H is for Hawk – Movie Review
Grief is a strange and deeply human thing. It can leave people isolated, disoriented and searching for meaning in the quietest corners of life. When Helen, a level-headed Cambridge academic, writer and naturalist, was devastated by the sudden death of their photojournalist father, they became consumed by falconry rather than confronting their grief. Drawn to one of the most aggressive and difficult birds of prey to tame, Helen set out to train a goshawk named Mabel, pouring their emotional energy into the demanding process in the hope that the fierce and untamed creature might restore order to a fractured inner world. Their experience would lead to them penning the acclaimed memoir, H Is for Hawk.
In the thoughtful and emotionally rich film adaptation, Claire Foy plays a version of the author (her character uses she/her pronouns, while Helen Macdonald identifies as non-binary) that explores loss through the unusual but captivating world of falconry. Directed with restraint and sensitivity, what unfolds is not a conventional drama with neat emotional resolutions or dramatic twists. Instead, H is for Hawk functions more like a meditation on grief itself. The wilderness landscapes, quiet interiors and extended sequences of bird training all contribute to a reflective atmosphere that mirrors Helen’s emotional isolation. For some viewers, the measured pacing may feel challenging, but the film’s patience ultimately becomes one of its greatest strengths.
The central performance from Claire Foy is exceptional. It is simply not possible to fully capture the intricacies of Helen Macdonald’s genre-blending memoir on screen, and the filmmakers wisely avoid trying to replicate the book beat for beat. Instead, the film is a humble depiction of a person becoming almost undomesticated because being human is simply too painful in the aftermath of a beloved father’s death. The scenes involving Helen’s father, Alisdair Macdonald, played by Brendan Gleeson, are especially affecting. Though his screen time is limited, those glimpses of warmth and familial affection become crucial emotional anchors for understanding the depth of Helen’s grief. The film leaves you wishing there was more of him and able to relate to Helen’s loss of him.
There is honesty in Helen’s vulnerability and moments of emotional detachment. The film wisely avoids romanticising grief or presenting simplistic therapeutic answers. Instead, it recognises how pain can drive people inward and how healing often occurs gradually through small moments of connection. No connection is more central than Mabel the goshawk who becomes far more than an animal companion. The feathered friend functions as both a mirror of Helen’s emotional state, wild, defensive and difficult to approach and an object of near-mythic fascination and frustration. The film is not just about grief, but about adoration: the strange power of the predator goshawk that demands patience, attentiveness and complete presence.
From a filmmaking perspective, H Is for Hawk is understated yet beautifully crafted. The score understands when to rise and when to allow silence and natural sound to shape the emotional landscape. The visuals favour earthy realism over glossy aesthetics, with overcast skies communicating the greyness of grief that hangs in the air like a stormcloud. This is not a film designed for spectacle-driven entertainment. It is contemplative, literary and emotionally introspective.
In many ways, H Is for Hawk feels like a film out of time. It resists the modern pressure for constant action, exaggerated emotion and simplistic closure. Instead, it trusts audiences to sit with discomfort, ambiguity and silence. That approach will not resonate with everyone, but for viewers open to reflective storytelling, the film offers something genuinely moving in the face of confronting one’s own mortality.
Ultimately, H Is for Hawk is less about falconry than it is about the fragile process of learning how to live after loss. Quietly powerful and emotionally intelligent, it is a film that lingers long after the credits roll.
H is for Hawk is in Australian cinemas May 28
