Midwinter Break – Film Review
Reviewed by Harris Dang on the 5th of March 2026
Nixco and Maslow Entertainment presents a film by Polly Findlay
Written by Bernard MacLaverty and Nick Payne based on ‘Midwinter Break’ by Bernard MacLaverty
Produced by Guy Heeley and Floor Onrust
Starring Lesley Manville, Ciarán Hinds, and Niamh Cusack
Cinematography Laurie Rose
Edited by Lucia Zucchetti and Stephen O’Connell
Music by Hannah Peel
Rating: M
Running Time: 90 minutes
Release Date: the 5th of March 2026
Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Bernard MacLaverty, Midwinter Break is about long-married couple Stella and Gerry (Lesley Manville and Ciaran Hinds). They have been married for decades and have reached a crossroads in their relationship. It feels as though their time together has grown stagnant. Consequently, the two decide to holiday in Amsterdam to rekindle their love. Yet their repressed memories, seething emotions, and dormant traumas come to light, see their relationship put to the test again.
Midwinter Break is the feature-length film debut of Polly Findlay, who is best known for her work in the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her theatre expertise, including directing performances, deftly informs the drama, giving the lead actors plenty of opportunities to explore. With help from cinematographer Laurie Rose, she realises a captivating vision that captures the beauty of Amsterdam and palpable distance between Stella and Gerry.
Manville and Hinds are renowned, experienced thespians who could make reading the telephone book sound Shakespearean or like Henrik Ibsen. They carry all the dramatic weight of their roles with complexity, nuance, and empathy. Their stellar performances and genuine chemistry (and lack thereof) make the film worth watching.
Unfortunately, the film struggles to match their strong work. The story is ripe with potential for compelling pathos, particularly with views on survivor’s guilt, dissenting views in religion, unbridled faith, and repressed communication. The emotional payoffs and story revelations are oddly inert and lacking impact. The main reason is because the film prematurely telegraphs its intentions so drastically that it shoots itself in the foot before taking off.
The result may have played out differently in its source material. The film uses time-shuffling and didactic narration (that is never used again) in its prologue. It overstates its intentions, leaving audiences far ahead of the characters. With glacial pacing and underplayed emotions from the performances, the audience will be impatient for an earned catharsis while the characters play catch-up.
By the time the characterisations are fully defined, and the story delivers revelations and dramatic crescendos by the end, the audience will already be tired and wonder what the fuss is about. Even with stellar performances, the earned emotions result in being too little too late.
Overall, Midwinter Break is a mildly diverting film that is emotionally convincing thanks to its great performances from Manville and Hinds. However, its problematic storytelling and overly restrained emotions make it less than the sum of its parts.
Summary: The problematic storytelling and overly restrained emotions of this film make it less than the sum of its parts.
2.5
Mixed
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