Lesley Manville leads Midwinter Break in exclusive March 17 preview screening and a quiet, faith-tinged drama
lesley manville stars as Stella in Midwinter Break, a film that centers on a longtime retired couple confronting a marriage at a crossroads while on holiday in Amsterdam. An exclusive preview screening is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, and the film’s intimate focus, theological questions and theatrical pedigree make the event notable for adult-oriented cinema audiences.
Lesley Manville at the center: Stella, Gerry and the film’s themes
The story follows Stella (lesley manville) and Gerry (Ciarán Hinds), a retired couple who realise their relationship has reached a crossroads while on holiday in Amsterdam. After many years together, long-held promises and deeply concealed wounds threaten to come to light and force them to confront their future. The couple’s tensions include Gerry’s drinking and Stella’s devout Catholicism, contrasted with Gerry’s lack of faith. They also disagree on what “home” means: Gerry identifies home as Edinburgh, where they lived for most of their married life, while Stella defines home as Ireland, specifically Belfast, the place of her birth from which she fled during the Troubles. Decades of polite avoidance have kept those tensions dormant until the short trip to Amsterdam begins to reveal the cracks.
Lesley Manville and Ciarán Hinds: performances that carry an understated film
Performances are central. The film leans on the close, lived-in chemistry between the two leads: small expressions, pauses and understated gestures are the primary means of storytelling. Close-up shots focus on those moments to make interior life visible without voiceover. Observers of the film describe it as melancholy, sweet and occasionally too understated, yet return to the actors’ work whenever distance arises in the storytelling.
Polly Findlay’s role and the screenplay’s origins
Polly Findlay is identified as an Olivier award-winning British theatre and film director, and the project is also described as her first film. The screenplay is based on the novel by Bernard MacLaverty; MacLaverty co-wrote the screenplay with Nick Payne. Findlay’s background in theatre and her work with major stage institutions are presented as shaping the film’s conversational, stage-like approach to drama.
Exclusive preview screening details and practical information
There will be a preview screening of Midwinter Break on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Doors open at 6pm on that date only. Tickets are priced at £5 per person and include complimentary popcorn; booking fees apply. For further information and accessibility details, consult the screening venue’s website. The event listing includes company registration details: Registered in England No. 894646, registered office at 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.
Pacing, critical notes and audience guidance
Critical response highlights the film’s deliberate, slow pace; scenes are sometimes long and quiet, and the runtime is noted as roughly 90 minutes, leading some viewers to describe the experience as almost glacial. That same response emphasizes that the acting—particularly that of lesley manville and Ciarán Hinds—is the primary reason to watch: each small look or line reading is credited with restoring engagement when the film’s understatement risks distance. Some criticism is directed at the Amsterdam setting, which is felt to be present but without standout city moments that might have added visual spark.
After-credits and ancillary notes
There are no extra scenes during or after the end credits of Midwinter Break. Alongside reviews, a film-focused app is referenced that is 100% free (donation supported) and available for iPhone and Android; it offers features that identify the best times to run and pee during a movie, includes a PERA (Personal Entertainment Research Assistant) waitlist, and notes from developers state the app will always be free with donations optional. One reviewer noted that the film’s slow pace means an audience member could take a break and not miss key plot developments.
Midwinter Break poses quiet, substantial questions about home, faith and the limits of long marriage. The March 17 preview screening, the film’s theatrical sensibility, and the performances promise an experience aimed at patient viewers who appreciate actor-led, adult drama.
