Overview

• The film opened in US cinemas on June 27 following its premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February.
• Adapted from Deborah Levy’s Booker-shortlisted 2016 novel, the screenplay makes significant changes that some critics say dilute the source’s emotional depth.
• Cinematographers Si Bell and Christopher Blauvelt draw praise for sun-drenched, immersive shots of Almería’s coast.
• Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw earn recognition for grounding the mother-daughter relationship at the film’s core.
• Reviewers fault the film’s slow first two acts and an underdeveloped romantic subplot for weakening its dramatic momentum.