Herself (film)
Herself is a 2020 drama film directed by Phyllida Lloyd, from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne. The film stars Dunne, Harriet Walter and Conleth Hill.
Herself
- Malcolm Campbell
- Clare Dunne
- Rory Gilmartin
- Ed Guiney
- Sharon Horgan
- Clare Dunne
- Harriet Walter
- Conleth Hill
Tom Comerford
Rebecca Lloyd
- Screen Ireland
- BBC Films
- British Film Institute
- Corner Stone Films
- Element Pictures
- Merman Films
- Picturehouse Entertainment (United Kingdom)[1]
- Element Pictures (Ireland)[2]
- Amazon Studios (United States)
- 24 January 2020 (Sundance)
97 minutes[3]
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
English
Herself had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020 and was released in the United States in a limited release on 30 December 2020, followed by digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 8 January 2021 by Amazon Studios.
Premise[edit]
Single mother Sandra has been struggling to get by with her two young daughters after leaving her abusive husband. Housed in state-funded hotel accommodation, Sandra decides to build her own house with the help of a friendly community and a handful of new friends. With this new purpose, Sandra rediscovers herself: that is until her abusive former husband sues her for custody of the children.
Production[edit]
In March 2019, it was announced Phyllida Lloyd would direct the film, from a screenplay by Malcolm Campbell and Clare Dunne, and that Dunne would also star in the film.[4] In April 2019, Conleth Hill and Harriet Walter joined the cast of the film.[5]
Release[edit]
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2020.[6] Shortly after, Amazon Studios acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[7] It was released in the United States in a limited release on 30 December 2020, followed by digital streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 8 January 2021.[8]
Reception[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 136 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Sensitively directed by Phyllida Lloyd and brought to life by co-writer Clare Dunne's stunning performance, Herself charts one woman's journey with empathy and grace."[9] Metacritic reports a score of 71 out of 100, based on 19 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]