“H is for Hawk” Film Review

Another British film I enjoyed this year that is directed by Philippa Lowthorpe and written by the director and Emma Donoghue (the writer of the novel Room) and Helen MacDonald. This biographical drama is based on the memoirs (same title as the film) of Helen MacDonald (played by Claire Foy) and her experiences with training a Hawk. After Helen’s father suddenly passes away she retreats into a grief state and plans to take some time off from teaching of academia to dedicate time to the Hawk. This seems to be a way of processing her grief while also engaging in the natural world (as she did with her father) to possibly distract Helen. Although, while she disconnects so much from the outside world - is she affecting her mental health? 

In a way she has merged with the bird and they have become one while she ignores all else. Yet, the bird cannot return any traditional affection (it’s a predator). Meanwhile, she’s also isolating herself from her family and friends. We learn towards the end of the movie that Helen is not really taking care of herself and her home is unkempt and somewhat of a health hazard with raw meat lying around and small cuts on her face from the bird. The toll her current life is taking on her is not fully explored only touched upon. It’s more an internal psychological-type study, but you are left to draw the dots as there is not quite enough in the screenplay to really show her inner world (as I assume the book does). I would have liked to have gained more into her internal world; we really only see it externally through her interactions and non-interactions with family and friends, but also the relationship with the hawk. 

Performances are impressive and aim for realism. Claire Foy’s role as Helen is not one that’s immediately likeable, but we grow to understand her somewhat. Supporting roles are also fine such as Brendan Gleeson as her dad (mostly seen in flashbacks) and Lindsay Duncan as her mum.

I have read in critical reviews that the training of the hawk scenes are too longwinded and dull. I did not find this to be so. Outside of a slightly slow beginning, when Mabel the hawk finally appears, I found it highly interesting and engaging which included some of the best sequences in the film (and on a topic that I knew nothing about). While the film doesn’t go into a comprehensive anthropological style study of the hawk, there are a few tidbits that I found fascinating. 

It is not terribly sentimental, but rather has more of a gritty feel to proceedings. There is some mild sentiment in places towards the end, but we also don’t really get to find out as much as we could about this woman and what she achieved. Did she go back to teaching at University? When did she write the book? What happened to the Hawk? This would have been great to have some more information about these matters towards the end, or at least a little subtitle ending the movie as to what happened later. Maybe they want us to buy and read the book! The book allegedly delves more into Helen’s gradual return to the ‘human’ world.

Claire Foy and the bird Mabel are the stars of the show here and I think there’s a lot to enjoy in this little film so I’m giving it 3.5 ⭐️ out of five.

You can also check out my recent review of “The Christophers” below as well as the trailer for H is for Hawk: