Everyone deals with grief in their own way. I lost my mom when I was 16, and it was tough, but I think losing a parent as an adult can hit even harder. After her father’s unexpected passing, Helen (Claire Foy) gets lost in the memories of their birdwatching adventures and time spent in nature. She becomes a recluse and suddenly decides to train a wild goshawk named Mabel to help her cope with her deep loss.
I had to look up what a goshawk actually is… It’s a large, strong, and nimble bird of prey that weighs around 2-4 pounds and has a wingspan of up to 4 feet. It’s definitely a stunning bird, but I personally wouldn’t feel safe being too close to it, let alone sharing a small apartment with it. But grief can make people do wild and crazy things. For Helen, embracing the ancient practice of falconry to pay tribute to her late father is the emotional catharsis she truly needs.
H Is For Hawk is adapted from a memoir by Helen MacDonald, with Emma Donoghue and Philippa Lowthorpe adapting it to the screen, the latter also directing the film. The cast is fantastic, which is what really draws me in. Foy has a strong presence, even though her character is somewhat distant and keeps the audience at bay. She has a complicated relationship with her mother (Lindsay Duncan) and brother (Josh Dylan), who clearly doesn’t get her as her dad did. Brendan Gleeson mostly appears in flashback scenes as Helen’s dad, Alistair, who is a photojournalist. They share moments birdwatching and exploring nature, but honestly, I think the role is a bit wasted on such an esteemed actor. By the same token, it’s great to see Denise Gough, who’s amazing in Andor, playing Helen’s caring best friend, Christina, though I wish she were given more to do here.
Since I’m not well-acquainted with the book, I can’t say if the source material has enough to create a captivating film. There’s already a PBS documentary on this topic, which I believe suits it better than this prestige drama. The bond between Helen and Mabel is central to the narrative, but at almost two hours long, I find it plodding and somewhat draining. The parts where Helen shows Mabel how to hunt and fly freely are interesting at first, but they don’t quite hold up the whole movie. A memoir typically provides the inner thoughts and feelings of the character, which I feel doesn’t translate effectively to the screen. Foy convincingly shows her deep sense of isolation and how she relates more to her pet bird than to other people, including her closest friend. While I really feel for Helen, I have to admit that her moody demeanor can be a little frustrating.
That said, I’m all about stories that tackle depictions of grief and the journey towards healing. Two of my favorite films of 2025 deal with grief in a deeply poignant way, i.e., Hamnet and Train Dreams. Interesting that in Hamnet, the protagonist Agnes also has a pet hawk, which represents Agnes’ wild nature and connection to the natural world. In many ways, Helen is a bit of a societal outcast as well, illustrated by the scornful way her fellow academics react to her having a pet bird.
I’m glad I got to see this one, though it’d have been sweeter if it didn’t overstay its welcome. Despite the best intentions and committed performances, H Is For Hawk doesn’t quite soar as high as it aims to be.
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