Novelist Bernard MacLaverty has noted that getting this project to the screen was a long process, spanning nearly nine years and complicated by writers' strikes and COVID-19, before Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds joined the cast and they were able to bring audiences to Amsterdam. The beginning of the film reveals that both characters are originally from Belfast; she became entangled in the Troubles while pregnant, …

It’s not usually the kind of film I'd choose, but I happened to get a complimentary ticket through Letterboxd, so I decided to watch it. The story centers on what happens after an elderly couple, stuck in a predictable routine, take a trip to Amsterdam prompted by the wife's sudden desire for something different. It becomes clear that a past trauma she experienced is resurfacing and connected to their vacation,…

It's increasingly uncommon to encounter movies that present stories with thoughtful, contemplative narratives, even though such films feel particularly necessary right now. However, for those seeking movies that offer substantial food for thought, director Polly Findlay’s latest film is worth considering. Adapted from Bernard MacLaverty’s acclaimed 2017 novel of the same name, it centers on Stella (Lesley Manville) a…