A Grief-Stricken Household Hides an Explosive Secret

Period drama enthusiasts and literary cinema lovers are raving over Sony Pictures Classics’ sensual and emotionally shattering romance, Mothering Sunday. Directed by Eva Husson from a screenplay by Alice Birch (Normal People), the film stars Academy Award winners Olivia Colman and Colin Firth as Mr. and Mrs. Niven—wealthy aristocrats living in post-WWI England who are quietly crushed under the unbearable weight of losing their sons to the war.

While the estate maintains a strict facade of formal etiquette and quiet mourning, life downstairs tells a completely different story.

Beneath the silent halls of the Niven estate, housemaid and orphan Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) navigates a world of rigid class boundaries and unspoken desire.

A Final Afternoon of Uncensored Passion

The quiet domestic order shatters on a warm spring day in 1924, when Jane is granted a rare day off for Mothering Sunday while her employers attend an engagement celebration.

• The Secret Lover: Jane sneaks away for a private rendezvous with Paul Sheringham (Josh O’Connor), the aristocratic heir from a neighboring estate.

• The Looming Marriage: Despite their years-long physical intimacy, Paul is betrothed to marry another woman of his own high social standing—making this afternoon their final chance to be together.

• A Stacked British Cast: Supported by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Emma D’Arcy, and a legendary appearance by Glenda Jackson, the film weaves a complex web of grief, privilege, and artistic awakening.

The Tragedy That Changes Everything

As Jane wanders freely through the empty estate, enjoying a fleeting taste of liberty and romance, a sudden, devastating event alters the course of her life forever.

What begins as a secret romance evolves into a profound origin story, transforming a humble housemaid into a fearless, acclaimed writer.

(Note: Mothering Sunday is currently available for digital purchase and streaming on platforms including Starz, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.)