Mothering Sunday, the British period drama starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, has gotten a new streaming home in the UK. And in even better news, you won’t have to pay a penny to watch it!
The film is based on Graham Swift’s 2016 novel of the same name, and follows the life of Jane Fairchild (played by both Odessa Young and Glenda Jackson). The narrative begins in 1920s England, where she works as a housemaid.
Working for Mr and Mrs Niven (Firth and Colman), she has a secret romance with Paul Sheringham (Josh O’Connor) even though he is engaged to another woman. However, tragedy strikes, and the course of their lives are changed forever.
Film 4/Sony Pictures
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Directed by Eva Husson from a screenplay by Alice Birch, the period drama is now available to stream for free on Channel 4. It’s only there for a limited time, though, as the listing is due to expire on 6 October.
In addition to the aforementioned stars, the stacked cast for the film includes Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Patsy Ferran, Emma D’Arcy, Caroline Harker, Albert Welling, Simon Shepherd and Emily Woof.
Though not a huge success at the box office, Mothering Sunday proved popular among critics upon its release in 2021, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting a solid approval rating of 78% from 138 reviews.
Its reception among viewers was generally positive too, with the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes being 60% from over 100 ratings. On IMDb, the film has a solid user rating of 6.1/10 from 6300 logs.
Film 4/Sony Pictures
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“This is a beautifully written, beautifully acted and beautifully shot piece of work. The understated performances from Colin Firth and Olivia Colman are a delight,” opined one user as they called it a “masterpiece”.
Another fan echoed this sentiment in a 10/10 review, writing: “Beautiful scenery, fantastic acting and a wonderful storytelling. When all these great actors are put together to tell the story of Jane, you know there will be a lot you will love about this movie.”
Mothering Sunday is streaming on Channel 4.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.