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The Thing with Feathers

Berlinale Special Gala 2025
© Anthony Dickenson / The Thing with Feathers Ltd
A young father of two sons is left devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of his wife. His hold on reality crumbles as a seemingly malign presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his boys. What begins as a terrifying haunting evolves into a battle of wills between the grieving family and their unpredictable, uninvited house guest and tormentor: an anthropomorphic crow which appears to have emerged from the pages of the father’s work as a comic book artist. The weeks and months during which the father and his sons are under siege from the crow ultimately force them to confront their grief and reconcile themselves to the new shape their family must take.
by Dylan Southern (Director, Screenplay)
with Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Boxall, Henry Boxall, Sam Spruell, Vinette Robinson, David Thewlis, Tim Plester United Kingdom 2025 English 98' Colour European premiere

With

  • Benedict Cumberbatch (Dad)
  • Richard Boxall (Boy 1)
  • Henry Boxall (Boy 2)
  • Sam Spruell (Paul)
  • Vinette Robinson (Amanda)
  • David Thewlis (Crow)
  • Tim Plester (Andy)

Crew

Director Dylan Southern
Screenplay Dylan Southern
Cinematography Ben Fordesman
Editing George Cragg
Music Richard Reed Parry, Pietro Amato, Zebedee Budworth (composer)
Sound Design Joakim Sundström
Production Design Suzie Davies
Casting Shaheen Baig
Animation N/A N/A
Producers Andrea Cornwell, Leah Clarke, Adam Ackland
Executive Producers Mia Bays, Lee Broda, Sierra Garcia, Thomas R. Burke, Ben Coren, Patricia Lawley, Adrian Politowski, Morwin Schmookler

Produced by

Lobo Films

SunnyMarch

World Sales

mk2 Films

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Dylan Southern

© Ben Fordesman

The British filmmaker is chiefly known for his work in the field of documentary. In No Distance Left to Run, he followed the band Blur while Shut Up and Play the Hits, about LCD Soundsystem, premiered at Sundance and is considered to be one of the defining music documentaries of the 2010s. Meet Me in the Bathroom, about the New York music scene of the early 2000s, also premiered at Sundance. As one half of the directing duo thirtytwo, he has worked on award-winning commercials and charity campaigns. The Thing with Feathers is his debut feature-length fiction film.

Filmography (selection)

2010 No Distance Left to Run; documentary 2012 Shut Up and Play the Hits; documentary 2022 Meet Me in the Bathroom; documentary 2025 The Thing with Feathers

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025