Review: Herself

Blu-ray, DVD & Digital: Herself (2020)

Caught between an abusive husband and a housing system that makes it difficult to escape him, young mother Sandra (Clare Dunne) takes it upon herself to build her own home with help from friends both old and new.

The above short synopsis makes Herself sound like a “and they all lived happily ever after” tale, whereas this gritty drama is far from that, documenting a woman’s struggle to cope with a young daughter, multiple low paid jobs, a physically and mentally abusive husband, and a governmental system that seems intent on stopping any dreams she may have of bettering herself.

A heartfelt and sympathetic performance by Clare Dunne drives the narrative in a way that you can’t help but feel for her character as obstacles keep being put in her way. Complete with a supporting cast that each play their part wonderfully, even down to minor characters that only have a few minutes screen time sticking with you after you’ve finished watching.

It’s not often that the end of a film genuinely shocks me, but this had me literally gasping out loud, and really did ‘hit me in the feels’ as twists and turns occurred that I certainly wasn’t prepared for.

Not an easy watch at times, as Sandra not only gets abused by her husband (Ian Lloyd Anderson), but also by various other people in her life too. Though her sense of optimism to escape her current position in life and her drive to give her daughter a better life than she’s had, all add moments of levity.

Well worth watching.

Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Picturehouse Entertainment.