Kate Winslet’s Directorial Debut: Goodbye June Delivers Heartfelt Drama

Kate Winslet, a seven-time Oscar nominee, takes on her first feature as director with the Christmas drama Goodbye June, set to land on Netflix this festive season. The script, penned by her son Joe Anders, draws loosely from Winslet’s own experience of losing her mother. Winslet also appears on screen, joined by Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Helen Mirren, and Andrea Riseborough. The film will have a limited cinema run from 12 December before streaming on Netflix from Christmas Eve, with plenty of buzz around its awards prospects.

The story centres on June, whose health takes a turn for the worse as Christmas approaches. Her four children and their father are forced to confront the looming reality of her decline. June, however, is determined to face her final days on her own terms, mixing her trademark bluntness and wit with a lot of love as she prepares to say goodbye.

Family Tensions and the Weight of Grief

After June collapses while making a cuppa, she’s rushed to hospital. Although surgery goes well, the family is told her cancer is advancing. The news sends the siblings into a heated argument in the waiting room, each struggling to process the situation in their own way.

Grief seems to be a running theme in films this year, popping up in everything from Hamnet to Train Dreams and even the horror flick Bring Her Back. Goodbye June explores the many faces of grief, showing how people brace themselves for loss and the lasting ache it leaves behind. The script, though, sometimes tries to do too much, adding extra layers that muddy the core story of June’s passing.

Script Strengths and Stumbles

Joe Anders shines when he focuses on the family’s different ways of coping. Most of us know, at least in theory, that death is part of life, but it’s a different story when it hits close to home. Watching each child—and their dad—deal with the news feels genuine and relatable.

Where the script loses its way is in the side plots tacked onto each character. While life does keep rolling even in tough times, these extra threads end up cluttering the film, making it less emotionally punchy than it could have been.

Ensemble Cast Lifts the Film

The real standout here is the cast, who manage to breathe life into a script that doesn’t always hit the mark. Helen Mirren is especially strong as June, capturing the full range of emotions as she faces her final days and tries to reassure her family. Toni Collette, Kate Winslet, Andrea Riseborough, and Johnny Flynn all bring a believable sibling dynamic, while Timothy Spall adds some much-needed comic relief as the father.

Despite the script’s unevenness, Goodbye June is likely to strike a chord with anyone who’s lost someone or had to navigate family drama in tough times. Winslet’s first outing as director is simple but effective when it counts, and it’ll be interesting to see what she does next behind the camera.

Goodbye June opens in select cinemas on 12 December and will be available to stream on Netflix from 24 December.