The Father added two Oscars to the film’s growing awards cabinet.
It scooped Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2021 awards ceremony and Sir Anthony Hopkins was named Best Actor in a Leading Role.
The film, which takes a long, hard look at the gloomy subject of dementia, won two Bafta Film Awards in similar categories in April 2021.
Hopkins and Olivia Colman star in the film adaptation of an award-winning stage play of the same name, written and directed by Florian Zeller.
The play was a hit on Broadway and London’s West End and has already started to attract similar attention as audiences prepare for its cinematic release.
Who is in the cast of The Father?
The cast of The Father brings together a wealth of talent, experience and energy, fronted by multi-award winning actors Sir Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.
Hopkins (The Silence of The Lambs, Nixon, Hitchcock) plays the part of Anthony, the title character, who is going through some changes during old age.
His daughter Anne, played by Colman (The Night Manager, The Favourite, The Crown), regularly visits him - but not all is as it seems.
The star studded cast also includes Imogen Poots (That Awkward Moment), Rufus Sewell (Judy), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock).
What are The Father reviews saying?
The Father has been warmly welcomed by film critics and leading publications, who have looked into the inner workings of the plot and its portrayal.
The Guardian describes it as “a brutal, trippy portrait of what it must feel like to lose your grip on reality boasts an Oscar-worthy performance”.
Variety said: "Hopkins is flat-out stunning. He acts, for a while, with grizzled charm and roaring certainty, but the quality that holds his performance together, and begins to take it over, is a cosmic confusion laced with terror. Anthony is losing more than his memory - he's losing himself."
The Times said: "Colman mirrors his emotional fragility… jollying him along while trying to wrestle down her grief at watching part of him leave. The sense of loss is acute and as things get worse, you feel your heart break in 10 directions at once."
Has The Father film won any awards?
The Father scooped three awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), including best actor for Sir Anthony Hopkins.
The Father director Florian Zeller said: “I was very impressed with Anthony and Olivia’s humility and that is what I learnt, that humility is the signature of the greatest.
“It was so easy to work with them because there was never an ego issue. They were always trying to follow us and serve the story.
“They were not here to serve themselves. They were here to serve the emotions we wanted to explore, the story we wanted to tell and so in a way it was very easy because they were very generous.”
The film was nominated for six Bafta Film Awards and won in two categories – and followed this up with two wins and six nominations at the Oscars.
What is The Father’s UK release date?
A host of films and TV shows have experienced delays in production and release dates due to the Covid pandemic as people’s health is quite rightly prioritised.
Sets have had to become Covid secure while theatres and cinemas have been closed for the best part of the year, as the government attempts to limit the spread of the virus.
It’s had a knock on effect to many films, including the latest James Bond blockbuster, and The Father hasn’t escaped these delays either.
Initially scheduled for an 18 December release, it was put back to 26 February and now, due to ongoing uncertainty, is expected to be out in cinemas on 11 June.
Production and distribution company Lionsgate Films state The Father has changed its ‘coming soon’ message with an official cinematic release on 11 June 2021.
How can I watch The Father and is it on Netflix?
The Father film hasn’t made its way onto streaming services as yet, and this includes Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, though it is highly likely it will at some stage.
Some films, such as Coming 2 America, have made the jump straight to streaming with the closure of so many cinemas around the world due to the Covid pandemic.
But The Father looks like it will hold out for a theatrical release when the cinemas get the green light to open up once more, with 17 May the earliest date this could happen.
It is in the third phase of the government’s roadmap to gradually relax coronavirus restrictions as England emerges from a third national lockdown.