‘Goodbye June’ Review – Debuts Are Difficult, But Winslet Is One To Watch

Beginnings are hard. So are endings. Some movies combine both and have quite a steep hurdle to clear. Obviously, movies about death are going to be about endings. But what about movies about death, letting go, familial strife, and the Christmas holiday? These combine the endings of life, the freshness of that particular season, and, hopefully, the beginnings of new relationships, even if they involve old friends or relatives. This is not a new idea necessarily, but one that rarely works without major difficulties. There are just so many variables, so many things that can go wrong. Not unlike any family Christmas that we have lived through and endured.

Now, Goodbye June is metatextually also about beginnings and family. After all, this is Kate Winslet’s directorial debut paired with the simultaneous writing debut of her son, Joe Anders. And, there is good news and bad news on those fronts. Winslet clearly has a gift for direction, both of her actors and the visual language necessary for any film to work. Early in the film, two sisters, Julia (Winslet) and Molly (Andrea Riseborough), are at odds and have been for years. The impending death of their mother, June (Helen Mirren), has not thawed this frosty relationship. Besides the obvious lines in the script, Winslet poses them on opposite sides of the frame with the back of their brother Connor’s (Johnny Flynn) head separating them, both in sight, and the structure of the dialogue.

Surprisingly, the standout of the film is one of the least known cast members. Johnny Flynn has the most difficult role of any of the siblings. He doesn’t get to be obnoxiously kooky (like Toni Collette), mostly business (like Winslet), or a crunchy, overwhelmed mom (like Riseborough). Not only does he carry off a scene in which his ill mother has collapsed, but he also manages to be our guide through the trials and tribulations of his siblings and parents. Despite that guidance, he also manages to be his own character with actual desires and goals, all without ever feeling like he is preaching or narrating. 

Speaking of that script and structure, Goodbye June is the story of the titular character’s death, from a recurring cancer, and the effects it has on the family. The family consists of her husband Bernie (Timothy Spall), and their children Julia (with her children and an unseen husband), Molly (with her rarely seen husband and children), Helen (Collette), and Connor. After Connor finds June collapsed while making tea, phone calls set the family into motion to gather at the hospital. The doctors quickly deliver the terrible news, and the only “hope” is that June makes it the few weeks to survive until Christmas. Oddly, the hospital seems just fine with not engaging in hospice care (they’re busy during the holiday season) and allowing the family to basically camp out in June’s room all day long. But hey, it’s Christmas, so that will just have to pass.

The problems in the script seem to arise from too much of just about everything. Too many children, too many arguments, too many plot threads that they must wrap up with a bow. Anders does manage to solve all of the issues, but the journey to arrive there leaves much to be desired. Luckily, Anders and Winslet have arranged an incredible cast to carry the moments that are stretching credulity. Even when your logical brain screams that it doesn’t quite make sense, the performances, along with confident direction from Winslet, pull you along and nearly force you to feel what is desired in the scene.

There is a particular scene in which two of the siblings hash out everything that has kept them squabbling throughout the history of their relationship. This is a lot to handle in a 2-hour movie, even if there were no other siblings or difficulties. One cannot help but question the ruthless efficiency that is employed to solve these issues. A letter and an elongated discussion featuring a Snickers bar and a story about a sandal end up being enough. This is hard to believe, but again, talented actors will take you quite a long way. It ends up working, even if just barely. But this is indicative of the script issues throughout. Everything works out (of course it does), but all too quickly and simply. When one of the points of your film is that familial relationships are difficult and complex, these problems shouldn’t be solved with the snap of a finger. Maybe some shouldn’t be solved at all. 

Thanks to the director and the team of tremendous actors she has gathered, despite its faults, it is still easy to recommend Goodbye June. Winslet is now firmly in the “one to watch” category for up-and-coming directors. Seeing her grow and move away from family dramas should tell us much more about her future in that realm. But regarding this work, any story surrounding the loss of a treasured older relative, teamed with the togetherness of the Christmas season, will surely lead us to an emotional connection. We all want our own problems solved, and there is nothing wrong with a pleasant fantasy to push us through the cold, bitter months. 

Goodbye June is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Netflix. The film will debut exclusively on the streaming service on December 24, 2025.