The Thing With Feathers is a surreal psychological drama about grief, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Streaming January 9, 2026, on Lionsgate Play.
The Thing With Feathers stars Benedict Cumberbatch in a surreal drama of grief and hope
Photo Credit: IMDB
Benedict Cumberbatch returns to the screen with The Thing With Feathers, a surreal, emotional psychological drama featuring themes of grief, loss, and hope. Based on Max Porter's award-winning novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, this film launches on Lionsgate Play in India on January 9, featuring a powerful and tender tale of a father and his children coming to terms with loss. An adaptation that blends gothic storytelling, fantasy elements, and a dose of hard-bitten emotion, Cumberbatch turns in an affecting performance as a father grieving with the help of his two sons and an odd, monstrous guest, a huge crow which embodies sorrow.
The Thing With Feathers will be available in streaming exclusively on Lionsgate Play in India from January 9, 2026.
The trailer suggests a house haunted by absence; Cumberbatch stars as a grieving father, and his sons and this mystical crow will lead them on a transforming journey of chaos that upends grief and nods to hope.
The film is directed by Dylan Southern, with a main cast comprising Benedict Cumberbatch as Dad; David Thewlis as the voice of Crow; Henry Boxall as Boy 2; Richard Boxall as Boy 1; Vinette Robinson and Amanda and Sam Spruell as Paul. The rest of the cast consists of Eric Lampaert, who plays Crow; Claire Cartwright, Mum; Tim Plester, Andy; and Leo Bill, Dr Bowden. It is produced by Film4, BFI, SunnyMarch and Lobo Films with a screenplay from Dylan Southern adapted from Max Porter's novella.
The movie currently holds a 5.8/10 rating on IMDb, due to its niche appeal and conversation-worthy critique of its handling of grief and storytelling.
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