Lesley Manville's "captivating" drama is the "magnificent" movie to watch this weekend

If you'd rather stay in on this windy weekend instead of watching Clayface or Ghosts: The Possession of Button House on the big screen, then why not try a new drama featuring Lesley Manville in the lead role?

Midwinter Break is a film based on Bernard MacLaverty's 2017 novel of the same name, and follows long-time couple Stella and Gerry as they take a trip to Amsterdam in a bid to revive their relationship.

Despite the pleasant surroundings of the Dutch capital, Stella and Gerry find that the holiday only emphasises the deeply concealed wounds that plague their bond, with the pair now having to grapple with a future that may not involve each other.

Who's in Midwinter Break?

• Lesley Manville as Stella
• Ciarán Hinds as Gerry
• Niamh Cusack as Kathy
• Leila Laraaj as Hennie
• Julie Lamberton as young Stella
• Ed Sayer as young Gerry

What did critics say about Midwinter Break?

The drama, which is directed by Polly Findlay from a screenplay by MacLaverty and Nick Payne, was generally praised by critics upon its theatrical release earlier this year. At the time of writing, it has a solid approval rating of 63% from 52 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Hinds and Manville skilfully convey a relationship founded on the most fragile of intertwining insecurities," noted The Irish Times, while Daily Mail dubbed it "beautifully observed and exquisitely acted".

"The saving grace of Midwinter Break is the pair of stellar leads, who would be appealing to watch just fumbling for their reading glasses," opined The New York Times, while Punch Drunk Critics described it as "quietly magnificent".

Yahoo was also full of praise as they called it "captivating", adding: "Hinds and Manville demonstrate a remarkable and heartbreaking chemistry that navigates the peaks and valleys of their characters' love under a multi-layered marital portrait embedded in history."

Where can I watch Midwinter Break?

The relationship drama is streaming in the UK on both Sky Cinema and NOW, having been added to the streamers on Friday (23 October). Sky Cinema currently costs £10 per month for existing Sky TV customers, while the Cinema package with NOW is £6.99 per month.

Other Lesley Manville movies you can stream now

If you already have subscriptions for Sky Cinema and NOW, then you can check out gory sci-fi comedy Cold Storage. Mr Burton, the period drama also featuring Toby Jones, is on BBC iPlayer and Prime Video.

Popular comedy-drama Misbehaviour and acclaimed football drama The Firm are also on BBC iPlayer, while Back to Black - the biopic of the late Amy Winehouse - is streaming on StudioCanal Presents.

Vera Drake, one of Manville's many collaborations with acclaimed writer-director Mike Leigh, is also available via StudioCanal Presents, while Luca Guadagnino's Queer - starring Daniel Craig - is streaming on Mubi.

Midwinter Break is streaming on Sky Cinema and NOW.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.