H is for Hawk
January 20th, 2026
MOVIE: H IS FOR HAWK
STARRING: CLAIRE FOY, BRENDAN GLEESON, DENISE GOUGH, LINDSAY DUNCAN
DIRECTED BY: PHILIPPA LOWTHORPE
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 2 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 114 MINUTES
Outside of its odd title- H Is for Hawk– and an unlikely premise in which a woman bonds with a pet hawk, I had high hopes for Philippa Lowthorpe’s film. Much of my anticipation stemmed from the cast, led by Claire Foy, and from the promise of a story grappling with loss and grief- the kind of intimate drama that is rarely made anymore. Sadly, that promise is never fully realized. The film never elevates itself beyond a familiar tale of finding comfort in unexpected places, here embodied by a beautiful hawk. While it may work as an intriguing beachside read, H Is for Hawk never truly soars.
Adapted from Helen Macdonald’s novel, the film opens with Helen (Foy) reminiscing about watching birds with her father (Brendan Gleeson). Their relationship is deeply affectionate: he is a newspaper photographer, she a professor of history, and together they escape the pressures of life through nature. When Helen’s father dies unexpectedly, she is left adrift. In search of connection and purpose, she adopts a goshawk she names Mabel and begins training her to hunt and fly freely. The process is initially difficult, but soon the bird becomes Helen’s entire world, to the point that she neglects her own needs and avoids confronting her emotional and psychological turmoil.
At its core, H Is for Hawk is a simple drama about family and the different ways people process death. Lowthorpe and co-writer Emma Donoghue approach the material with honesty and tenderness. The issue, however, is that there simply isn’t enough story to sustain the film. Last month, I wrote about The Thing with Feathers, a film that explores a father’s grief after losing his wife while caring for his two children. Despite its flaws, that film adopted a distinctive approach, turning grief into something almost terrifying. By contrast, H Is for Hawk feels repetitive and dramatically inert, lacking the conflict necessary to fully engage the audience.
The performances are not the problem. Foy- consistently excellent- once again proves her ability to convey deep emotion with restraint, embodying Helen’s quiet unraveling. Gleeson appears only briefly in flashbacks, while Lindsay Duncan is limited to the role of the concerned mother. The most engaging moments come from Helen’s interactions with Mabel: the training sequences, the discipline required, and the sheer beauty of watching the hawk take flight. Had the film focused more deeply on the process of falconry, the profound bond between human and animal, and the way animals can help ease grief, it might have been more compelling. Instead, these elements remain frustratingly surface-level.
Those who have read the book may find that the story works better on the page. Unfortunately, that depth does not translate to the screen. Rather than a moving exploration of grief, H Is for Hawk emerges as a dour and disengaging experience. One wants to empathize and connect with a drama like this, but it ultimately fails to give the audience much to crow about- or, in this case, hawk about.
2 STARS
H IS FOR HAWK IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, JANUARY 23RD, 2026.
Written by: Leo Brady
