| The Thing with Feathers | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dylan Southern |
| Screenplay by | Dylan Southern |
| Based on | Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Ben Fordesman |
| Edited by | George Cragg |
| Music by | Zebedee C. Budworth |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Vue Lumière |
Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million [1] |
The Thing with Feathers is a 2025 British drama film starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It is written and directed by Dylan Southern and adapted from the book Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter.
Left to raise two young sons after the unexpected death of his wife, DAD's life begins to unravel. Grief is messy and chaotic enough as it is, but when it takes the form of an unhinged and unwanted house guest - CROW - taunting him from the shadows, things start to spiral out of control...but maybe that's exactly what Dad needs.
The project is from Film4, Lobo Films and Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch. Producers on the project are Andrea Cornwell, Adam Ackland and Leah Clarke. It is an adaptation by Dylan Southern of the novel Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter. [2] The film received British Film Institute (BFI) Filmmaking Fund production support in 2024. [3]
Principal photography was underway in early 2024. [4] [5]
It premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2025. [6] [7] It was also shown as European premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in 18 February 2025. [8] In April 2025, Vue Lumière acquired U.K. and Irish distribution rights to the film. [9]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 53% of 30 critics' reviews are positive.The website's consensus reads: "The Thing with Feathers manages to take flight thanks in part to Benedict Cumberbatch, but choppy characterizations and lack of subtlety make for a rough ride." [10] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
| Award / Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitges Film Festival | 19 October 2025 | Best Feature Film | The Thing with Feathers | Pending | [11] |