Pansy Deacon (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) is a reclusive, middle-aged woman consumed by anger and resentment, lashing out and directing her ire at strangers and family members alike. The only joy in her life comes from her relationship with her sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), whose warmth and resilience offers a stark contrast as she attempts to navigate Pansy’s trauma and change her ways.

Acclaimed writer-director Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Happy-Go-Lucky) once again takes an intimate, hard look at the human experience by way of working-class British society. His latest, Hard Truths, offers a heartbreaking, affecting portrait of a woman in crisis that is equal parts deeply moving and darkly comedic – as viewed through a lens of tenderness and empathy as only Leigh can.