Help

2021

1 hr. 38 min.

Drama

List

100%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sarah (Jodie Comer) is smart, but she's never fitted in, not in education and not in work. Her family told her she'd never amount to anything but she unexpectedly finds her calling as a carer at Bright Sky Homes. Sarah has a special talent for connecting with the residents, including one in particular, 47-year-old Tony (Stephen Graham). Tony's Young Onset Alzheimer's has left him living out his days in care as his mind slowly deteriorates. His illness causes periods of confusion and violent outbursts, which the other members of staff can't handle, but with Sarah he begins to build a real bond. Sarah's success at managing Tony and the other patients helps build her confidence and restore her self-belief. Then March 2020 hits and everything Sarah has achieved is thrown into doubt with the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic. She and her colleagues tirelessly fight tooth and nail, ill-equipped, poorly prepared, and seemingly left helpless by the powers that be. A determined Sarah goes to extraordinary lengths to protect those in her care, whose conditions make their suffering and isolation all the more traumatic. But the staff's unwavering commitment, compassion and heroic efforts can only do so much, and Sarah is pushed into a dark corner and desperately looks for a way out.

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paul o

Brilliant acting by Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham. Brought back memories of NHS patients being discharged into Care Homes without being tested for Covid.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

Full Review

Savannah G

Jodie Comer. I think that's all that needs to be said. Some parts were over-dramatic. Still, that highlighted the craziness and unhinged feeling that everyone, especially the frontline workers, felt during this time of uncertainty. This group of actors was terrific. Some of my favorite British actors are all in one. Stephan Graham is phenomenal, and his work is lovely. But Jodie will always have your heart and take you to the brink of her performance! Truly amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/30/23

Full Review

Wayne M

Help is a superbly acted, deeply effective film about the strength of human connection. It's a COVID film but a COVID film you should not ignore. Sarah struggles to put her life in order but when she finds a job at a nursing home near Liverpool she finds a purpose. Soon she finds a connection with Tony. Tony is only 47 but has early onset Alzheimers. He struggles from day to day but connects greatly with Sarah. But when the pandemic hits in March 2020 their lives are turned upside down. Uncertainty turns to panic, then turns to tragedy when death hits the home. Sarah and Tony both face massive life challenges. This film is beautifully handled and the lead performances are superb. Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham shine in demanding roles. A small film but a quietly great one.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/17/23

Full Review

Dana H

A deeply honest and raw portrayal of an often forgotten segment of our world. The direction and performances are such that little to no introduction is needed of the characters for us to "get" and identify with the lives they are living. Comer is outstanding as the over-looked young person finding a calling in an over-looked occupation giving love and care to other over-looked people. The mood is simple and stripped down but also poignant and full of gravity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/16/23

Full Review

Rachel M

A very raw, emotional look at what covid was like in the aged and care homes. The very real trauma the carers, doctors and nurses faced to look after us all. Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham were beyond exception. A must watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/23

