Devastated by the sudden, heartbreaking death of her beloved father Alisdair Macdonald (Brendan Gleeson), naturalist Helen Macdonald (Claire Foy) retreats entirely from her academic career and social life. Consumed by an isolating wave of grief, she makes the unconventional decision to purchase an untamed, predatory female goshawk named Mabel. Helen completely immerses herself in the exhausting, meticulous daily routines required to tame and hunt with the fierce bird in the wilderness. This intense bond draws her deeper into the raw, unyielding clarity of the natural world, gradually erasing her ordinary human concerns as she edges closer to a feral psychological state.

Director Philippa Lowthorpe helms this moving biographical drama, collaborating with screenwriter Emma Donoghue to adapt the acclaimed 2014 memoir. With moving performances from Foy and Gleeson, this is simultaneously an emotionally raw exploration of bereavement and a celebration of life.