Mothering Sunday

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2:06

Mothering Sunday

R

2022

1h 45m

Romance

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

138 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

On a warm spring day in 1924, house maid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother's Day. Her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend quality time with her secret lover. Paul (Josh O'Connor) is the boy from the manor house nearby, Jane's long-term love despite the fact that he's engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents' friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane's life forever.

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Critics Consensus

Mothering Sunday works at a frustratingly chilly remove, but involving performances and solid overall craft mean it's rarely less than engaging.

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Leigh Singer

Sight & Sound

May 14, 2026

Mothering Sunday points a way to a future where filmmakers can go back to much-visited times and dare to do things differently.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Jun 11, 2022

4/5

The film as a whole succeeds superbly both in its evocation of a sensual, erotic love affair and in its treatment of the bereaved families who, despite their elevated place in society, can never replace all that they’ve lost.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Jun 4, 2022

4/5

O’Connor is an actor who always seems to be regarding life with a raised eyebrow and the rapport between him and Young turns them into loving co-conspirators meditating on the fluidity of time.

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Louis Skye (Ronita Roy Mohan)

Women Write About Comics

Aug 21, 2025

It embraces grief and that never-ending sense of loss that so many are experiencing right now. If you don’t want to feel sad, this may not be the film for you. But if you want a reflection of the human condition again, this is the film to tune into.

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Hector A. Gonzalez

The Movie Buff

Sep 8, 2024

D

“Mothering Sunday” is yet another period piece with great performances, beautiful cinematography, posh costumes, and has an excellent score to accompany it. Still, it’s so self-important and ‘elegantly’ contrived that it feels hollow and unenjoyable.

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Feb 21, 2023

B-

Mothering Sunday is not a heavy-duty tearjerker, but a tidy, lamentable story of fleeting love amongst social constraints.

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David W

Apr 22, 2022

I thought the film subtly unveiled the inner thoughts of the characters over the course of its run. Certainly not an action film but a fine job on character study

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Sherry M

Apr 17, 2022

It dragged a little, but I did like the flash forwards and flash backwards story telling.

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JoArtFilms

Apr 14, 2022

I liked the moody tone of this film and the exceptional acting. The pace is probably slow for some viewers, but I found it introspective and nuanced.

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Harry G

Apr 14, 2022

Too slow moving and really didn't understand who was what and what was who. Could only understand about half of dialogue spoken and continuous flashbacks contributed to confusion.

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Kyra H

Apr 11, 2022

Intimate details of the lives of people with limited choices. The heroine opens access to freedom both for herself and the people she encounters.

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Gary H

Apr 10, 2022

Great character driven film.

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Eva Husson

Director

Odessa Young

Jane Fairchild

Josh O'Connor

Paul Sheringham

Colin Firth

Mr. Niven

Olivia Colman

Mrs. Niven

Sope Dirisu

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Mothering Sunday: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

On a warm spring day in 1924, house maid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother's Day. Her employers, Mr. and Mrs. Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend quality time with her secret lover. Paul (Josh O'Connor) is the boy from the manor house nearby, Jane's long-term love despite the fact that he's engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents' friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane's life forever.

Director: Eva Husson
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley
Screenwriter: Alice Birch
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: ZDF/Arte, British Film Institute, Lipsync Productions, Number 9 Films, Film4
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Graphic Nudity|Some Language)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2022, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $274.3K
Runtime: 1h 45m

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