Full Review

Molly M

Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham star in Marc Munden's Channel 4 original drama ‘Help'. The film is a harrowing portrayal of recent events that every adult care worker knows too well. ‘Help' is probably the most accurate, intense depiction of the pandemic. Films like Adam Mason's ‘Songbird' and Doug Liman's ‘Locked Down' fail to capture the severity of Covid-19 and simply see the disease as a limiting factor for their characters. Jack Thorne (Enola Holmes, Wonder) pens the script that details these horrific events, and the limits care workers were pushed to. Comer plays newly qualified carer Sarah, who starts her job at a Liverpool care home, caring for the residents. One of these patients is Tony (Stephen Graham), a man with early-onset Alzheimer's that tends to wander off from the home. During Sarah's six-week probation period, Covid-19 strikes, and everything begins to go downhill as the virus ravages the country. Nightmarish night shifts and anti-government rants ensue as Sarah becomes overwhelmed and over worked and before we know it, she snaps. Marc Munden captures the eeriness of Sarah's experience with ease. Unfocused corners, handheld shots and a 26-minute long take all make you feel like you're watching a horror film, which for a lot of these workers, is probably what their life felt like. Munden also allows viewers to see both sides of the care home – patient and carer. He lets viewers see the bond that forms between patients and carers from the get-go. Powerful, raw performances drive ‘Help', and Comer and Graham give astonishing performances. For the most part, ‘Help' is an authentic portrayal of the pandemic, but the final act is where it begins to take a sour turn. When Sarah eventually snaps, the events that ensue aren't exactly what you think they would be. ‘Help' shines a light on the stark and disappointing fact that when the pandemic began, care homes and facilities within the adult care sector were completely forgotten about. The statistics listed in the credits and Sarah's emotional tirade accompanied by intense eye contact, grasps audience by the neck to make them understand care workers' daunting experiences. The film being based on an issue that we as a society have dealt with for the past 18 months makes it more unnerving. Audience members who enjoy Jodie Comer's moving performance, can catch her in Ridley Scott's upcoming historical drama ‘The Last Duel'. But viewers who enjoyed Stephen Graham's performance can see him in ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage' or in the BBC drama series ‘Line of Duty'. The long shot that features in the middle of the film captures the eerie atmosphere of the night shift. The dim lighting, coughs of a dying man, and smooth camera movements coat the film in a layer of uneasiness. All 4's biggest ever new drama launch is an intense film that tells the story that care workers are all too familiar with. Compelling performances and disorientating cinematography turn ‘Help' into a film that highlights how terribly the British government handled Covid-19 and how facilities like Sarah's were completely overlooked when the pandemic first began. Marc Munden brings a talented cast together in a disturbing film everyone should watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Marc Munden

Director

Jodie Comer

Sarah

Stephen Graham

Tony

Ian Hart

Steve

Angela Griffin

Tori

David Hayman

Hercules

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Steve Greene

indieWire

For a fictional telling with so much emotional volatility, finding performers who can manage that heavy, delicate lifting is a key task. Fortunately, Help has twin pillars in the form of Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham

Feb 2, 2022

Full Review

Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

Deeply affecting and instantly recognisable to anyone who knows our own understaffed aged-care.

Oct 28, 2021

Full Review

Anita Singh

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The centrepiece was a virtuoso piece of directing from Marc Munden that followed Sarah over one hellish night shift. It is shot in the style of a horror film, as one continuous take.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 20, 2021

Full Review

Rebecca Johnson

Film Focus Online

The performances are some of the best of the year, the topic is of high importance and the script does a fantastic job in creating an entertaining movie that packs a punch and makes us appreciate our front line staff even more.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 27, 2023

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

If you’ve only ever seen Jodie Comer as Killing Eve’s villainous Villanelle, then prepare to be gobsmacked by her latest turn.

May 25, 2022

Full Review

Matt Roush

TV Insider

A harrowing drama reliving the pandemic's first wave as seen from within an ill-equipped and understaffed British nursing home.

Feb 15, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Sarah (Jodie Comer) is smart, but she's never fitted in, not in education and not in work. Her family told her she'd never amount to anything but she unexpectedly finds her calling as a carer at Bright Sky Homes. Sarah has a special talent for connecting with the residents, including one in particular, 47-year-old Tony (Stephen Graham). Tony's Young Onset Alzheimer's has left him living out his days in care as his mind slowly deteriorates. His illness causes periods of confusion and violent outbursts, which the other members of staff can't handle, but with Sarah he begins to build a real bond. Sarah's success at managing Tony and the other patients helps build her confidence and restore her self-belief. Then March 2020 hits and everything Sarah has achieved is thrown into doubt with the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic. She and her colleagues tirelessly fight tooth and nail, ill-equipped, poorly prepared, and seemingly left helpless by the powers that be. A determined Sarah goes to extraordinary lengths to protect those in her care, whose conditions make their suffering and isolation all the more traumatic. But the staff's unwavering commitment, compassion and heroic efforts can only do so much, and Sarah is pushed into a dark corner and desperately looks for a way out.

Director: Marc Munden
Executive Producer: Beth Willis, George Faber, Jack Thorne, Marc Munden, Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer, Christopher Moll
Screenwriter: Jack Thorne
Production Co: Channel 4 Television Corporation
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2022
Aspect Ratio: HDTV

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