The performances in *Hard Truths* are excellent, and the story is deeply affecting; it ranks among the most upsetting films I’ve experienced recently. I find that stories like this, which feel authentic and raw, resonate with me more than plots that seem constructed (though there's nothing wrong with those either). Marianne Jean-Baptiste delivers a remarkable portrayal of Pansy, who initially appears difficult to like, but the writing combined with her acting makes it easy to sympathize with her; you understand why she behaves as she does. Michele Austin is also wonderful—I couldn’t recall where I recognized her from, something about TV's *This Is Going to Hurt*. David Webber and Tuwaine Barrett are both believable in their parts, though the characters themselves aren't particularly demanding roles, but I still felt empathy for them. Ani Nelson, Sophia Brown, and even Jonathan Livingstone also make an impression, although their contributions are smaller compared to Jean-Baptiste’s and Austin’s. Despite how upsetting the film can be, there is a good amount of humor included—most, if not all, of it genuinely funny. The scene with Jean-Baptiste and Gary Beadle particularly stood out, even though Beadle's character felt exaggerated. The combination of comedy and serious moments works exceptionally well. For the third week in a row (which is strange, as this has never occurred before), I managed to see two movies at the cinema one after another. This time it was *Hard Truths* and Drew Hancock’s *Companion*. They were certainly very different films! I appreciated both of them considerably.

Source on TMDB