Tully

Raising three children including a new-born, and being expected to ‘switch gears’ for when her husband returns home, has left Marlo (Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road, Monster) empty. Her husband has no understanding of the pressures of running a household and retreats to his videogames each night, leaving Marlo to carry all the burdens. Her wealthy brother fears she’s on the brink of another breakdown so offers to hire a ‘night nanny’ to watch her baby in the evenings so she can get some much-needed sleep. At first, Marlo is hesitant about having a stranger in the house, but eventually agrees to give Tully (Mackenzie Davis – The Martian) a chance, and a real friendship develops between the two women.

From the same director and writer as Juno, this is a ruthlessly honest look at motherhood – not ignoring the challenges, stresses and conflicts, but also acknowledging the joy. The film is in turns funny, affecting and uplifting, though Diablo Cody’s writing makes sure it never becomes either mawkish or bleak.

Gail Marshall