Present-day London. Middle-aged sisters Pansy and Chantal could not be more different. Chantal is cheerful and empathetic. Pansy, on the other hand, is argumentative, hypersensitive and full of anger, with her husband Curtley and grown-up son Moses bearing the brunt of her emotional outbursts. As Mother’s Day approaches, things are at breaking point, unless Chantal can somehow help her sister…

Acclaimed director Mike Leigh returns to contemporary London for this character-driven family drama. An exceptional cast, led by Jean-Baptiste (Oscar-nominated in Leigh’s Secrets & Lies), breathe life into the family’s characters, providing a dynamic that is complex, layered and nuanced. At turns tough, darkly funny and hugely compassionate, Hard Truths never feels contrived or melodramatic. Easily one of Leigh’s best. 

Festivals:

Toronto International Film Festival 2024

San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024

BFI London Film Festival 2024

Belfast Film Festival 2024

Cork International Film Festival 2024 

Quotes:

“★ ★ ★ ★ ★ … a stunning film full of heart and compassion.” - BBC.com

“★ ★ ★ ★ Astutely getting under the skin of a complex family dynamic, Mike Leigh deploys his improvisational approach to create a remarkably involving comedy-drama that refuses to follow storytelling rules.” - Shadows on the Wall