giant crow creature voiced by David Thewlis. This crow, which is one of the dad’s illustrations brought to life, revels in the torment it causes this family, and Thewlis definitely adds a sadistic sense of playfulness to the crow that makes every scene with him endlessly captivating. It is also with these scenes that Southern dips into horror territory as the crow itself is portrayed with such a foreboding presence, from the way it is constantly shrouded in shadows to the sheer size of it once it is fully revealed.
All of these things result in a portrayal of grief that is wholly original and dreamlike in appearance. Many films have attempted something similar, but none have quite captured the unrelenting bleakness that grief can have on an individual as well as The Thing With Feathers has done here.
However, all of this would fall apart if it weren’t for the performances at the centre of it all, and thankfully, everyone here is on top form. The crowning jewel is Benedict Cumberbatch, who successfully manages to keep the film afloat through some of its heaviest moments. He balances anger, hurt and confusion almost effortlessly, dipping into the right emotion when the moment calls for it. This is a character who is genuinely lost without his wife, and Cumberbatch sells this unease with heartbreaking conviction. There’s also Richard and Henry Boxall, who play his two sons, and, considering their ages, they do a great job of not just making their sadness believable but also working well with Cumberbatch during the film’s most touching scenes.
The Thing With Feathers is an interesting look into loss and despair that is unlike anything in recent memory. Its direction and performances come together to create something extraordinary and dark. This film may not be for everyone, but there is certainly a sense of catharsis to be found if you make it through the other side with this family.
Verdict
What Dylan Southern has crafted here is a truly unique and fascinating exploration of grief that uses horror-esque imagery to push the themes as far as they will go. The engrossing cinematography and heartbreaking performance from Cumberbatch just happen to be the icing on the cake.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
