Our Review

                         Movie: H IS FOR HAWK

 Rating: PG-13,  some strong language, and smoking

                                    Length: 1:54

                     Release Date: January 23, 2026  

Jeanne: H IS FOR HAWK is a simply breathtaking film based on the 2014 memoir by Helen MacDonald of the same name. The drama is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Donoghue.

Claire Foy stars as Helen MacDonald, an academic at Cambridge who finds herself alone and adrift after the sudden death of her father, Alisdair (Brendan Gleeson), a well-known wildlife photographer. Helen and her father were devoted birders --- and explorers of nature. And now, no one can console Helen --- neither her best friend, Christina (Denise Gough) nor her mum (Lindsay Duncan).

Helen has declared herself finished with academia. So instead, she turns to the ancient art of falconry and begins training a wild goshawk she names Mabel. As she navigates her life with this potentially deadly bird --- and teaches Mabel to hunt and fly free --- Helen begins the long process of healing. She and Mabel develop a bond she once thought impossible.

Foy is absolutely the perfect choice to portray Helen. She is at once fragile and yet determined --- determined to train this beautiful creature successfully. Helen’s social skills are almost non-existent, but she is able to communicate with Mabel in splendid fashion --- and Foy manages to make us believe every minute of H IS FOR HAWK.

My only complaint is the fact that Gleeson’s role is not as present as I would have liked. But obviously, his screen presence is always memorable --- he’s such a wonderful actor.

The cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen is divine as is the music by Emillie Levienaise-Farrouch. H IS FOR HAWK is not a splashy movie. It is quiet and lovely --- a great way to start off 2026.

Opinion: See It Now!

David: H IS FOR HAWK is the title of British author Helen MacDonald’s 2014 memoir. It is now a motion picture starring Claire Foy and Brendan Gleeson, co-written by director Philippa Lowthorpe with Irish writer Emma Donoghue. With a memorable performance from Foy as Helen, and an equally enthralling turn by Mabel the goshawk, this is a bittersweet film for the whole family.

When Helen’s father, Alisdair (Gleeson), passes away unexpectedly, she turns to training this wild bird to distract from her deep grief. Her friend Stuart (Sam Spruell) is constantly propping her up when she doubts herself about working with this goshawk she names Mabel.

Helen was especially close to her dad, not so much with her mum played by Lindsay Duncan. Helen is so entrenched in the world of nature --- ingrained by her father --- that she cannot even kill the spider that has invaded her living quarters. Her best friend Christina (Denise Gough) openly supports Helen during this difficult time in her life.

As viewers to an unfamiliar world, we are glued to the screen by Helen’s steadfast training and ultimate gaining of Mabel’s trust. The cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen is spectacular as we witness Mabel gliding mere feet off the ground in search of prey to satisfy her carnivorous appetite. This method of foraging for food distinguishes a hawk from a falcon --- mentioned a couple of times in the film --- which a falcon does from higher up.

We’re never sure show this tale will end, but between Helen, Mabel and frequent flashbacks revealing her relationship with her father, our interest is sustained. As for Lowthorpe, she is a triple Bafta winner for TV and film, and even directed two episodes of TV’s "The Crown” where, of course, Foy flourished portraying Queen Elizabeth for several seasons.  And she directed early segments of TV’s “Call the Midwife”, a wonderful British series and a favorite of ours.

Two outstanding scenes in this film involve Helen. In one she is lecturing a class at Cambridge University when a heckler interrupts her. The second is Helen’s eulogy to her father at his memorial service --- emotional and heartfelt.

Opinion: See It Now!