
One of the best reviewed films from the 2026 Berlinale's Juliette Binoche and British screen icon Tom Courtenay are exquisite in this bracingly intelligent, raw caregiving drama from Lance Hammer
Winner of the Berlinale Silver Bear Jury Prize and Best Supporting Performance (shared by co-stars Tom Courtenay and Anna Calder-Marshall), Queen at Sea is a superbly crafted, London-set morality tale that faces the thornier issues of caregiving head on. Amanda (Binoche) and her stepfather Martin (Courtenay) are deeply divided on the issue of care for Amanda’s mother, Leslie (Calder-Marshall), who suffers from advanced dementia. Is Leslie still able to give meaningful consent and make critical decisions, and who has the right to make that determination? Earning comparisons to Haneke’s Amour with its towering performances and unsparingly honest portrayal of ageing, this is one of the year’s finest dramas.
Lance Hammer
2026
England
English / French
121
CTC
Screening at the Sydey Film Festival
3pm, Saturday 6 June | Hayden Orpheum
12pm, Monday 8 June | State Library of NSW
9.30am. Wednesday 10 June | Ritz Randwick
Tickets here
Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival 2026, Sydney Film Festival 2026
Winner: Silver Bear Jury Prize, Berlinale 2026
Winner: Best Supporting Performance (shared by Tom Courtenay & Anna Calder-Marshall), Berlinale 2026
“A lacerating movie bearing comparison with Michael Haneke’s Amour.”
The Guardian ★★★★★
"There are no easy answers in this raw but deeply empathetic film."
TimeOut ★★★★
"A difficult watch, perhaps, but also a powerful and rewarding one."
Next Best Picture ★★★★½



