Mumbai, Jan 6 (NationPress) English actor Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed that his film ‘The Thing with Feathers’ delves into the concept of male vulnerability.

This film serves as an emotional jolt wrapped in a dark, surreal nightmare, inspired by Max Porter’s renowned novella ‘Grief Is the Thing with Feathers’. It tells the story of a widowed father and his two young sons grappling with the abrupt loss of their wife and mother, leading them to experience their grief in a bizarre, tangible manner.

Discussing the depiction of grief, Cumberbatch stated, “Max’s novel is an extraordinary piece of writing. It’s lyrical, flawed, redemptive, majestic, ordinary, domestic, real and surreal. It provides a unique lens through which to view grief—the structure and intimacy of it. I aimed to preserve the father's humanity. My goal as an actor was to portray someone deeply human in his shortcomings, navigating his feelings moment by moment. Everyone involved in the film, from Max to us, understands that grief is a universal journey. However, it is quite rare in culture to explore this through a male perspective.”

He continued, “This film holds significance at any time, but its relevance is heightened now as it addresses the notion of male vulnerability and the ways we confront grief and loss. It investigates how we are multifaceted beings and what transpires when we are shattered by the loss of a loved one. The unraveling that occurs and how, from the remnants of that, something beautiful and genuine can be reconstructed and reborn. We still exist in a society where topics like dying, death, and grief are seldom discussed; they are often hidden away. Yet, as we know, reality persists and becomes part of us. Love inevitably entails loss, as nothing is eternal. This presents an extraordinary, haunting, beautiful, and profound means to examine loss.”

The film is set to debut in India on Lionsgate Play on January 9 and features actors David Thewlis, Richard, and Henry Boxall. Directed by Dylan Southern, the film fuses heartfelt family drama with captivating, fantastical visuals to explore how grief reshapes identity, masculinity, and parenthood.