“…a single day can change the course of any life.”
Couples change over time. People change over time. One single moment could alter the trajectory of your life forever, and you might never see it coming. As an individual, you are expected to grow and change. When part of a couple, it can only make sense that your transformation then changes your relationship as well. The honeymoon phase, the marriage, and there is even one known as the ‘seasonal break’, but who could have foretold this would be where we find the protagonist in Polly Findlay’s Midwinter Break.
What happened in Belfast is never discussed, but it is a day that changed their lives forever. Longtime retired couple Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciarán Hinds) have recently realised their marriage has reached a crossroads. Perhaps sensed more by one than the other, in an attempt to reconcile, Stella books them a trip to Amsterdam. While there, all their memories, long-held promises, and severely hidden wounds come to the surface. With these threatening pieces of their history coming to light, Stella and Gerry are forced to confront their future.
From the beginning, the viewer is led to wonder what happened in Belfast. Though it can be heard, it is never truly discussed. As Midwinter Break begins, numerous hints are dropped that lead the audience towards a greater connection with Stella. From the typical framing and basic quality that viewers are used to from cinema, nothing overtly original occurs. Yet there is still enough there to promote interest. An interest that, after the first hour, might slip away.
This film would have gone nowhere had they not had Manville leading the way. From the moment she appears on screen, you can feel the sorrow in her character. Through complete silence, Manville’s facial expressions bring you deeper in. All has yet to even be revealed to you, and yet you still begin to tear up at the thought of what she has gone through. The lost connection between Stella and Gerry is felt as well, as some intimate moments are shared that remind the audience of what they would have originally seen when they fell in love with one another.
Unfortunately, the talent of its actors does not maintain its level of interest for the viewer. As the plot unfolds and Stella reveals she wishes to live a more devoted life, a separation occurs. From a more relatable idea of this long-married couple losing their connection to a woman believing in the spirits, not everyone can connect as much with this aspect. There is a loss in the middle as the couple travel around Amsterdam to no avail.
Midwinter Break may become soul-crushing to some viewers. Then just as fast as it leaves you without an answer, Stella and Gerry’s issues feel all but wrapped up. There is too much ambiguity here. Though one can appreciate the idea that not everything ends perfectly, the way in which the film concludes is perhaps too imperfect.
While Manville and Hinds are the two strongest points of Midwinter Break, it is perhaps a film for those older in life. More experience living could be useful in understanding their decisions, as it becomes difficult to connect with them otherwise. You can appreciate certain qualities of a well-made film, but if you cannot easily empathise with the character(s), then you are left on the outskirts.
★★★
In UK cinemas March 20, 2026 / Lesley Manville, Ciarán Hinds, Niamh Cusack, Julie Lamberton, Marco Horta Lopes, David Gallacher, Leila Laaraj / Dir: Polly Findlay / Universal Pictures
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