‘The Thing With Feathers’ Review – A Flightless And Torturous Movie On Grief

Grief is chaotic. There are no easy answers for it, nor any easy methods to handle or process grief. Arguably, processing grief is case-by-case. The Thing with Feathers attempts to examine loss and grief through the mental unraveling of a father left to raise his children. The film, like grief itself, is messy and surreal. There is both a dreamlike quality and a hard-smacking reality all at once. While the film is bold for uniquely tackling this emotional wrecking, the result feels like fouling in the nest. By the end, we are left more confused than enlightened.

We begin by finding a Dad (Benedict Cumberbatch) reeling from the sudden death of his wife. He is left to raise his two boys (Richard Boxall and Henry Boxall), and his life begins to unravel. Attempting to raise his sons and keep life as normal as possible proves difficult. Grief is chaotic and messy all at once, but it is even more of a burden when it takes the form of an unwanted house guest. The Dad finds grief visiting him in the form of a — crow. The crow (David Thewlis) taunts the Dad from the shadows and proves to be increasingly unhinged. However, as things spiral out of control, this unwanted house guest and strange manifestation of grief may be just what the Dad needs. 

Now, I’ll concede that grief manifesting itself in the form of a crow is clever. The film is an adaptation of the book Grief is the Thing with Feathers. It weaves its story through poetry and prose. Similarly, the film works in this manner, though much more to the former aspect than the latter. The film is a lot like a poem. It moves to its own rhythm and speaks in short stanzas while communicating greater themes. 

Stylistically, The Thing with Feathers, the movie, works on a surreal aspect. It blends reality and fantasy. The film takes us into a dreamlike state where we are never sure what to believe with our own eyes. In a lot of ways, the entire ordeal is like a fever-dream, which is how grief can take hold for the grieving. Narratively, these ideas do not gel into a fulfilling, complete tale. 

At times, I found myself in utter bewilderment. While the overarching story is a family and specifically a dad coming to terms with the loss of his wife, so of course, there should be sadness and pain. And yet, for much of this movie, I could not tell whether to classify it as a drama or horror category. The crow, as a manifestation of the father’s suffering, conjures images of The Babadook. At times, this film was riffing on a better, more effective film on touchy subjects, rather than standing on its own two feet. 

A damning aspect of this movie is the blurring of the lines between horror and grief. While they can mix, this film has a devil of a time being both provocative and meditative. The result feels like a flightless bird, rather than one soaring high above the clouds. 

Anchoring this unnerving treatise on grief is Cumberbatch, who does most of the heavy lifting here. He gives a commanding performance that at least allows us to buy into this metaphorical fever dream. Cumberbatch captures the torturous pain of a grieving father. He is attempting to keep life normal for his children while neglecting his own grieving process. Even when the film tackles the surrealist element, he is a grounding force that at least shines a glimmer of humanity into an otherwise maelstrom of conflicting emotions. 

The Thing with Feathers is not a movie to be tarred and feathered, though at times it does feel like it is projecting that onto the audience. A lot of what is going on here is the nature of grief. It’s a lot to confront and unpack. While the film deserves its flowers for at least tackling this subject, it does not necessarily mean we, as the audience, want to follow the journey into despair. Sure, there is healing and hope, but our patience takes flight long before the film arrives at its point.

The Thing with Feathers will debut in theaters on November 28, 2025, courtesy of Briarcliff Entertainment.