& Sons

Bill Nighy is one of those actors who has always evidenced a considerably measure of talent yet who is cast, more often than not, in supporting roles, often playing quirky characters who are interesting to watch but don’t show his full potential. His occasional opportunity to take the lead, as in Oliver Hermanus’ 2022 film Living, always delivers something special, and here, in the role of a disillusioned writer trying to reconnect with his sons, he is at his very best.

Adapted from David Gilbert’s novel, this is a film which draws on a number of rather tired archetypes – the alcoholic literary genius gone to seed in his sprawling mansion being but one – yet treats them partly as shorthand, partly as fodder for internal critique, as its wayward central character is all too keenly aware of his own lack of originality. Andrew (Bill Nighy) doesn’t seem to care a great deal what his two older sons think as long as he can revive his better qualities as a role model to youngest son Andy (Noah Jupe), a teenager who still lives with him and wears his hand-me down clothes, looking at time disconcertingly like Frodo Baggins as a consequence. This is the boy over whom Andrew broke up his marriage to his beloved Isabel (Imelda Staunton). That he ever imagined she would accept a baby not her own reveals something about him that should prompt viewers to treat everything else here with caution: for a writer, he is remarkable in his inability to fully understand the separateness of other people.

Both Richard (Johnny Flynn) and Jamie (George MacKay) have struggled as a result of growing up in their father’s shadow. Richard has had problems with alcohol himself. He has moved to the US where he is struggling to carve out a career for himself as a screenwriter, and he is accompanied by a teenage son who is striving to keep him on an even keel whilst striking up a friendship with Andy. Jamie has established himself as a fine artist and reacted to the family’s longstanding estrangement by emotionally detaching himself, looking at his father’s creative legacy as something he may as well capture in his own manner and exploit. Neither really expects to be remembered in the will simply because they have made the effort to be there when summoned, but both feel a degree of sympathy for, and duty towards, one another, so when their father asks them to pledge themselves to looking after Andy upon his death, they are prepared to entertain the idea. The boy himself is, after all, open-hearted and personable, nothing like the old man.

It’s here that Andrew reveals the shocking secret on which the whole narrative hinges – if, indeed, we choose to take it at face value. Whilst there’s plenty of subsequent evidence to suggest that we should, it is never confirmed beyond a reasonable doubt, and that matters, because it... doesn’t. That is, whichever way one interprets it, the essence of the story is the same. Past, present and future blur as a man obsessed with his own mortality strives to find something about himself that is truly distinctive enough to matter, whilst the film asks if we look to our offspring to recreate what we cannot face in ourselves.

There are no weak links in the top-notch cast. It’s interesting to see MacKay handle a more pared-down, emotionally restricted role than much of what he’s had to date, and good to see Staunton given the opportunity to use a part of her emotional range that we haven’t seen for years. The chemistry she has with Nighy speaks to things his character is never fully able to articulate directly. First class technical work rounds out the picture, with Xavier Mas and Daniel Miranda’s sound design particularly impressive during party scenes in a large, two-storey space with glass at one side – the sort of space that films routinely get wrong. This quality and attention to detail helps viewers to suspend disbelief when contemplating the more fantastical possibilities offered by one interpretation of events.

Director Pablo Trapero has taken on difficult material and risen to the challenge in every way. The result is a treat.

Reviewed on: 21 Aug 2026