- Kate Winslet makes her feature directing debut with Goodbye June, written by her son Joe Anders.
- The film assembles a high-calibre cast led by Helen Mirren, Andrea Riseborough and Toni Collette.
- Critics praise the performances but fault the film’s heavy-handed sentimentality and contrived moments.
- Goodbye June opens in cinemas on 12 December and lands on Netflix from 24 December.
What Goodbye June is about
Goodbye June centres on June (Helen Mirren), a sharp-tongued matriarch diagnosed with terminal cancer in the run-up to Christmas. Determined to use her final days to heal old family rifts, June brings her quarrelling adult children — including Winslet’s career-driven character, Andrea Riseborough’s stay-at-home mum and Toni Collette’s free-spirited counsellor — together in a hospital ward for a bittersweet, last-chance family reckoning.
Cast and performances
The film’s biggest strength is its cast. Mirren anchors the story with warmth and wit. Winslet, directing and acting, offers a notably restrained performance that keeps her character grounded amid broader flourishes from others. Riseborough and Collette provide lively counterpoints, while Timothy Spall, Johnny Flynn, Stephen Merchant and Fisayo Akinade fill the ensemble with complementary tones — from comic relief to quiet empathy.
Several setpieces stand out: a tense corridor clash between Winslet and Riseborough and an emotional montage that resolves a fraught exchange between Flynn and Spall. Even critics who find fault with the script concede the actors give their all and lift many of the film’s more obvious beats.
Direction, script and tone
As a directorial debut, Winslet shows composure and a clear emotional aim. The script, penned by her son Joe Anders, leans hard into sentimental territory. Many reviewers have compared the film’s tone to the saccharine, perfectly wrapped storytelling of a long-form Christmas ad — specifically likening it to John Lewis holiday commercials — arguing that its carefully choreographed emotional moments sometimes feel contrived rather than earned.
The film balances tender scenes and broad, comic characterisation, but for some viewers the balance tips toward treacly sentiment. Winslet’s direction is often sympathetic to the material, but the screenplay’s eagerness to resolve complex family dynamics within a compact runtime leaves a sense of artifice for critics seeking more nuance.
Release and verdict
Goodbye June opens in cinemas on 12 December and will be available on Netflix from 24 December. Audiences looking for a feel‑good, starry holiday drama will find much to admire — particularly the performances of Mirren, Winslet and the supporting ensemble. Viewers hoping for a subtler exploration of grief and family repair may be put off by its overt sentimentality and neat emotional resolutions.
Whether you embrace its tear‑jerking intentions or balk at its sugar‑coated approach, Goodbye June positions Kate Winslet as a serious new voice behind the camera and delivers a festive, if occasionally over‑polished, family weepie.
Image Referance: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/11/goodbye-june-review-kate-winslet-joe-anders-christmas-helen-mirren-andrea-riseborough-toni-colette