As the holiday season approaches, Netflix has dropped the first tantalizing teaser for Goodbye June, a new drama that promises to tug at every heartstring and unravel family secrets in ways you never saw coming. Directed by none other than Oscar-winner Kate Winslet in her bold directorial debut, this film isn’t just another feel-good festive flick—it’s a raw, unflinching look at love, loss, and the messy bonds that hold us together when everything else falls apart. Set against the twinkling backdrop of a British Christmas, Goodbye June follows a fractured family thrust into chaos as their matriarch, June, faces her mortality with wit sharper than a turkey carver. Dropping in select theaters on December 12 and streaming worldwide on Netflix December 24, this could be the emotional rollercoaster that tops your holiday watchlist. But fair warning: it might just leave you ugly-crying into your eggnog.
At its core, Goodbye June is a story about the ones we take for granted until it’s almost too late. June, played with effortless charisma by the legendary Helen Mirren, is the glue of her sprawling, dysfunctional clan. She’s the quick-witted mother who’s spent decades herding her four adult children through life’s storms—offering blunt advice over tea, mediating sibling squabbles with a raised eyebrow, and dishing out love laced with sarcasm. But as Christmas Eve looms, an unexpected decline in her health shatters the fragile peace. What starts as a routine holiday gathering spirals into a whirlwind of revelations, resentments, and reluctant reconciliations. June, ever the orchestrator, refuses to go quietly; she plots her final chapter with the same fierce independence that defined her life, forcing her family to confront not just her impending loss, but their own buried grievances.
The film’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of family dynamics that feel achingly real. Picture this: the siblings, each carrying the weight of their own unfulfilled dreams, descend on the family home like a storm cloud over fresh snow. There’s Julia, the eldest, embodied by Kate Winslet herself in a dual role as actor and visionary behind the camera. Julia is the overachiever who’s sacrificed her own happiness for everyone else’s— a high-powered lawyer whose perfect life is a carefully constructed facade hiding years of quiet resentment. Winslet’s performance is a masterclass in restraint; her eyes convey volumes of unspoken pain, making every glance at her siblings feel like a plea for understanding.
Then there’s the wildcard brother, Tom, brought to life by the endlessly versatile Toni Collette. Tom is the eternal screw-up, the one who fled to the other side of the world to escape the family’s judgmental stares, only to return with a suitcase full of regrets and a half-baked scheme to “fix” everything. Collette infuses him with that signature manic energy—laugh-out-loud funny one moment, gut-wrenchingly vulnerable the next. His scenes with Mirren are pure gold, blending biting humor with the kind of tenderness that sneaks up on you, leaving you reaching for tissues mid-chuckle.
Rounding out the siblings are the quietly intense Claire, played by Andrea Riseborough, who’s buried her artistic soul under layers of domestic drudgery, and the charmingly oblivious Ben, portrayed by Johnny Flynn. Claire’s arc is perhaps the most poignant; Riseborough captures the slow burn of a woman rediscovering her voice amid the holiday frenzy, her subtle expressions speaking to every viewer who’s ever felt invisible in their own family. Flynn’s Ben, meanwhile, provides levity as the eternal optimist, cracking ill-timed jokes that mask deeper insecurities, his easy charm making him the sibling you’d root for even as he drives everyone mad.
Looming over them all is the exasperating patriarch, Harold, played with grumpy perfection by Timothy Spall. Harold is the kind of father who communicates in grunts and grudges, his love hidden beneath a crusty exterior worn thin by decades of routine. Spall nails the role, turning what could be a caricature into a heartbreaking study of quiet regret—a man who’s spent his life building walls, only to watch them crumble when June’s illness strips away his defenses. Their scenes together, filled with awkward silences and stolen glances, underscore the film’s central thesis: love isn’t always grand gestures; sometimes it’s the unspoken “I’m sorry” in a shared cup of tea.
What elevates Goodbye June beyond a standard family drama is Winslet’s assured direction. Making her feature debut after years of honing her craft on sets like Mare of Easttown and The Regime, Winslet brings a female gaze to the material that’s intimate and unflinching. She co-wrote the script with her son, Joe Anders, infusing it with a generational authenticity that feels lived-in rather than scripted. The camera lingers on small, telling details—the flicker of fairy lights on a weary face, the frost on a windowpane mirroring emotional icebergs, the half-eaten mince pies abandoned on a side table as arguments erupt. Filmed entirely on location in the snowy English countryside, the visuals evoke a cozy yet claustrophobic atmosphere, where the holiday cheer amplifies the underlying tension like tinsel on a ticking time bomb.
The supporting cast adds layers of brilliance. Stephen Merchant pops in as a bumbling family friend whose awkward attempts at comfort lead to some of the film’s sharpest laughs, while Fisayo Akinade shines as a compassionate hospice nurse who becomes an unlikely confidante, offering wisdom that cuts through the chaos. Jeremy Swift, fresh off Downton Abbey, brings his trademark dry wit as a sibling’s exasperated spouse, and Raza Jaffrey grounds the ensemble with his steady presence as another family ally. Together, they create a tapestry of interconnected lives, where every quip and quarrel peels back another layer of the family’s shared history.
Thematically, Goodbye June grapples with the big questions: What do we owe our parents? How do we forgive ourselves for the time we’ve wasted? And in the face of loss, can fractured bonds be mended, or do they simply scar over? June’s character is a revelation in this regard—Mirren imbues her with a defiant spark, turning what could be a tragic figure into a force of nature. She’s not content to fade away; she demands her family see her fully, flaws and all, orchestrating interventions that range from hilariously blunt (“Darling, if you’re going to cry, at least do it with a proper gin in hand”) to profoundly moving. It’s a performance that reminds us why Mirren remains one of the greatest actresses working today—fierce, funny, and utterly human.
As the story unfolds over those fateful holiday days, the siblings navigate a gauntlet of revelations. Old wounds reopen: a long-buried affair, a stolen inheritance, the dreams deferred for the sake of “family first.” Yet amid the tears and tantrums, moments of grace emerge—a midnight carol sung off-key, a shared story by the fire that bridges years of silence. Winslet directs these with a poet’s touch, balancing pathos and levity so deftly that you’ll laugh through your sobs, emerging from the film with a renewed ache for the people in your own life.
In a streaming landscape bloated with holiday rom-coms and thrillers, Goodbye June stands out as a thoughtful antidote—a reminder that the season’s magic lies not in perfection, but in the imperfect mess of showing up. It’s the film that will have you calling your siblings (even the ones you can’t stand), hugging your parents a little tighter, and pondering your own legacy over mulled wine. With its stellar ensemble, razor-sharp script, and Winslet’s triumphant leap behind the lens, this is more than a movie; it’s a mirror held up to the heart of what makes us family.
Mark your calendars for December 24—because once the credits roll on Goodbye June, you might just find yourself rewriting your holiday traditions. Netflix has outdone itself with this one; now it’s your turn to dive in and let it change you.
